CBD and Sex
Can CBD really improve your sex life? Can it increase your sex drive? These are some of the questions we will address in this article. Let’s get going….
Sex and the Endocannabinoid system
CBD acts on a biological system in the body called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS maintains biological balance in response to changes in the environment, known as maintaining bodily homeostasis. The ECS is believed to be involved in sexual pleasure and arousal. (1) (2)
Theoretically, stimulating the ECS by taking cannabinoids, such as CBD and THC, should positively impact sexual pleasure. Most studies in this area has been from gathering feedback from recreational Marijuana users, which would be consuming THC as well as CBD (3). Anecdotally, it seems that THC has a bigger role to play than CBD in enhancing sexual arousal.
Can CBD help with libido?
The research is mixed. Some studies have found that cannabinoids such as CBD and THC boost libido, whilst others have found a decrease (3). Some people have anxiety about sexual performance, which decreases their libido. CBD may help improve libido by reducing sexual performance anxiety (4).
If you are looking to boost libido, you would be better off combining CBD with other vitamins and supplements that have more evidence towards improving libido; a few examples are essential vitamins, zinc, selenium, Ginseng and Tyrosine. CBD Element recommends Dr Ed’s Libido as a good choice as it contains Tyrosine. Tyrosine is believed to help with erectile dysfunction by increasing dopamine within the brain which in turn boosts libido (5).
Overall, a lot of reports about CBD helping sex drive are anecdotal and further research is required. Maybe you have a friend who swears by it, whereas another doesn’t feel anything at all. There just is not enough research regarding CBD and libido, so it’s tough to give a definitive answer.
Can CBD improve sex?
Studies have demonstrated that CBD has pain relieving and anti-inflammatory properties so CBD may improve sex by relieving pain and soreness during and after penetrative sex.
One of the reasons women have painful sex is due to vaginal dryness so lubricants play a key role in improving sex. There has been an explosion of CBD lubricants on the market with brands realising the potential benefits of infusing CBD with lubricants. CBD lubricants are particularly popular among the LGBTQ community.
Final Thoughts
Many people find CBD lubricants make their sex more comfortable and pleasurable. You may wish to give CBD lubricants a try if pain whilst having sex is an issue. There hasn’t been much scientific research into this area, but anecdotal evidence looks promising, as with many areas of CBD research, this is one to keep your eye on.
References
1) Klein, C., Hill, M., Chang, S., Hillard, C. and Gorzalka, B., 2021. Circulating Endocannabinoid Concentrations and Sexual Arousal in Women. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22462722/ [Accessed 15 February 2021].
2) Androvicova, R., Horacek, J., Stark, T., Drago, F. and Micale, V., 2021. Endocannabinoid system in sexual motivational processes: Is it a novel therapeutic horizon? Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27884725/ [Accessed 15 February 2021].
3) Psychology Today. 2021. The Latest on the Sexual Effects of Marijuana. [online] Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/all-about-sex/202007/the-latest-the-sexual-effects-marijuana [Accessed 15 February 2021].
4) du Plessis, S., Agarwal, A. and Syriac, A., 2021. Marijuana, phytocannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, and male fertility. [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651943/ [Accessed 15 February 2021].
5) Lin, G., Li, H., Zhang, X., Wang, J., Zaid, U., Sanford, M., Tu, V., Wu, A., Wang, L., Tian, F., Kotanides, H., Krishnan, V., Wang, G., Ning, H., Banie, L., Lin, C., Deng, G. and Lue, T., 2021. Novel Therapeutic Approach for Neurogenic Erectile Dysfunction: Effect of Neurotrophic Tyrosine Kinase Receptor Type 1 Monoclonal Antibody. [online] Available at: [Accessed 15 February 2021].
Originally published at https://www.cbdelement.co.uk.
