How to Use Weed During Sex for SEO

There are tons of reasons to add a little cannabis into your sex life, even if you’ve never considered touching the stuff otherwise. And if you’ve never considered letting cannabis touch you—no vaping, smoking, or ingesting required—you’ll also want to hear about the wide range of weed-infused topical products that might give your bedroom routine an herbal enhancement.

Throughout its centuries-long reputation for promoting relaxation, cannabis can also be used to boost your sex life—whether you consider yourself good in bed, need a little help, or are just looking for new and pleasurable experiences. Here are some guidelines to get you started, from safety, to efficacy, to the different methods of incorporating cannabis into your sex life.

What science says about sex and cannabis

Using substances specifically for their sexual benefits is sometimes called chem sex, but cannabis isn’t always included in this mix, perhaps because it’s far more benign than other drugs people use in the bedroom. The worst that can happen is getting a little too high—it’s generally not going to cause any major physical symptoms, or make you physically ill like alcohol or other drugs can. While people do report queasiness from being too stoned, it’s a temporary state that generally doesn’t require medical attention.

Cannabis’s medical benefits are under-researched, but there’s a perhaps not-so-surprising amount of study into its effects on sex. Focusing on the biological response (especially in those with penises) showed mixed results—researchers couldn’t exactly determine whether cannabis inhibits the physical arousal response or enhances it. Many chalk this up to the subjective nature of both the experience of sex and the experience of cannabis, both of which are dependent on an individual’s body chemistry, current mood, and past experience. Some studies note lowered inhibition and focus on the mental health benefits of cannabis used before sex, in all genders and with all genders of partners.

The most compelling argument in its favor comes from this 2023 study on sexual satisfaction, in which 70% of an 811 persons selection reported stronger orgasms after using cannabis, as well as increased desire. While the study skewed white in its makeup of participants, it included folks from the queer community, and included a higher percentage of women (the historical bias having favored male pleasure), so you might conclude that no matter the pairing of partners, the results point to a better time for all.

Both THC and CBD have been studied for their effects on lowering blood pressure, which in turn increases blood flow—something you definitely want to happen during sex. You can access these cannabinoids via any of the form factors that cannabis comes in, from smoking, to eating, to vaping, but there is a growing market for topical products attracting attention too.

Does cannabis lube really work?

A hit or two can help take the edge off before a bedroom encounter, but if you don’t want to smoke or eat your greens, you aren’t out of luck. THC doesn’t technically get you high transdermally, so you might not get stoned off of lube, but that might be a plus if you want the blood flow-boosting of THC without the stony baloney feeling.

CBD has similar effects and, like topical THC, also won’t get you high, making it a wonderful gateway drug—perhaps the lowest stakes way to bring cannabis into your sex life. Note that while CBD lubricants are widely available, they’re among the least tested cannabinoid products in the research world. This is where product safety and accurate labeling is paramount, especially if you don’t live in a place where cannabis is legal and easily accessible.

Pros and cons of using weed for sex

There are both big benefits and some drawbacks to using cannabis in the bedroom.

• Getting too stoned is no fun for a newbie, no matter the planned activity.
• Side effects of overdoing it can include paranoia and motion sickness, so intimate, motion-based activities aren’t ideal in those cases.
• Some people and partners might not be pleased by the smell, so keep that in mind when designing your experience
• Getting too sleepy is also a reality for some, so gauging how you respond to cannabis beforehand can help you avoid the slumber zone.
• Lowered inhibitions from intoxicants like weed and alcohol can be what some people need to feel comfortable, while the opposite can be true for others. Make sure all parties have a clear understanding of what constitutes consent before you toke up.
• Cannabis can help you get a new perspective—this can be game changing for longtime monogamous couples.
• Increased sensation can lead to more frequent orgasms, a particular benefit for heterosexual cis women, who tend to report fewer orgasms during sex than their male partners.

How to get started

Experienced users probably know when to dose before getting down, but for anyone who doesn’t: starting slow and low about an hour before any planned activities is the vibe for edibles, and 15 minutes to right before for smoking or vaping. Inhaled cannabis hits faster and dissipates faster, while edibles tend to take longer to kick off or to say goodbye, so plan accordingly.

Pay attention to your body before adding more to the mix, and see how you feel before starting up. If you find you like how you feel, you can use inhalable cannabis right up to the starting line.

While smoking and vaping cannabis are some of the fastest ways to get cannabinoids into your bloodstream and working on your body, they’re not an exact science when it comes to dosing. If you’re a novice, you’ll want the precision that comes from edibles with a pre-determined dose, which you can’t always get from combustible, inhalable, cannabis.

Cannabis safety revolves around source and dosage, but when it comes to topicals, you might want to pay a little extra attention to the ingredients in the product that you’re grabbing. Oil-based products are not condom safe, and lots of scents and additional herbs used in some cannabis products aren’t great for those sensitive areas either.

Access intimacy

Whether it’s stress, bad health, boredom, or something else entirely slowing you down, there might be something here for you to try. Even sex that is just for fun should be fun for everyone. Intimacy is an important part of human connection and while not everyone is looking for that in their sex life, for some it’s a crucial part of the puzzle.

Psychotherapist and Sacred Sexuality practitioner Viviana Del Aguila Niebylski works in New York City to connect her clients to their sexuality in an affirming and healing way.

Clients report using cannabis to fight against sex-hindering headwinds, and Del Aguila Niebylski told us via email, “Those who report positive experiences [with cannabis] cite benefits such as feeling more embodied (present and connected with our bodies), increased sensitivity to relational dynamics, and increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli.”

It should be a good time is the bottom line, and cannabis is a good route to try if you’re having trouble getting there. According to Del Aguila Niebylski, people are ready for this, “as access to safe, quality products like topicals or consumables increases, folks are excited to explore their options for enhancing pleasure and connection.”

For anyone looking to give it a shot, Del Aguila Niebylski has some advice, “Start small and mindfully! If you’re afraid of a psychoactive dose of consumable, try starting with a topical and play curiously!”

If you experience sexual dysfunction

Cannabis is also experiencing a bedroom boom because for everyone, it’s not just a simple pleasure. There’s promise of relief from issues with arousal, pain during sex, or other less pleasurable things, but you may want to speak with your doc about underlying health conditions if you’re experiencing these problems in the first place.

People with diseases like endometriosis or something as prevalent as fibroids can cause pain during or after sex, and a long list of things can drop libido, so don’t ignore your body if you tend to need cannabis for sex, versus just enjoy doing it with weed.

Cannabis happens to hold some treatment potential for a few of the things that make sex, well, hurt. Incorporating cannabinoid topicals as remedies for reproductive diseases and sexual dysfunction can be life-changing, some are even able to have a sex life in the first place—but don’t self treat with cannabis if you are experiencing pain or trouble with sexual function.