Recent research from Queens University in Canada has revealed compelling evidence that cannabis use may significantly enhance sexual experiences.
The research comes at a time when cannabis legalization continues to expand across North America, opening new avenues for scientific inquiry into the plant’s therapeutic potential.
As societal attitudes shift and research barriers diminish, studies like this one highlight the cannabis benefits that extend far beyond traditional medical applications.
Understanding the Research: A Dual-Study Approach
Kayla M Mooney’s doctoral thesis employed a sophisticated mixed-methods approach, combining two distinct studies to provide a comprehensive view of cannabis’s impact on sexual health.
The first study surveyed 1,547 cannabis users through an online questionnaire, while the second involved an intensive 28-day diary analysis of 115 individuals—87 cannabis users and 28 infrequent or non-users.
This dual approach allowed researchers to capture both broad trends across a large population and detailed daily variations in sexual experiences.
The methodology represents a significant advancement in cannabis research, moving beyond simple cross-sectional studies to examine real-time effects over extended periods.
Findings: Cannabis Enhances Sexual Desire and Arousal
The results paint a picture of cannabis’s positive impact on sexual functioning:
Increased Sexual Desire: Women who used cannabis more frequently reported greater daily sexual desire. This finding challenges long-held assumptions about cannabis’s impact on libido and suggests the plant may actually enhance sexual motivation.
Enhanced Arousal on Sexual Activity Days: Participants reported significantly higher sexual desire and arousal on days when they used cannabis compared to non-use days. This acute effect demonstrates cannabis’s immediate impact on sexual response.
Reduced Sexual Distress: Across all study days, participants experienced significantly lower sexual distress when using cannabis. This finding is particularly important for individuals dealing with sexual dysfunction or performance anxiety.
The Science Behind Cannabis and Sexual Response
The relationship between cannabis and sexual functioning involves complex interactions with the body’s endocannabinoid system.
This biological network, which regulates mood, appetite, pain sensation, and other crucial functions, contains receptors throughout the body—including in sexual organs.
THC, cannabis’s primary psychoactive compound, may enhance sexual experiences through several mechanisms:
Anxiety Reduction: By reducing activity in the hippocampus and amygdala—brain regions associated with anxiety and trauma—cannabis may help individuals feel more relaxed and present during sexual activity.
Enhanced Sensory Perception: Many users report heightened sensitivity to touch and other sensations when using cannabis, potentially intensifying sexual experiences.
Mood Enhancement: Cannabis’s ability to improve mood and reduce stress may create more favorable conditions for sexual activity and satisfaction.
Addressing Female Sexual Dysfunction
Seperate cannabis research also holds particular significance for women experiencing sexual dysfunction. Female orgasmic dysfunction (FOD) affects up to 41% of women globally, causing significant distress and impacting quality of life.
Traditional treatments have shown limited effectiveness, making cannabis’s potential therapeutic value especially noteworthy.
A related study published in the journal Sexual Medicine found that women with orgasm difficulties experienced a 39.8% increase in orgasm frequency when using cannabis.
The research revealed that 88.8% of women reached orgasm more frequently with cannabis use, compared to just 63.3% without it.
These findings suggest cannabis could offer a natural alternative for women struggling with sexual dysfunction, particularly those who haven’t found success with conventional treatments.
The research revealed particularly promising results for sexual abuse survivors, who often face significant challenges achieving orgasm due to trauma-related issues.
Cannabis use led to more frequent orgasms among these individuals, potentially by reducing hypervigilance and anxiety that can interfere with sexual response.
Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill, who led the orgasm dysfunction study, noted her personal experience with cannabis helping overcome decades of orgasmic difficulty. “I wanted to research if other women who had orgasm difficulty were also benefiting from cannabis,” she explained.
The Role of Expectations and Individual Variation
The study revealed important nuances in cannabis’s effects. Sexual facilitation cannabis use expectancies—individuals’ beliefs about how cannabis would affect their sexual experience—moderated the relationship between cannabis use and sexual distress.
This suggests that mindset and expectations play crucial roles in cannabis’s sexual benefits.
Importantly, the research acknowledged that cannabis doesn’t work for everyone. About 4% of women with orgasmic dysfunction in the study used cannabis but still didn’t experience orgasm, highlighting the need for diverse treatment approaches.
The research findings have important implications for healthcare providers and patients. Dr. Mulvehill’s research and long-term goal is to develop a cannabis-based prescription medication for female orgasmic dysfunction and advocate for its approval as a medical cannabis qualifying condition.
Sexual health professionals are increasingly recognizing cannabis’s potential as a therapeutic tool. The plant’s ability to reduce anxiety, enhance sensory perception, and improve mood addresses multiple factors that can interfere with healthy sexual function.
Transforming Sexual Health Through Cannabis Research
The emerging research on cannabis and sexual health represents a shift in how we understand both plant medicine and human sexuality. By moving beyond anecdotal reports to scientific investigation, researchers are uncovering cannabis’s genuine therapeutic potential.
For individuals struggling with sexual dysfunction, anxiety, or trauma-related sexual issues, cannabis may offer a natural, effective alternative to conventional treatments.
As research continues and legal barriers diminish, we can expect to see continued expansion of cannabis’s role in sexual health and overall well-being.
The Queens University study and related research demonstrate that cannabis’s benefits extend far beyond traditional medical applications. By embracing evidence-based approaches to cannabis research, we can better understand how this remarkable plant can enhance human health and happiness in unexpected ways.
