Does Cannabis Help With Sex?

Cannabis or marijuana has been, and is being used for, an incredible array of health problems.  It has been shown to alleviate anxiety, help with sleep, increase appetite, and treat chronic pain.  Cannabis has been shown to be a much safer alternative to alcohol.  In places where cannabis is legal, many people are incorporating cannabis into their wellness routines as an alternative to prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies aimed at reproductive and sexual health.

As research and studies continue about cannabis, I pondered about one important question.  What does cannabis do for our sexual drive?  Does cannabis consumption increase sexual desire, arousal, and can it intensify one’s orgasms?

Women and Cannabis

Women have found relief with cannabis for centuries, especially when it comes to menstrual pain. In “Women and Cannabis: Medicine, Science, and Sociology,” the authors Ethan Russo, Melanie Creagan Dreher, and Mary Lynn Mathre note that cannabis suppositories were documented as long ago as 3,000 BCE to be used in Egyptian pharmacopeia. New age OB/GYNs are recommending cannabis products to relieve symptoms associated with pelvic pain, painful intercourse, vaginal dryness, menopause, and other vaginal conditions.

A 2020 study in the journal Sexual Medicine found that women who used cannabis more often had better sex.  Numerous online surveys have also reported positive associations between marijuana and sex. One study even found a connection between the passage of cannabis laws and increased sexual activity.

A 2024 study found that cannabis-infused vaginal suppositories seemed to reduce sexual pain in women after treatment for gynecological cancer. Combining the suppositories with online exercises in “mindful compassion” offered patients even more substantial benefits.  The research showed that cannabis helped “increased sexual function, levels of sexual arousal, lubrication, and orgasm increased, and the levels of sexual pain decreased.”  Earlier research also found that administration of a broad-spectrum, high-CBD vaginal suppository was associated with “significantly reduced frequency and severity of menstrual-related symptoms” as well as the symptoms’ negative impacts on daily life.

Some advocates have cited the potential for cannabis to improve sexual function in women as a reason to add conditions such as female orgasmic disorder (FOD) as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana.

The 10-page study, published in the journal Sexual Medicine, draws on a 2022 survey of “sexually active women who used cannabis.” Among those who experienced challenges in achieving orgasm, more than 7 in 10 said cannabis use increased orgasm ease (71 percent) and frequency (72.9 percent), and two-thirds (67 percent) said it improved orgasm satisfaction. The research determined that cannabis use increased orgasm frequency, eased orgasm difficulty, and improved orgasm satisfaction.   Interestingly, this study found that cannabis use did not help all women orgasm. In fact, 4% of participants reported never having an orgasm, even though they used cannabis before partnered sex. (My heart goes out to you, ladies)!

Does Cannabis Help During Sex?

In 2017, researchers at Stanford University officially confirmed that cannabis can enhance your sex life.  Stanford researchers surveyed more than 55,000 cannabis consumers, who, on average, had sex about 20% more than those who did not consume cannabis.

A 2019 study conducted by National Library of Medicine, found that cannabis helped participants relax, heightened their sensitivity to touch, and increased intensity of feelings, thus enhancing their sexual experience.  However, some participants reported that cannabis interfered wish sex because it made them sleepy and less focused, or had no effect on their sexual experience at all.

As for sexual fulfillment, a separate 2024 study found that while alcohol might be effective to “facilitate” sex, marijuana is better at enhancing sexual sensitivity and satisfaction.  While alcohol increased some elements of sexual attraction — including making people feel more attractive, more extroverted, and more desirous — people who used marijuana “have more sensitivity and they are more sexually satisfied than when they consume alcohol,” the authors wrote.

A broad scientific review of academic research on cannabis and human sexuality published in 2024, concluded that while the relationship between marijuana and sex is a complicated one, use of cannabis is generally associated with more frequent sexual activity as well as increased sexual desire and enjoyment.  The article, published in the journal Psychopharmacology, also suggested that lower doses of marijuana may actually be best suited for sexual satisfaction, while higher doses could in fact lead to decreases in desire and performance. And it suggested effects may differ between men and women.

A 2023 study in the Journal of Cannabis Research found that more than 70 percent of surveyed adults said cannabis before sex increased desire and improved orgasms, while 62.5 percent said cannabis enhanced pleasure while masturbating.

Yet another study, however, cautions that more marijuana doesn’t necessarily mean better sex. A literature review published in 2019 found that cannabis’s impact on libido may depend on dosage, with lower amounts of THC correlating with the highest levels of arousal and satisfaction. Most studies showed that marijuana has a positive effect on women’s sexual function, the study found, but too much THC can actually backfire.

Conclusion

Cannabis has been and is being used for an incredible array of health problems.  As is clear from all the above mentioned studies,  cannabis has been shown to increase sexual arousal, the frequency with which you desire sex, and help to increased orgasm frequency, eased orgasm difficulty, and improved orgasm satisfaction, and make sex feel better overall.

Sources:

1. Stanford Medicine News Center. Regular Marijuana Use Linked To More Sex. Bruce Goldman.  (October 27, 2017). https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2017/10/regular-marijuana-use-linked-to-more-sex.html
2. Weedmaps. Marijuana Use Is Ties to ‘Significantly Higher Sexual Desire and Arousal,” New Study Shows. Ben Adlin. (July 15, 2025). https://weedmaps.com/news/2025/07/marijuana-increases-sexual-desire-new-research/
3. Women and Cannabis, Medicine, Science and Sociology.  Ethan Russo, Melanie Dreher, and Mary Lynn Mathre.  (2002). https://books.google.com/books?id=gZJ7m3Uf6FQC&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=The+earliest+references+to+cannabis+in+female+medical+conditions+probably+originate+in+Ancient+Mesopotamia.&source=bl&ots=HMkEevxmvy&sig=4YT7KUSxM6XvC7uoXM5P0sNAhP8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij3Lm7jM7KAhWFFR4KHcz9DBEQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=The%20earliest%20references%20to%20cannabis%20in%20female%20medical%20conditions%20probably%20originate%20in%20Ancient%20Mesopotamia.&f=false
4. The Hidden Triad Of Cannabis Influence. A Thesis. Cynthia Dawn Bojkovsky
   Regina, Saskatchewan. (July, 2024). https://uregina.scholaris.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/84fbfffb-d41e-49a0-a268-e5d7e4da66c0/content#:~:text=Methods,influences.
5. Weedmaps. Cannabis Can Help Treat Female Orgasmic Disorder Study Finds As Ohio Officials Consider Adding It As Qualifying Condition. Ben Adlin. (May 13, 2024). https://weedmaps.com/news/2024/05/cannabis-can-help-treat-female-orgasmic-disorder-study-finds-as-ohio-officials-consider-adding-it-as-qualifying-condition/

6. Weedmaps. CBD Lube Could Be A Game-Changer For Your Sex Life.  But There’s Still A Lot Of Skepticism. Mary Jane Gibson and Erin Hiatt. (July 20, 2020). https://weedmaps.com/news/2020/07/cbd-lube-explained/

7. Weedmaps.  Why Women Are Using Weed Products for Sexual Health and Wellness. Mary Jane Gibson. (January 3, 2020). https://weedmaps.com/news/2020/01/sexual-health-and-wellness-cannabis-products-for-women/.

8. National Library of Medicine. PubMed.  How Cannabis Alters Sexual Experience: A Survey of Men and Women.  Ellen Wiebe and Alanna Just. (November 16, 2019). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31447385/#:~:text=Results:%20We%20analyzed%20results%20from,said%20that%20sex%20was%20better.