Cannabis Sex EXP LO R I N G N EW O PTI O N S
BY L E A H O L Z
Yes, sex and cannabis. Why would you overlook this area of your life when you contemplate your cannabis use? By now, you know cannabis can help treat countless health issues. From the top of your head to the tips of your toes, nearly every inch of your body can benefit from a little cannabinoid love— but there may be one very important area you’ve overlooked. In a first-of-its-kind US study published in the Journal for Sexual Medicine, researchers at Stanford University Medical Center set out to assess the relationship between how often people had sex and how often people used cannabis. Expecting to find less frequent sexual activity amongst cannabis users due to concerns that use may impair sexual desire, researchers were surprised to report that in a fourweek period, non-cannabis using women had sex an average of six times—while the cannabis using counterparts reported 7.1 sexual encounters in that same amount of time.1 While Senior Author Michael Eisenberg cautions against the misconception that smoking cannabis will lead to more sex, the study does suggest some very groundbreaking notions. Frequency of sex gradually and steadily increased alongside frequency of cannabis use, and this dose-dependent relationship suggests that cannabis could play an active role in supporting and possibly treating a myriad of sexual issues. In the United States today, a whopping 43% of the female 36
population reports struggling with some sort of sexual dysfunction.2 That’s nearly half of women in the United States missing out on the joy, gratification, and health benefits of regular sexual expression. “43% OF THE FEMALE POPULATION REPORTS STRUGGLING WITH SOME SORT OF SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION” The majority of reported sexual dysfunction in women is generally categorized as one of the following: lack of desire, inability to orgasm, problems reaching arousal, and/or pain during sex. Could cannabis provide an answer for relief? For post-menopausal women and men suffering from sexual dysfunction, cannabis use can be used to increase sensations and experiences. Many doctors are recommending cannabis to aid with difficulty orgasming, or for with low libidos. It could be that using cannabis in small doses may offer relaxation that lowers your anxiety levels, releases tension in your muscles, provides anti-inflammation, and lowers your inhibitions.
