Using This Common Drug Could Lead To Way Better Sex

With research on marijuana still in its infancy, many of its properties are still coming to light. We're now learning, for example, that it could have some fascinating effects on your sex life. According to a review published last month in Pharmacological Research, weed is not only putting people in the mood but also making their hookups more enjoyable, Business Insider reports. Researchers in the Czech Republic and Italy analyzed studies from the '70s and '80s on the relationship between pot-smoking and sex. In one 1970 study, half of the subjects who had smoked around 50 joints over the previous six months found that it increased their sex drives, and a full 70% said it took their pleasure up a notch. (Smoking less than once a week didn't seem to have much of an effect.) One 1983 study had almost identical results, and another from 1982 produced even better ones: Weed was an aphrodisiac for around 70% of people, and 81% had better sex when they were stoned. Men and women seemed to enjoy these libido and pleasure boosts equally. These benefits are no secret to pot-smokers. Another study reviewed found that 80% of men and 71% of women had intentionally smoked before sex. "In terms of human sexual function, cannabis use at low dose has a beneficial effect, beyond which it can become debilitating," the authors conclude. While it's not totally clear why weed can have such a positive effect on people's sex lives, they think it could have something to do with the cannabinoid receptors, which are stimulated when you smoke weed and are also connected to sexual pleasure. The authors suggest that medications could one day target these receptors to treat sexual dysfunctions. In the meantime, those who live in one of the states where recreational weed is legal are free to activate those cannabinoid receptors however they please.