Missouri patients should get ready to have a lot more sex

So are Missouri patients ready to have a lot more sex? More babies and multiple orgasms?

Some research tells us to get ready because that’s what they’ve seen in other states with legal access to cannabis. Someone tell me this plant can’t get any better?!?

In all seriousness, and understanding that sexual health is important for our emotional and physical well-being I decided to do a little digging and get to the bottom of the above claims.

We all know sex can be difficult to discuss with our partners and physicians, and may even have you squirming in your seat as you read this – but sexual health is important and it’s not merely the absence of dysfunction or disease, it’s the love, touch, affection, and pleasure that contribute to our overall wellness.

All physical and psychological conditions affect our ability to perform. Fertility issues, chronic pain, stress, and anxiety all affect our desire, ability to engage, and to experience satisfaction. We know that cannabis can help with symptoms of pain and anxiety, but does it specifically help with desire and the ability to orgasm?

The study referenced above was conducted in 2019 and reported that in states where cannabis is legal for adult or medical use people are having more sex and more babies. The numbers may not be as exciting as were led to believe, but according to Baggio, M. & et al in these states birth rates increased by 2% and engaging in sexual activity in the months following passage of the law increased by around 4%.

Ok, so we already knew that more sex leads to more babies, but why does having state-legal cannabis lead to more sex? Most likely it’s a combination of how phytocannabinoids promote the health of our endocannabinoid system, our brain, and our body.  Legal cannabis increases access and access can lead to safe consumption.

Hot off the press is a study conducted by Kasman, A., & et al (2020) that reported women who have an increase in the frequency of cannabis use actually leads to improved sexual health, satisfaction, orgasm, and desire. This study surveyed 452 women and examined the frequency, method of delivery, chemovar type, and results of a validated Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) survey. They found that the chemovar type and delivery method didn’t have an impact on their sexual health, but that frequency did! An increase in cannabis use frequency was associated with higher score on the FSFI, increased desire, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction. These results are similar to those of a study published last year by Lynn, B., & et al that found cannabis use prior to sex increased sex drive, improvement in orgasm, and decreased pain among women. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the most recent statistics I could find on sexual dysfunction among men and women was in 2000. According to that study 43% of women and 31% of men suffer some sort of sexual dysfunction and cannabis could be a game changer for them. (Rosen, R. C., ) Don’t worry I didn’t forget about men, but sorry guys, the results from the research are a bit more contradictory for you.

There are studies that have shown cannabis can improve sexual function in men and a few qualitative studies that show it can do the exact opposite. The problem with most studies that examine cannabis use is that they group everyone into either a “user” or “non-user” and that makes it difficult to establish a causal relationship, much less the frequency-response relationship we are looking to find.

In 2020 Bhambhvani, H., & et al completed a study where they examined cannabis use frequency, medical history, and the sexual function of 325 men.  Bad news is that 19.4% of men in their study reported erectile dysfunction, but the good news is for men who were consuming cannabis 6 times a week or more reported less sexual dysfunction, increased orgasm, and increased satisfaction. The largest study to date was conducted in Australia (2010) and it included over 4,000 men. Although they did not use a validated sexual function tool, they found that cannabis use was not associated with the self-reported inability to keep an erection.

All of these studies may have limitations and biases, but for the first time researchers are examining the frequency-response relationship and this is a big step for cannabis research. Personally, I like to see data. I want to see something objective that hasn’t been influenced by opinion or belief. So my excitement was hard to contain when I found a study that included lab values. In 2017 the plasma levels of endocannabinoids and cortisol were measured before and after healthy men and women masturbating to orgasm. The plasma level of 2-AG, a cannabinoid our body produces, had significantly increased after orgasm, and although the authors cannot necessarily say why or how, we now know that endocannabinoids play a role in sexual response. It’s similar to that “runner’s high” we feel after a vigorous workout that had up until recently been credited to the release of endorphins. From a better understanding of the endocannabinoid system, we now know that those oh so good feelings after a good workout can be credited to endocannabinoids.

   

We’ve looked at how cannabis can affect our body and improve sexual health, but how does it affect the brain and the psychological aspects of sex?

Dr. Dustin Sulak, a leading cannabis physician, states because cannabis affects our short-term memory it helps bring us into the present moment. It gives us the opportunity to forget about our to-do and done list and enjoy the activity we’re participating in, with yourself or with your partner. Cannabis also enables fear-extinction, a process by where we can forget painful memories and have a positive sexual experience. This is a big deal for people who have experienced traumatic or painful sex in the past. Cannabis gives them the opportunity to replace those negative memories with positive ones.

There’s much more I could share on how cannabis affects our sexual function, but overall the most important thing is to understand it’s part of who we are, and its ok to talk about it. If you are experiencing difficulty reach out to a professional who may be able to help. Cannabis isn’t the cure-all, but for me medicating just gets me to the place I need to be. It’s the off switch I need to focus on all enjoyable activities. So Missouri, can we please get some of those dispensaries open? Our patients are in need of meds and more sex.

SOURCES

Baggio, M., Chong, A., & Simon, D. (2019). Sex, marijuana, and baby booms. Jour of Health Econ (70). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2019.102283.

Bhambhvani, H.P., Kasman, A.M., Wilson-King, G., Eisenberg, M. (2020). A survey exploring the relationship between cannabis use characteristics and sexual function in men. Sexual Medicine (8) 3, pgs 436-445.Https://doi.org/10/1016/j.esxm.2020.06.002.

Kasman, A., Bhambhvani, H., Wilson-King, G., & Eisenberg, M. (2020). Assessment of the association of cannabis on female sexual function with the female sexual function index. Sexual Medicine, 1-10. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esxm.2020.06.009.

Fuss, J., Binila, L., Weidemann, K., Auer, m., Briken, P., & Biedermann, S. (2017). Masturbation to orgasm stimulates the release of the endocannabinoid 2-Arachidonoylglycerol in humans. Journal of Sexual Medicine (14) 11, pgs 1372-1379. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.09.016.

Lynn, B., Lopez, J., Miller, C., Thompson, J., & Campian, E. (2019). The relationship between marijuana use prior to sex and sexual function in women. Sexual Medicine (7), 192-197. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esxm.2019.01.003.

Rosen R. C. (2000). Prevalence and risk factors of sexual dysfunction in men and women. Current psychiatry reports, 2(3), 189–195. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-996-0006-2

Sulak, D. (2019). Cannabis and sex. Healer. Https://healer.com/cannabis-and-sex/.