While this isn’t the Valentine’s month most of us expected, our need for pleasure hasn’t diminished. But with the coronavirus still inhibiting so much of our lives, we are suffering from lack of connection a.k.a. “Skin Hunger.”
According to an article for Swell, even before COVID-19, “millions of Americans routinely felt lonely—as many as three out of five.” But since the pandemic, “many are going months with far less social touch than we’re accustomed to—or none at all—and many of us are ravenous.”
Even for the partnered up, it can be challenging, to say the least, to get in a romantic mood when you’re living in sweatpants, working from your bedroom, and the kids are underfoot all day.
Yet with vaccine rates starting to rise, there is a new day coming, though the effects of COVID-19 on sexual behavior won’t go away any time soon. A thorough overview published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior in August found some good news: notably that issues of sexual well-being are being taken seriously, “even (and perhaps especially) in times of crisis, as they are closely related to overall health and quality of life.”
We’ve explained before how great sex is great for you, delivering wide-ranging benefits for physical and mental health. And while partnered sex does offer that added dose of relationship-strengthening intimacy, loving yourself on your own has many positive qualities as well.
In fact, one key finding of the Sexual Behavior study (perhaps related to the rise in “skin hunger”) is enthusiasm for more masturbation! “Masturbation is recommended because it reduces stress and anxiety, strengthens the immune system, fights boredom and frustration, and compensates for the lack of partnered sex…referring to the state of research on the positive health outcomes of masturbation (e.g., Coleman, 2003; Levin, 2007; Robbins et al., 2011),” the report found, also calling out the the New York City Health Department’s remarkable press release that proclaimed, “You are your safest sex partner. Masturbation will not spread COVID-19.”
This masturbation celebration can be seen as a positive step toward further destigmatizing and normalizing solo sex.
CANNABIS CAN HELP
We’re thrilled that consumers are realizing that cannabis can play a significant role in boosting sexual well-being.
An Eaze State of Cannabis 2020 report confirmed the increased value consumers see for cannabis in the bedroom. Last year, 75 percent of consumers in one study reported pairing sex and cannabis, and that led to increases in sexual satisfaction for both solo and partnered sex.
Research continues to indicate that plant magic has profound impacts on sex with users describing their sexual experiences as more frequent, more fulfilling, and better feeling.
A study by Stanford researchers of more than 50,000 adults found that regular cannabis users had sex more often than abstainers. “Over the course of a year, they’re having sex maybe 20 more times,” says Dr. Michael Eisenberg, a urologist at Stanford University Medical Center and senior author of the study – that’s about 20 percent more for men and women across all demographic groups.
In a recent LA Weekly story, “Does Marijuana Increase Sexual Appetite?” experts offered a range of explanations. Amanda Pasciucco, a Connecticut-based sex therapist, said, “People who use marijuana may have more sex because they put less pressure on themselves when they are high, so they don’t have the same performance anxiety as those who are sober,” adding that cannabis “may also help increase your ability to communicate your preferences to your partner.”
1906’s founder and CEO Peter Barsoom pointed to the body’s own endocannabinoid system as a reason cannabis “opens the door to increased sexual desire…this effect can make sex feel even more enjoyable.”
The study “Masturbation to Orgasm Stimulates the Release of the Endocannabinoid 2-Arachidonoylglycerol in Humans,” published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, hints at this connection, exploring the “link between the orgasm state and the release of an endocannabinoid — chemicals produced by the human body — that looks and acts just like ones found in the marijuana plant.”
This knowledge isn’t new. “Cannabis has been used as an aphrodisiac in many cultures for centuries. In India, it was used as far back as the seventh century,” Barsoom explained. “Its use for sexual health was documented in Chinese texts, amongst Germanic tribes and by many African cultures.”
And unlike many sexual health treatments, cannabis addresses much more than male blood flow, or erectile dysfunction. As we all know, fabulous sex can be a complicated puzzle of arousal, desire, orgasm, and satisfaction. But one that’s definitely fun to work on.
TRY 1906 LOVE
That same Eaze survey made it plain: Edibles won the year, becoming the most popular product category across major markets and age groups.
Our award-winning Love potion was one of the first experiences we made as a company. When we first started 1906, we asked ourselves what the world really needed. And we felt strongly that people needed a heart opener, something to help them connect to themselves and others more deeply.
We worked with pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, plant medicine experts, biochemists, and expert chocolate makers discovering ingredients that have been used for grounding, for empathy, and for increased sensuality. And we soon figured out that the same ingredients that open your heart often also increase blood flow to your nether regions.
That was when we realized we had a Superaphrodisiac on our hands. Something that gets you out of your everyday mind set, opens your heart, and makes you feel electrified, turned on. Not just for sex, but for life.
To complement the supersensual THC and CBD, 1906 Lovecontains five proven plant medicines, which collectively drive libido, blood flow, sensuality, and energy. These include Ashwagandha, Damiana, Theobromine, and Muira Pumua and Catuaba.
Like all of our edibles, 1906 Love products use a low-dose sensual strain of 2.5 to 5mg THC, 5mg CBD, plus a fast-acting technology for a 20-minute onset.
If you’re feeling crafty, whip up a batch of our easy chocolate-covered strawberries, and turn on the Love Sounds playlist, created for 1906 by musician Rahn Harper.
And when the fireworks have faded and you’ve come back to earth, we’d love to hear your stories of Love.
Love increases pleasure – for whatever it is you want to do. We’re going to share some of the fantastic testimonials we’ve received about Love all month – Valentine’s may be just a day, but it’s always a good time for some sexual healing.
Find Love here.
