First of all, Happy 4/20 to all of the stoners out there reading this across the world. For those of you that don’t know, 4/20 is a worldwide concept that has been embraced since 1971. 4/20 is a global holiday for cannabis culture – an advocate day if you like – where people celebrate the plant. This day marks 4/20/2020, so today is a once in a lifetime for cannabis advocates out there. What are the benefits? What are the downsides? What’s the science behind it? The Pro’s and Con’s of stoner sex.

Stoner Sex can have many benefits when it comes to pleasure and the senses. We all know that, whether you smoke weed or not, marijuana is a relaxant that puts people in a said ‘zombie-like’ state. But is high sex really something to rave about? Let’s talk.

A Bit About Cannabis

The Cannabis plant has a history of medicinal use dating back thousands of years across many cultures. The plant can be used recreationally or medicinally for a variety of things, such as being able to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, to improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and to treat chronic pain and muscle spasms.

Cannabis is often divided into two categories – Indica and Sativa. Both types affect you in different ways. Sativas are known for their “head high,” an invigorating, energizing effect that can help reduce anxiety or stress and increase creativity and focus. However, Indicas are typically associated with full-body effects, such as increasing deep relaxation. Heathline.com states that users typically gravitate toward sativa products because they can help increase sensitivity, lift mood, and intensify orgasm. Though, no two people react alike.

Therefore, the type of weed you consume can have quite an affect on your overall experience when getting high and having sex.

The Science

According to Ravishly.com , the CB1 receptor in the brain is affected when you smoke marijuana. This is a protein-initiated receptor in the brain, located in the central and peripheral nervous system.

It is activated naturally in the body but is also initiated by the compound THC. This receptor is directly linked to the reduction of pain and it can lead to a spike in sexual response by an increase in a sense of euphoria. Marijuana’s link to pain and nausea reduction is what has led many states to legalize it as a medicinal aid.

While cannabis is a safe substance, too much or the wrong method of intake can produce anxiety, which is detrimental to sex. Stress is one of the most common conditions medical marijuana is prescribed for. CBD has been shown to relieve anxiety, as has THC – in low doses. However, high amounts of THC can produce anxiety.

What is considered a large amount varies from person to person depending on your tolerance and metabolism.

The Pros of ‘High Sex’

A splurge in creativity, altered time and tactile perceptions have been the sexual benefits from using marijuana. In a book called Male Sexual Function: A Guide to Clinical Management by John Mulcahy he states that people’s objective’s change with the experience of being high when having sex,

“The majority of users describe more subjective benefits such as, greater enjoyment and satisfaction rather than objective benefits such as improved performance capabilities, however there are reports of enhanced sexual function when marijuana has been taken in the acute setting.”

Like previously mentioned, it’s commonly known that smoking often helps reduce anxiety, which is a major contributor to erectile dysfunction. So by being able to curb that symptom, it might bring you one step closer to lasting longer in bed.

Did you know that marijuana used to be used during interrogations as a ‘truth serum’? Well, you do now. Consider this fact your permission to tell it like it is during sex and give more directions. If an idea or fantasy pops into your head in the middle of sex, tell your partner what it is, and try it if you’re both down.

Now’s a great time to test out that new toy, or to try some sensation play due to your heightened senses. You probably don’t want to try anything too intense, like BDSM for the first time when you’re high, but a massage, an ice cube, a new vibrator … all of those sensations are going to feel even more heightened and intense when you’re stoned.

Cannabis.. An Aphrodisiac?

“Forget viagra, aphrodisiacs, sex dust, and ecstasy: Weed is the new tool for enhancing your sex life.” – Thrillist

It’s been shown that cannabis can act as an aphrodisiac, strengthening orgasms in women and boosting libido. “Sometimes when couples smoke marijuana, they take more time to have a fuller sensual experience and slow down, which would allow more time for vasocongestion (blood flow to genitals) and myotonia (muscular tension),” sex therapist Ian Kerner previously told Mic. He said weed can cause couples to feel “relaxed, comfortable and sexy, (which may) lead to a higher quality of orgasm.”

