Life can just get in the way. Maybe you have children, a highly pressurised job, body insecurities or just a low libido – these all contribute to a flailing sex life. Cannabis just might help to lessen anxiety, get you in the mood, shed your inhibitions and increase sexual desire. Despite the lack of research, there are lots of sex-related cannabis products out there purporting to enhance the whole experience. Is there something to it?
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The love drug
Insiders speak with conviction. Heightened orgasms, enhanced sensations, earth-shattering climaxes – a slew of satisfied customers courtesy of a galaxy of strains and edibles, sleek vaporizers and cannabis lubes wax lyrical about just how THC and CBD(find out more about cbd) helped them get out of their heads and into their bodies…….. and really connect – on a deeper level.
Cannasexuals and cannaseurs
Yes, it is a made-up name and trademarked by a sex educator called Ashley Manta in the States. It sounds very scholarly and is pretty self-explanatory. A cannasexual means anyone who mindfully and deliberately combines sex and cannabis to deepen intimacy and enhance pleasure. If you’ve ever combined sex and cannabis you might be a cannasexual then? (Check out Viceland’s – Practising Cannabis intimacy}. She runs workshops on the subject – marrying the two – sex and cannabis and breaks down just how cannabis consumption can enhance your sex life in a multitide of ways. Intrigued?
Ashley smiles a lot and has the look of a woman that is getting a lot of sex. Smug, almost. Excited. Confident. Like she has unearthed something profound and is bursting at the seams to tell people. She invites a case of the “I’ll have whatever she’s having”! She embodies The High Priestess of Pleasure title.
The most common question she gets asked according to The Huffington Post is – What’s the best strain for sex – she answers this by saying that there are a multitude of variables but says “For sex, you don’t need more than 15% THC. Otherwise, you are at the risk of getting high.”
She pairs cannabis strains to different styles of sex and encourages her devotees to make their own rules as long as its consenting. Consent being the operative word. She has become a sought-after authority on mindfully combining sex and cannabis and is a regular speaker on the circuit. She is also a trauma-trained victim advocate working with sexual assault survivors (she has been there) and advocates the use of cannabis as a recovery tool to lessen anxiety.
Dr Jordan Tishler is President of the Association of Cannabis Specialists, an organization for doctors with an evidence-based interest in cannabis. (The group has about 300 members.) While many patients initially visit his Boston-area practice for concerns about pain and anxiety, he said, after seeing Tishler they sometimes mention an improvement in their sex lives. He has incorporated sexual health into his practice.
Cannabis, could really help couples with uneven sex drives, he said. The existing research, most of which is about women, showed that “we have a substance here which, particularly if used properly, can be very helpful, and there’s not much competition,” he said.
How cannabis impacts sex drive
Our bodies make its own natural version of cannabinoids called endocannabinoid and there is a significant amount of receptors for those compounds in areas of the brain that deal with sexual function. Recent research shows that 2-AG an endocannabinoid, is released in humans after orgasm. When you add cannabis to the mix it increases blood flow. Cannabis is a vasodilator – it opens blood vessels and increases blood flow directly affecting the nerve pathways – enhancing excitement, as it were. Cannabis is a herbal aphrodisiac with mythical libido-boosting powers – kind of!
Dr Tishler recommends vaping cannabis over edibles or a topical product as its easier to get the dose you want at the actual time you actually want.
Vape away to euphoria
Vaping cannabis is the quickest way to feel the plant’s effects. So, if you’re interested in taking marijuana right before you jump into bed, consider a few puffs from the Passion Mini Dose pen from Dosist. Dosist has formulated this disposable vape pen with triple-tested cannabis oil, which contains the terpenes limonene and myrcene to help increase euphoria and sensuality.
Since it’s a prefilled, disposable pen, you don’t need to mess with charging or loading in new oil cartridges. It even vibrates once you’ve pulled a precise dose of 2.25 mg tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Once it’s empty, simply recycle it and pick up a new one.
Cannabis times – the times they are a ‘changin
A US study published in journal Sexual Medicine found women who used marijuana before sex were twice as likely as those who did not to say they had “satisfactory” orgasms. Women who used cannabis ongoing had intensely satisfying orgasms.
“What’s new about this study is that marijuana is framed as being useful for sex,” said Joseph Palamar, a population health researcher at NYU Langone Medical Centre in New York. He added: “Typically, drugs are investigated as risk factors for sex. I think this paper signifies that times are changing.”
