Since the dawn of medicine, people have sought elixers, pills and countless other remedies to improve intimacy and sexual performance. Pharmaceutical companies have made leaps and bounds in this field, with several major achievements, most famously Viagra in the 1990s.
While pharmaceuticals undergo significant tests and trials, herbal and natural remedies like cannabis often spread by word of mouth and personal recommendation. Cannabis, in fact, has been used to improve intimacy and sexual pleasure for generations.
As marijuana popularity increases and it becomes legal in more locations, tests and studies of marijuana’s benefits are slowly becoming more available. Does marijuana really improve your sex life, and if so, how?
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Before looking at how marijuana improves sex, it is best to understand what the root of sexual problems are first. “A lot of the understanding that needs to go into a discussion around cannabis and sexuality has less to do with cannabis and more to do with sexuality,” Jordan Tishler, a leading expert on cannabinoid therapeutics, told SELF. When you understand sexuality, desire and the mental and physical blockages that can occur, it is easier to see how and why cannabis can improve intimacy.
What can often keep sex from being enjoyable are mental blocks. Anxiety and tension both factor in to lack of sexual desire. When these sexual pleasure inhibitors are removed, intimacy can improve. In other words, marijuana may not only increase pleasure, but by removing elements that hinder sexual enjoyment it can make the overall experience much more enjoyable.
As we’ve reported before, researchers have found that it’s not anandamide that’s released during orgasm, rather it’s 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), an endocannabinoid that plays a role in the reward aspect of sexual arousal and orgasm. Also, while under the influence of THC, a person’s senses are enhanced and they’re less likely to experience anxiety or other negative feelings surrounding sex.
Marijuana, it seems, can help the mind and body relax, simply allowing a person to enjoy the moment.
More and more, studies are finding that cannabis is leading many to have improved sexual function and better sex in general. According to one recently released study, “the effects of cannabis on heightened perceptions, time distortion, relaxation, and decreased inhibition were hypothesized as explanations for this improvement in sexual function.”
While marijuana has shown it can improve intimacy for many, it is critical you consider your dosage and how you get high. Over-consumption of marijuana can lead to lethargy and a lack of desire to perform any task, sex included. If you plan to get high with your partner, be sure to consider the right method of ingesting cannabis to ensure you are both on the same wavelength.
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The general consensus is that if you are trying to enjoy the experience with your partner, edibles are not the best bet. ”Edibles are too slow and unpredictable to be very helpful for sex involving two or more people who need to be ready at the same time,” Dr. Tishler told Insider. Edibles take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours to take effect, which makes planning intimate time with your partner a bit difficult.
Instead, maybe opt for a few puffs of a joint or a vape – something that has rapid effects, but is not so potent that you cannot control your dosage. Keep in mind that although these recent studies have shown cannabis can improve intimacy, other studies have shown the sluggish and negative effects of consuming too much THC.
Cannabis is by no means the cure for all intimacy issues. In fact, it is not currently prescribed by doctors to assist in that department. It is, however, legal in many states. So if couples therapy or other routes don’t sound appealing or aren’t working, you may want to take a trip with your partner to visit your local budtender.
