Studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that cannabis has a positive effect on sexual intimacy, providing both emotional and physical results. Here’s how.
Not a lot of studies have been conducted on personal marijuana use, much less about the effect that the plant can have on couples. Still, as the years have passed and as interest in the topic has increased, a variety of cannabis products targeting people’s sex lives have appeared.
On the whole, it appears marijuana improves sex, especially for women, who often link cannabis with more intense orgasms, more arousal, and greater sexual satisfaction. A study published in the journal Sexual Medicine indicates that the more a woman uses cannabis, the more likely it is for them to experience better sex overall, with less pain and discomfort.
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Another study finds a key difference between alcohol and cannabis in sex. The study, published in the journal Cannabis, claims that, unlike alcohol, cannabis has a positive effect on couples when consumed together, increasing the odds of intimacy and providing more opportunities for bonding.
The study was a small one, collecting data from just 183 married or cohabitating couples, all of them claiming to be active marijuana users. Authors of the study asked the couples to monitor their cannabis intake for a period of 30 days, with participants reporting their experiences through their smartphones before and after consuming cannabis.
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Couples were asked to write a brief report each morning, indicating whether they’d consumed marijuana and if they’d had an “intimate experience” with their partner, specifying the time of this encounter. The study’s definition of an intimate experience was wide, ranging from sex and meaningful conversations, to interactions that expressed love, support and care.
After the 30 days passed and participants’ input on the study concluded, researchers analyzed the data and found that smoking cannabis increased the couples’ likelihood of having an intimate experience, especially within two hours of consuming the plant. This increased intimacy remained even if only one partner used marijuana, disproving other studies that claim that personal drug use adds stress to a relationship.
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Cannabis dosage is key for any positive sexual encounter since too much of it could result in a negative sexual experience, increasing effects such as paranoia and anxiety. It could also result in sleepiness and disorientation.
In order to comprehend the full extent of marijuana’s influence on relationships and intimacy, more studies need to be conducted, particularly ones that focus on larger samples of couples, monitoring their progress over longer periods of time. Still, the majority of users who enjoy cannabis tend to enjoy cannabis and sex together, suggesting that any discomfort is likely associated with dosage, and that there’s little room for significant negative side effects.