A number of studies say the same thing marijuana increases the sex drive in both sexes and users report more sexual activity than non-users. The study also found women who did use cannabis before sex appeared to have more lubrication and less pain during intercourse than women who did not.
Lube for pleasure and pain
You’ve probably heard the buzz about “weed lube,” these cannabis arousal oils specifically Foria's CBD and THC products, Awaken and Pleasure. Formulated specifically for women – Pleasure & Awaken enhance tactile sensations while decreasing discomfort, tension, and dryness — for intensified orgasms or easier access to orgasm. Our lady parts have a high concentration of cannabinoid receptors, and benefits greatly from the topical application of cannabis.
CBD lube is taking the UK market by storm. Back in May the UK's first intimate oil called
‘Scream – After Midnight', specifically designed to; improve lubrication, enhance sensation, promote full body relaxation and decrease pain and discomfort came on the market, billed as a luxury product for the high-end market. Doubling up also as a sensual relaxing massage oil using organic CBD, organic sweet almond oil, coconut oil and vitamin E.
The use of CBD is sought to help with vaginal lubrication and inflammation /relaxing the muscles. The pleasure panel are screaming its praises! Other cannalube brands include Stoney Yoni, which makes a health oil and massage oil too.
A nice cup of cannabis tea
If you’ve got a little more time to warm up before the main event, spend it sipping on a hot, soothing cup of tea. Forgot the pints or the chardonnay between the sheets – a sexy Sensuali will do the trick! Yes, Kikoko’s Sensuali-Tea features 7 mg of THC per sachet. Besides libido-boosting THC, the tea also contains:
- Rose petals, which are an aphrodisiac
- Lavender, which acts as a relaxant and eases joint pain
- Clove, which increases circulation
This blend of herbs, plus organically grown, lab-tested cannabis, will leave you with a warm, tingling body high and put your mind at the moment, so you can truly connect with your partner. Effects tend to come on in roughly 20–45 minutes after imbibing. If you’re not sure about consuming the whole dose or want to get in the mood with your loved one, you can always share. Sharing is caring. Caring creates a bond. Then the THC will kick in. The magic is about to happen.
Love Machine
Love Potion No. 7 Tincture from Humboldt Apothecary is another cannabis product to try – the blurb tells us it promotes a positive mood and a healthy libido. You gotta love that.
Taking herbal alchemy to the next level, this multi-herb tincture that creates an entourage effect is right up my street. Earthy cannabis flavours complemented by coconut and cacao dropped under the tongue or in a glass of water. Potent. Tasty…and effective according to users. Love Potion No 7, can be applied topically or taken orally.
The difference between CBD and THC in terms of sexual experience
According to the experts at Leafly the mental shift is more noticeable with THC. It loosens your mental state and actually makes sex better physically. CBD is like the precursor to the main event. “Since CBD lacks psychoactive effects, it’s great for a quickie”.
No two people are the same it's important to isolate the variables that impacts on your sexual experiences, according to Andrew Mieure, a cannabis grading technician and owner of Trichome Institute. Communication is always key.
RELATED: Yoga & cannabis – welcome to 21st century relaxation
More research is needed, but it can’t happen in the U.S.
The subject needs more attention from scientists. But as in other areas, prohibition made cannabis hard to study for decades. There is need for careful experiments with dosage and timing. Manta, our Sexpert would like to compare how orgasms with or without cannabis differ, using an MRI brain scanner.
“The main thing is to do a random, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial — which might be hard because if you didn’t get high, you would know you got the placebo”.
Research into sex and cannabis (or anything else and cannabis) is nearly impossible to do in the United States. Because cannabis is still federally illegal, research is barred from federal funding. In most of the country, state laws explained and also get in the way. I’m looking at you Canada – Canada can do cannabis!
Getting the balance is important for every couple in their cannabis-curious trajectory. A night of closeness where euphoria and relaxation intersects is a great start…..a slow massage with CBD oil building up to it always a winner. With medical evidence to support the effects, (interesting effects on sex drive and libido to say the least) it may be high time (legally of course) to experiment with recreational marijuana to spice things up in the bedroom. If it increases the odds of strengthening intimacy and provides an opportunity for bonding it is worth exploring. What are your best tips for rekindling the spark? Is it time for the sex talk?
