CBD & Sex: Can CBD Benefit Your Sex Life?

It’s no secret that CBD can enhance your life in several ways. From your standard CBD oil tinctures, topicals and gummies designed to enhance overall wellbeing, to personal care products like serums, lotions and beauty balms that can seriously support your personal care routine and help you feel absolutely fabulous, CBD has become the go-to for women interested in naturally supporting mind, body and soul.

Did you know that CBD may also benefit your sex life? True story. Over the past few years there’s been a surge in CBD products designed to enhance your sex life. We’re talking CBD-infused lubes, gels, massage oils and more all designed with sexual pleasure in mind.

Whether you’re in a long-term relationship, dating, or single, experiencing sexual pleasure is an essential aspect of a heathy, balanced life. Can CBD really help? It just might. Some say CBD and sex are the ultimate pair, offering an elevated sexual experience that seriously enhance your life in the bedroom (and beyond).

CBD & Sex: Can CBD Make Sex Better?

Get this. In a 2021 survey, 68% of people who combined CBD and sex said it improved their sexual experience. As we’re all well aware, not all sex is good sex and increasing sexual pleasure and enjoyment is something countless women crave.

Can CBD really benefit sex?

While research is definitely lacking in this department, there are a few studies that support the efficacy of cannabis and sex. It’s been used for thousands of years to enhance sexual function and is considered an important herbal aphrodisiac.

One review highlights the use of cannabis in Ayurvedic medicine to improve ejaculatory function and delay/improve time of ejaculatory performance. An older study discovered “experienced” cannabis users found enhanced sexual pleasure when using cannabis, highlighting that the plant improved orgasm enough to be considered an aphrodisiac. Authors of the study noted that there could be “real value” in researching cannabis for the treatment of sexual disorders.

Why is cannabis considered so beneficial for sex? And how does combining CBD and sex possibly lead to greater sexual satisfaction?

As with all things CBD, it comes down to how the cannabinoid influences the endocannabinoid system.

CBD, Sex, And The Endocannabinoid System

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is responsible for maintaining homeostasis (or balance) of several different processes throughout the body…sexual function included.

The ECS made up of three essential components including: 

• Two naturally occurring endocannabinoids (AEA & 2-AG)
• Two cannabinoid receptors (CB1 & CB2)
• Two enzymes (FAAH & MAGL)

How exactly does the ECS  influence sexual function?  In a few different ways, actually. 

For one, cannabinoid receptors are found in reproductive organs and the organs that create sex hormones. 

Cannabinoid receptors also have a profound influence on serotonin and dopamine, both which play an integral role in sexual function. 

Then there's research that shows endocannabinoid levels are directly connected to sexual arousal and women.

See how CBD might just benefit your sex life? Let’s take a deeper look at why many ladies are choosing to bring CBD into the bedroom.

The Pleasure Principle: How CBD Might Benefit Sex

If you’re interested in experiencing more intimacy, mind-blowing orgasms and increased sexual satisfaction, read on to see how CBD might help with all these and more.

5 Ways CBD Might Boost Your Sex Life

1. Reduce Stress for More Enjoyable Sex

Let’s be real. When you’re feeling anxious or stressed, having sex isn’t likely high on your list of priorities. As satisfying as snuggling beneath the sheets can be, stress can take a serious toll on your sex drive.

Did you know research shows that elevated levels of cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) actually decrease sexual arousal, desire and satisfaction? It’s no wonder we don’t want to get busy when we’re stressed out!

Here’s where CBD might help. Know to support the body’s stress response and increase feelings of relaxation, CBD could be the ultimate addition to the bedroom when you’re feeling particularly tense.

Decreasing stress is one of the best things we can do to increase our desire to have and more deeply enjoy sex. It allows us to relax into the moment and really feel the sensation of connecting with our partner as each moment of intimacy unfolds.

2. Sustained, Satisfying Orgasms

If I told you CBD might help you reach longer, more satisfying orgasms would you take it? While sex in itself without the "Big O" can be sensuous and pleasurable, having a mindblowing orgasm is what makes good sex great sex.

One study discovered that women who regularly use cannabis before engaging in sexual activity were more than two times as likely to achieve a satisfactory orgasm. What’s the connection between cannabis and better orgasms?

Because the ECS is largely connected to sexual and reproductive function, there are likely a quite of few reasons. While feeling more relaxed and easing performance anxiety can help, it’s also suggested that because CBD can increase blood flow that it could help with sexual arousal, something absolutely necessary to reach climax.

Do a quick search for CBD-infused lubricants and you’ll find more options than you probably knew existed. The application of CBD lube to the genitals is said to increase blood flow to the area. Increased blood flow to the genitals is a huge part of the plateau in the sexual response cycle. Once we plateau is reached, the next phase is the climax of this cycle, which results in orgasm.

