You know what feels good – when climaxing releases dopamine and oxytocin and turns on some of your body-boosting neurotransmitters.
But how does that work exactly? You can break down the benefits into two categories: physical and emotional.
The American Heart Association puts a good romp on par with other moderate physical endeavors, like taking a brisk walk or climbing a couple flights of stairs (you’ll burn about 200 calories in a standard bedroom session – though we hope you’re too involved to be counting).
For women in particular, sex can strengthen stomach and pelvic muscles – and it should be a lot more fun than crunches! A Planned Parenthood survey (among others) indicated that regular sex (once or twice a week) can alleviate irregular cycles and even reduce cramps.
Studies have also shown that consistent sex can improve memory function, as well as boost your immune system to help fend off colds and flu – something everyone is hyper aware of in this time of COVID-19.
Overall, sex-released endorphins enhance your sense of well-being and calm and may also address on-going issues with migraines and pain.
On psychological level, regular sex supports a healthy relationship by improving emotional as well as physical intimacy.
To state the obvious: Relationships are less likely to break up when the sex is satisfying. In general, people regularly getting high-quality sex are happier, sleep better, and have lower stress levels than those who don’t.
So what’s the problem?
First of all, mainstream public health and medical professionals often fail to address sex as an important part of self-care and wellness, especially the evolving sexual libido and satisfaction of women as they go through all of life’s changes, including having children.
As Jackie Cornell, 1906 Chief of Policy and Health Innovations, puts it: “If your doctor doesn’t ask you about it, won’t hear you out, or gives you half-hearted advice to ‘just relax’, how can anyone summon the courage to have these conversations with our partners?”
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS
For too many people, sex can feel like one more box to tick off on a neverending to-do list.
Especially now, when you’re anxious about every tickle in your throat, worried about the cratering economy, and wondering obsessively about what the future may bring – who has the energy to feel sexy? But it’s totally worth making an extra effort to get it on.
“In this time of unprecedented stress and anxiety due the pandemic, reaching climax may be just the tool needed to help reset and recharge,” says Cornell, who had a successful career in public health before joining 1906.
CANNABIS CAN HELP!
Thanks to the waves of prohibition that have dominated drug policy in the U.S. for the past century or so (1906, in fact, is named for the year the Wiley Act was passed, effectively beginning cannabis prohibition in the United States), there is a vast need for research on the myriad ways in which cannabis works in the human body, including the relationship between cannabis and sex.
That said, as cannabis works generally to quell anxiety and reduce pain – two elements that can lead to low sex drive or inability to climax – it makes sense that the plant may indirectly upgrade sex by addressing those issues.
Your body’s natural endocannabinoid system is key in regulating things like pleasure, pain, relaxation, and homeostasis. When it is activated by the cannabinoids, it can leave users feeling increased pleasure and decreased pain, leading to relaxation. Cannabis also works on sensation receptors – sight, smell, sound, taste and touch.
Many women report positive bedroom benefits with cannabis. A 2017 study done by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, took data from the National Survey of Family Growth to compare participants’ frequency of cannabis use with the frequency that they reported getting it on. People who said they use cannabis at least monthly reported more frequent sex than those who never consume. The researchers concluded, “A positive association between marijuana use and sexual frequency is seen in men and women across all demographic groups.”
Becky Lynn, M.D., director of the Center for Sexual Health and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Saint Louis University, wanted to explore in detail the effect of cannabis on sex drive, orgasm, lubrication, pain, and the overall sexual experience after she had several patients tell her that cannabis helped with their sexual problems.
“I have seen it used in women with chronic pain disorders that lead to painful sex, women who experience difficulty with orgasm or an inability to orgasm, and women who use it to improve their libido, which may not match their partner’s libido,” she told Weedmaps.
She surveyed nearly 400 women in her practice about cannabis usage with regards to sex between March 2016 and February 2017.
The results became the basis of two studies presented at the World Meeting on Sexual Medicine and the annual meeting of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health – and published in Sexual Medicine.
She found that people who reported using cannabis prior to sex were more likely to report having satisfying orgasms than those who did not. Those who claimed frequent cannabis use were also significantly more likely to say they have satisfying orgasms than people who reported infrequent cannabis use – in other words, regularly enjoying cannabis leads to better climaxes even if the activities aren’t happening in the same session.
EDIBLES MAKE IT ALL BETTER
Another recent study found that cannabis improved all facets of the sexual experience, and that users preferred edibles, saying they make “the most significant impact on orgasm length and frequency,” whether or not the sex was a solo or a partnered session.
One particular callout from this study, for those who more typically turn to margaritas for social-sexual lubrication: “When compared to sex with alcohol, cannabis creates more intense orgasms (66% vs 2%), longer sessions (57% vs 6%), and more satisfying foreplay (55% vs 3%).” If that’s not a glowing endorsement for cannabis over a cocktail, we don’t know what is!
“Respondents found that cannabis helped shorten the time it took to achieve orgasm, with or without a partner,” the report states. “The anecdotal and empirical evidence we collected indicates that the effects of cannabis helped shorten the time between the start of the session and the orgasm.”
TRY LOVE
1906 Love is a terrific option to explore the sexual benefits of cannabis. We handcraft our 1906 Love chocolates and Drops using five herbal aphrodisiacs in addition to a consistent, low-dose of cannabis.
Designed to work consistently well on all genders, 1906 Love helps you relax and get out of your head while also increasing blood flow to the pelvic area (cannabis is a vasodilator, which means it opens blood vessels and increases blood flow) to boost sensation.
We’ve gotten incredible raves for this product: last year, Love scored a Cosmo Sexcellence Award, a new stamp of approval given to the best sex toys, products, services, and change makers that blew reviewers’ minds, and a Cosmo writer called it “next-level howling at the moon-type magic.”
Worried that this kind of sexual magic is out of reach or impossible for well established relationships or for those with far more than a few grays? Think again. We were especially touched to receive a thank-you note from a customer who said: “This was by far the best sex we have ever had in over 48 years of marriage.”
So whether your libido needs a major jolt or you just want to bump things up a notch or two, give 1906 Love a try. Let us know what you think!
You’ll start feeling Love kick in at about 20 minutes, so plan your date with Love accordingly. Then it’s time to let go and feel the heat, no matter what the weather looks like.
If you’re in Colorado, find dispensary locations for the full line of _[1906](https://1906newhighs.com/)‘s low-dose, fast-acting edibles [here](https://1906newhighs.com/store-locator). _