Cannabis Users Report Better Sexual Experiences
A survey of 811 adult cannabis users found that many participants believed cannabis improved aspects of their sexual experiences, including desire, orgasm intensity, relaxation, and pleasure. The findings, published in 2023 in the Journal of Cannabis Research in the study “The influence of cannabis on sexual functioning and satisfaction”, suggest a possible association—not proof that cannabis causes better sex.
The study was led by Amanda Moser of East Carolina University, with co-authors from East Carolina University and North Carolina State University. Participants completed an anonymous online survey about cannabis use, sexual functioning, orgasm, masturbation, erections, and sensory experiences such as taste and touch.
More than 70% of respondents said cannabis slightly or significantly increased their sexual desire, and a similar proportion reported more intense orgasms. Women in the sample reported somewhat greater increases in desire than men. More than 40% of female respondents said cannabis increased their ability to experience more than one orgasm during a sexual encounter.
Participants also commonly described greater sexual satisfaction, more pleasure while masturbating, and heightened sensations of taste and touch. Among male respondents, 93.4% reported either no change or an improvement in their ability to achieve an erection, while 92.4% reported either no change or an improvement in maintaining one. These answers reflected participants’ perceptions; the study did not clinically measure erectile function or other physiological responses.
The sample was not representative of cannabis users generally. Most participants identified as White, female, college-educated, and in monogamous relationships. Nearly 63% said they used cannabis daily, and about 59% said they intentionally used it before sex. Recruitment through social media and cannabis advocacy organizations likely attracted people who were already interested in or favorable toward cannabis.
That matters when interpreting the study’s reference to the “orgasm inequality gap”—the well-documented pattern in which women, particularly in heterosexual encounters, report orgasming less consistently than men. The researchers suggested that cannabis might help narrow that difference because some women reported greater orgasm frequency or intensity after using it. However, the survey did not compare cannabis users with a non-using control group, measure changes over time, or establish that cannabis itself produced the reported benefits.
The authors identified several additional limitations. Participants were asked to recall their experiences, which can introduce recall and social-desirability bias. Cannabis dose, potency, and the amount of THC consumed were not measured. The survey also did not account fully for medications, mental health, relationship factors, or other influences on sexual function. The researchers noted that expectations about cannabis as an aphrodisiac could have shaped participants’ experiences, alongside possible effects such as reduced anxiety, relaxation, and increased sensory focus.
Subsequent research has continued to report a possible connection between cannabis and sexual function, but the evidence remains preliminary. A 2024 study of women with and without self-reported orgasm difficulty found that more frequent cannabis use before partnered sex was associated with more frequent orgasms among women who reported difficulty reaching orgasm. A 2025 systematic review likewise found generally positive reports, while emphasizing that most of the available studies were observational, lacked comparison groups, or carried a high risk of bias.
These findings do not establish cannabis as a treatment for vaginismus, low desire, female orgasmic disorder, erectile problems, or any other sexual dysfunction. They do suggest that cannabis may affect sexual experiences differently depending on the person, product, dose, expectations, and setting. Higher amounts of THC may be unpleasant or counterproductive for some people, and the study did not determine an optimal dose or product.
Anyone considering cannabis for sexual concerns should discuss the issue with a qualified health professional rather than treating survey findings as medical advice. Cannabis can also carry health risks, including dependence and impairment; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s overview of cannabis health effects describes risks associated with different forms and patterns of use. More controlled clinical research is needed before cannabis can be considered a reliable or safe treatment for sexual dysfunction—or before claims that it can close the orgasm gap can be confirmed.