Whether you experience difficulty climaxing or feel your orgasms could be a bit more intense, the topical application of a CBD lubricant could help the climax you experience go from so-so to earth shattering.

3. Increased Sexual Arousal

While the last thing we’re thinking about in the midst of heightened arousal is endocannabinoids, there’s research that shows when our arousal results in climax (aka orgasm) that endocannabinoid levels increase dramatically.

In a 2017 study, researchers discovered that the endocannabinoid 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is released following climax. According to authors of the study, 2-AG “plays a role in the rewarding consequences of sexual arousal and orgasms.”

4. Relief from Sore, Painful Sex

Painful sex is more common than you might think. Research shows that sex is painful for 1 in 10 women. If you’re one of them, CBD might help ease uncomfortable sex so you can more enjoy yourself in the moment.

According to one study, while painful sex can be attributed to a condition known as dyspareunia, oftentimes experiencing pain during sex is linked to other factors such as anxiety, stress, decreased enjoyment and vaginal dryness.

If you’re looking for relief from painful sex, CBD might offer the relief you need. Applied topically in the form of a CBD-infused lubricant, the compound may help relax the vaginal muscles and allow for easier penetration. 

Taken orally, CBD’s calming properties may also help you relax enough to really open up to your partner and experience a softer side of sex, free from pain and embedded in pleasure.

5. Improved Emotional Intimacy

Sex that lacks intimacy isn’t necessarily the most enjoyable. We’ve all been there, even when we absolutely adore our partner. The deeply intimate emotional bond that can form during sex, however, is one that can dramatically improve your sex life.

One benefit of combining CBD and sex is the improved emotional intimacy it may offer. How exactly does the compound help increase the intimacy we feel in the moment? It’s all about the release of endocannabinoids, particularly anandamide (AEA).

CBD shows to enhance anandamide signaling, ultimately causing a significant increase in serum AEA levels. Commonly referred to as the “bliss molecule,” anandamide is best known for its efficacy in generating feelings of pleasure and wellbeing. Increased AEA levels during social interaction, which includes sex, ultimately intensifies the enjoyment of the interaction.

If your sex life is lacking the intimacy it once did and you desire to experience a blissful bond with your partner, CBD could offer the delight you both deserve.

CBD And Your Sex Life: How To Use CBD For More Satisfying Sex

With so many benefits of bringing CBD into the bedroom, you might be curious how to use CBD for more sensual, satisfying sex. Available in countless different products, there are several ways that CBD and sex can be combined.

• CBD Oil Tincture: If stress is keeping you from enjoying sex (or engaging in sex at all), you might want to consider a daily serving of CBD oil tincture as part of your everyday wellness routine. With the calming effects many claim to experience when taking CBD oil, a tincture offers an excellent opportunity for you to relax into a state of mind sans stress so you can enjoy getting busy with your partner.

     While CBD can work when taken as needed for feelings of increased calm         and relaxation, it shows to be most effective when taken every day. This               gives the compound more time to build up in the body and balance out             any ECS deficiencies. If you do decide to take CBD as needed for sex, keep           in mind that the effects of tinctures are typically felt about 30 minutes after       ingestion and last for 4-6 hours.

• CBD Lotion or Massage Oil: Foreplay can make good sex great, and there’s nothing like softly caressing your partner before actually engaging in the act making love. You might consider using a CBD lotion or massage oil as part of your foreplay practice, where the compound interacts with cannabinoid receptors in the skin. CBD topicals can offer a sense of physical relaxation while supporting any sore muscles or joints, allowing you to immerse into the moment for increased intimacy in foreplay and a more satisfying sexual experience.

• CBD Sexual Lubricant: When we say CBD is in almost everything imaginable these days, we aren’t exaggerating. In case you weren’t aware, there’s a huge market for CBD lubricants, most of which are designed to reduce vaginal dryness and enhance a woman’s pleasure. 

     CBD lube can be applied directly to the clitoris, rubbed into the clitoris or           labia after applied to your partner’s hands, and can be applied to your                 partner’s fingers or penis before being inserted into the vagina.

     CBD lubricants are suggested to increase blood flow where they are                     applied, which is imperative for heightened arousal and increased sensual         pleasure. They can also help to ease tension and relax muscles so you can           better enjoy each erotic moment as it unfolds.

Should You Combine CBD And Sex?

If you’re interested in enhancing your sex life, CBD could be the love potion you’ve been looking for. While there isn’t much research that’s been done on how CBD might benefit sex, there’s plenty of anecdotal and preclinical evidence to support the cannabinoid’s efficacy for improving some of the things that might get in the way of experiencing sex the way you should.

One of the best parts about combining CBD and sex? All the experimentation that goes along with it, of course! We encourage you to enjoy the process of trying different CBD products that might benefit your sex life and increase your level of sensual pleasure.