by Tamir Bresler, Assistant Editor for Terpenes and Testing Magazine
A lot of self-reported evidence has accumulated over the past several decades that correlates cannabis use with all sorts of positive sexual benefits. [1] For example, a recent study by the Stanford School of Medicine involved over 50,000 participants. The results “unambiguously” showed that compared with cannabis abstainers, men who used it weekly reported having 22% more sex, while women reported having 34% more sex.
Part of the evidence that suggests a potential role of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in sexual functioning includes the location of cannabinoid receptors (CBs). Cannabinoid receptors are densely expressed in the central nervous system brain structures such as the hypothalamus, hippocampus, cerebellum, amygdala, striatum, and throughout the cortex and basal ganglia. [2] This positions the ECS in regions that have already been shown to play a strong role in modulating sexual behavior. [3] In addition, they are present in peripheral tissues implicated in sexual function, including the adrenal glands, which are a source of androgen hormones, and in reproductive tissue such as the ovaries. [4]
To…