Cannabis is legal in 39 states. While it is entirely legal in 11 states and the District of Columbia, in another 28, it is legal for medical use. Despite its increasing popularity and legality, however, very few studies have investigated how the substance impacts peoples' sex lives. Two recent reports may shed some light on this, though.
The first of these reports was conducted by the University of British Columbia in 2019. Via an online survey of 216 people, they found that 74% of people felt that cannabis increased their satisfaction during sex, while 74% said it made them more sensitive to 'erotic touch'. Meanwhile, 70% said it helped them feel more relaxed and present during the activity, and 66% said it improved organisms. Only 5% said it spoiled sex.
Another report from St. Louis University involved 373 women who completed an anonymous survey when visiting a gynecologist. All in all, a third of the women said that they used cannabis prior to having sex. The researchers also found that those who reported using the drug shortly before sex on a regular basis were twice as likely to report 'deeply satisfying orgasms' than those who didn't.
These results somewhat match results from an older study from Stanford University that tracked 51, 119 men and women who used cannabis for 14 years. From surveys, they found that using the substance was correlated with mild increases in libido- with people regularly using it having an average of one more sexual occasion per month than those who didn't.
All in all, these studies suggest that cannabis use may be able to improve sex. As they were based on 'convenience samples' i.e. people who just happened to be available to partake in the research and are dependent on self-reports, they should not be considered conclusive. To understand how cannabis use really impacts sex, further and more rigorous research is needed.
Sources: Psychology Today, The Journal of Sexual Medicine I, The Journal of Sexual Medicine II