For centuries, marijuana has carried a reputation as an aphrodisiac and has even been referred to as the “foreplay drug”. For an article on Elite Daily, writer Sheena Sharma delves into her experience of stoned sex with a partner, who too, has never done it before. She expands on the sensualities felt, the length of the action, and the cotton mouth that comes with stoned sex. “Sex is one of those things where each moment and milli-moment should count. So from here on out, I’m definitely going to slow down my sexy time to live it up.”

The Cons

As for the cons, the main ones are anxiety and “cotton mouth”. According to Fatherly, “Cotton mouth” refers to the feeling of dryness that smoking can induce. That’s because THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, can actually block the glands that produce saliva. Of course, that symptom can usually be remedied with a tall glass of water. “But smoking can also cause other areas to dry up, and that doesn’t exactly cater to good sex. “Cotton vagina,” as it turns out, is also very much of a real thing. “

However Bustle.com disagrees to some length on the “cotton vagina” side of things, “Last year, there was a rumor going around that “cotton vagina” was a real thing. It turned out to be mostly a hoax, but the truth is, you do get more dehydrated when you’re stoned, and that might extend to your vagina. I’m a proponent of lube in general, but when you’re high, it is often a must. It will help you stay wet, and will also help you and your partner have all the slippery benefits of an hour of cunnilingus when you might be feeling a bit lazy (not that you should skip the hour of cunnilingus if that’s what you feel like. Definitely recommend that, too).”

Cannabis Lube and other Non-Smoking Methods

Marijuana is now far more than just a plant to be smoked, pot is hitting the market in loads of different forms, edibles, energy drinks, massage oils, and even lube. It’s reefer madness!

The most popular (and obvious) ways to use weed for sex are through smoking, vaping, edibles, and lube. Vaping is another option for the more health-conscious, and edibles are a tried and tested method of getting way more stoned than you had anticipated.

Seattle-based Chelsea Cebara, a budtender and sexpert offering sex and cannabis workshops, discusses to Thrillist, how best to use cannabis as an erotic tool. “When I talk about cannabis lube in the sex and weed workshops, the No. 1 question I get is, ‘Is it gonna get me high?’” Chelsea said. “The short answer is no, the long answer is… it’s possible.”

Instead of making you high, topical cannabis lube causes these areas to be more sensitive and calls your attention to them. “The effect really comes during orgasm, when you come longer and harder. The aphrodisiac effect is not so much a physical sensation, it’s more akin to the natural flushing and engorgement experienced when you’re turned on. Like being distractingly horny.”

Cannabis lube works through a process called micro-capillary dilation. “It means tiny areas of capillaries that flush with blood, the same reason your eyes flush red when you smoke. This affects areas that are highly vascular: like areolas, clitorises, glans, and vaginas, which tend to have very highly vascularized anatomy in comparison to penises and scrotum”.

As for the effects, its effects begin around the 20-minute mark and reach their height at about 40 minutes. “If you have access to that kind of patience, go ahead and do it,” Chelsea said.

Like Anything… Everyone is Different

The sexual effects of alcohol, cocaine, meth and other narcotics – you name it- are well-documented and predictable. But not marijuana. Its sexual effects are completely different for most people, you hear reports ranging from “I can’t stand having sex stoned,” to “I never have sex without it.”

In a survey conducted by Psychology Today they constructed that a majority of respondents said smoking before sex helps enhance the experience. Of course, that’s not always the case. Everyone and every experience is different. A minority of participants said smoking kills their libido. Others said it depends on the dose, the strain and their mood.

One of the survey participants stated that, “I find that indica shortly before sex is just unbeatable for mind-blowing lovemaking. Sativa should be avoided as it’s cerebral nature will make your mind wander.“

However, who says you need a partner? Masturbation is sex, and adding marijuana to your sensual self-care routine can potentially be one of the most effective ways to enjoy the plant’s erotic properties. Happy 4/20!