While alcohol can “facilitate” sexual encounters, marijuana increases sexual satisfaction better, a study says

A new study examining the impact of intoxicating substances on sexual encounters finds that while alcohol may “facilitate” sex, marijuana may be better at increasing sexual sensitivity and satisfaction.

The newly published study, based on an online survey of 483 people who had previously used both alcohol and cannabis, found that while alcohol increases some elements of sexual attraction – making people feel more attractive, extroverted and desirable – marijuana users “are more sensitive and experience greater sexual satisfaction than people who use alcohol.”

“It is therefore concluded that although alcohol facilitates sexual intercourse, those affected feel more satisfied with cannabis,” wrote the three-author team from the universities of Huelta and Córdoba in Spain, according to a translation.

The study, published this month in the Revista Internacional de Androlgía, is said to be the first research in Spain to compare the effects of alcohol and cannabis – the country’s two most popular drugs – on sexual experience in the same participants. Despite the influence of alcohol and other drugs on sexual experience, it says there is little research worldwide on comparable effects.

Participants were presented with a series of statements and asked to respond to them about both alcohol and cannabis.

When asked how the consumption of alcohol or cannabis generally affected their sexual experience, 19 percent answered that marijuana had improved their experience. In comparison, only 8.4 percent of respondents said that alcohol had improved their experience.

About the same number of people said that the drugs worsened their sexual experience – 8.9 percent for alcohol and 8.6 percent for cannabis.

It is noteworthy that the majority of respondents (27.2 percent) stated that cannabis had not caused any changes in their sexual experience. Far fewer (13.4 percent) said the same about alcohol.

Many people also reported that the effects of the drugs were mixed, although this feeling was more common with alcohol. Respondents reported that the substances either improved sex in some ways but made it worse in others (37.4 percent for alcohol, 26.2 percent for cannabis) or that they improved sex sometimes but made it worse in others (31.9 percent for alcohol, 19.0 percent for cannabis).

The finding that cannabis leads to greater sexual satisfaction than alcohol, the authors say, “is consistent with the fact that cannabis promotes orgasm and arousal, helps individuals to be more relaxed during sexual intercourse, and consequently increases sensitivity to physical contact and increases satisfaction.”

No significant differences were observed between respondents’ reports of sexual intensity during alcohol and marijuana use.

As for the duration of sexual encounters, the study found that “sexual relationships are longer with alcohol use than with cannabis use,” although this trend was observed among people who used alcohol and cannabis more frequently. “Among people who use less frequently,” the study says, “the duration of sexual relationships is no different with alcohol use than with cannabis use.”

Despite the focus on drugs and sex, survey respondents generally reported that they would prefer not to be under the influence of substances during sex.

“Although people in the present study prefer not to use drugs during sex,” the authors emphasized, “they prefer to use cannabis rather than alcohol.”

The study’s results, the team added, should be “viewed with some caution,” particularly given the nonrandom nature of the survey itself.

Nevertheless, the findings add to the growing body of scientific work that classifies cannabis use as positive for sexual function, at least in some cases.

A scientific analysis of academic research on cannabis and human sexuality published earlier this month concluded that while the relationship between marijuana and sex is complicated, cannabis use is generally associated with more frequent sexual activity and increased sexual desire and pleasure.

The article, published in the journal Psychopharmacology, also suggested that lower doses of marijuana may actually be best for sexual satisfaction, while higher doses may actually lead to decreases in desire and performance. And it suggests that the effects may be different for men and women.

Some advocates have cited cannabis’ potential to improve women’s sexual function as a reason to add conditions such as female orgasmic disorder (FOD) as a requirement for medical approval of marijuana.

As for men, the Psychopharmacology article noted that the results of studies “are contradictory – some suggest that cannabis causes erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and delayed ejaculation, while others claim the opposite.”

Meanwhile, a 2020 study in the journal Sexual Medicine found that women who used cannabis more frequently had better sex.

Numerous online surveys have also found positive associations between marijuana and sex. One study even found a link between the passage of marijuana laws and increased sexual activity.

However, another study warns that more marijuana does not necessarily mean better sex. A literature review published in 2019 found that cannabis’ effects 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.

Separately, earlier this year, a paper was published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports that claims to be the first scientific study to formally examine the effects of psychedelics on sexual function. It found that drugs such as psilocybin mushrooms and LSD can have a positive effect on sexual function – even months after consumption.

“On the surface, this type of research may seem ‘strange,'” said one of the study’s authors, “but the psychological aspects of sexual function – including the way we think about our own bodies, how we are attracted to our partners, and how we are able to form intimate relationships with people – are all important to the psychological well-being of sexually active adults.”

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Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.