Almost as far back as the beginning of time, mankind has been getting jiggy with it and toking along the way. Does weed make us more sexual creatures? How would weed make you want to have sex? Well, here’s the short of the long. No pun intended… I’m a liar, it was completely intended.
As you may or may not know already, you have what is called an Endocannabinoid system. The Endocannabinoid system is a biological system that’s composed of Endocannabinoids which are neurotransmitters that bind to the cannabinoid receptors. Every human has a set of CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 (We’re going to focus on this one) receptors control our brain and our central nervous system. So this is controlling everything from when we’re happy or sad, when we’re tired, and for the sake of this conversation when we’re horny.
Delta 9 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the component in cannabis that’s known for getting you high latches onto CB1 receptors like a moth to a flame. Especially in women. Cannabinoid receptors are found in organs responsible for producing sex hormones like the ovaries which produce estrogen, progesterone, and androgens.
Multiple studies have reported increased orgasms and ‘intensity’ when using cannabis. In one study, women who used cannabis regularly (and not only prior to sex) had twice the chance of having a great orgasm.
In men those same types of receptors are attached to the adrenals. Male cannabis users were reported to be able to delay ejaculation for longer where nonusers tend to go off quicker. The orgasms themselves were also reported to be prolonged. I think it was time distortion from being too high. But be careful…
Harvard claims you’re around 28% more potent than nonusers. 
PubMed analyzed results from 216 questionnaires completed by people with experience using cannabis with sex. Of those, 112 (52.3%) said they used cannabis to alter their sexual experience. Eighty-two participants (38.7%) said sex was better, 34 (16.0%) said it was better in some ways and worse in others, 52 (24.5%) said it was sometimes better, and only 10 (4.7%) said it was worse. Of 202 participants, 119 (58.9%) said cannabis increased their desire for sex, 149 of the 202 participants (73.8%) reported increased sexual satisfaction, 144 of 199 participants (74.3%) reported an increased sensitivity to touch, and 132 of 201 participants (65.7%) reported an increased intensity of orgasms. Out of 199 participants, 139 (69.8%) said they could relax more during sex, and 100 of 198 participants (50.5%) said they were better able to focus. Of the 28 participants who reported difficulty reaching orgasm, 14 said it was easier to reach orgasm while using cannabis, but only 10 said that sex was better.
In conclusion cannabis and sex have been deeply intertwined throughout history, from an ancient Chinese aphrodisiac of 2727 BC to… well, right now. The relationship is older than Jesus. But even with that long of a timeline, very few studies have actually been done on the subject. As humans, we’ve been toking and getting it on for a millennia. Regardless of what’s reported on the matter I don’t think the behavior will ever change. Just look at the track record…
Wiebe E, Just A. How Cannabis Alters Sexual Experience: A Survey of Men and Women. J Sex Med. 2019 Nov;16(11):1758-1762. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.07.023. Epub 2019 Aug 22. PMID: 31447385.
Lynn BK, López JD, Miller C, Thompson J, Campian EC. The Relationship between Marijuana Use Prior to Sex and Sexual Function in Women. Sex Med. 2019;7(2):192-197. doi:10.1016/j.esxm.2019.01.003
Smith AMA, Ferris JA, Simpson JM, Shelley J, Pitts MK, Richters J. Cannabis use and sexual health. J Sex Med. 2010;7(2 Pt 1):787-793. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01453.x
Nassan FL, Arvizu M, Mínguez-Alarcón L, et al. Marijuana smoking and markers of testicular function among men from a fertility centre. Hum Reprod Oxf Engl. 2019;34(4):715-723. doi:10.1093/humrep/dez002
