Marijuana May Be A ‘Gateway To Women’s Orgasm’ In Sexual Health Treatment, Scientific Analysis Finds

Marijuana may be a “gateway,” but not in the stigmatized way it’s been
portrayed by prohibitionists as a stepping stone to other drugs. Rather, a
growing body of scientific literature signals cannabis is a “gateway to
women’s orgasm” that could hold significant therapeutic potential in the
treatment of female orgasmic disorder/difficulty (FOD), a new research
paper says.

For the analysis, published in the journal Current Sexual Health Reports
last week, clinical sexologist Suzanne Mulvehill discussed how, even though
FOD affects an estimated 72 percent of premenopausal women, there are
currently no drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to
treat the condition. And cannabis represents a novel therapy that could
fill that treatment gap.

“Psychiatrists have traditionally been trained to define legitimate
prescribing primarily through formally regulated pharmaceutical pathways,
even while routinely prescribing medications off-label. For FOD, cannabis
falls outside this conventional framework,” the report says. “Recognizing
its therapeutic value therefore asks psychiatry to broaden its
understanding of what constitutes medicine and evidence-based care,
particularly for conditions that lack effective conventional pharmacologic
options.”

“Five decades of convergent evidence…demonstrate a consistent association
between cannabis use and enhanced orgasmic function.”

Mulvehill emphasized that incorporating cannabis into sexual medicine “will
require openness to recognizing it as a therapeutic ally and developing
clinical competence in its responsible use,” while rejecting antiquated
framing that’s regarded marijuana as a “gateway” to dangerous drugs that
must be “avoided at all costs.”

“This stigma shaped society as a whole, as well as the training of
psychiatrists and therapists,” Mulvehill, founder of the Female Orgasm
Training Institute, said. “Yet cannabis today should be reframed: not as a
gateway to illicit drug use, but as a gateway to women’s orgasm—and, more
broadly, to restoring women’s sexual agency.”

“Female Orgasmic Disorder/Difficulty remains one of the most prevalent yet
least adequately treated conditions in women’s health,” the paper says.
“The absence of FDA-approved pharmacological treatments, combined with the
limited effectiveness of existing psychological and behavioral
interventions, reflects a fundamental mismatch between the complexity of
orgasmic difficulty and the scope of most current treatment models. The
evidence reviewed demonstrates that cannabis occupies a uniquely promising
position within this gap.”

The analysis points to five decades of research into cannabis that’s
demonstrated “consistent associations with improvements in orgasm
frequency, ease, and satisfaction, while simultaneously reducing anxiety,
inhibition, cognitive distraction, and bodily disconnection, which are core
barriers to orgasmic function.”

“Integrating cannabis into sexual medicine represents both a clinical and
cultural shift,” the author wrote. “What distinguishes cannabis is not
merely its ability to improve a single symptom, but its capacity to
therapeutically influence multiple orgasm-facilitating and
orgasm-inhibiting processes simultaneously, aligning with the
multidimensional nature of Female Orgasmic Disorder/Difficulty.”

“Moving forward will require an expansion of clinical perspective beyond
traditional treatment frameworks, alongside interdisciplinary
collaboration, provider education, and clear clinical guidance on dosing
and administration to ensure safe, evidence-based care. Together, these
developments position cannabis as a legitimate therapeutic ally in
advancing equity, effectiveness, and innovation in women’s health care.”

A previous scientific review Mulvehill coauthored last year pointed to ample
evidence that cannabis is associated with improvements in symptoms of FOD.

The research involved an analysis of one randomized controlled trial and 15
observational studies, using data from a total of 8,849 women. Based on the
findings, study authors determined that marijuana “appears to be a
promising treatment option for FOD/difficulty, with the majority of studies
reviewed reporting improvements in orgasm function and satisfaction among
women who use cannabis.”

Relatedly, another study published last year determined that marijuana use
is linked to increased sexual desire and arousal, as well as lower levels
of sexual distress.

In 2024, a study found that cannabis-infused vaginal suppositories seemed
to reduce sexual pain in women after treatment for gynecological cancer.
Combining the suppositories with online exercises in “mindful compassion”
offered patients even more substantial benefits.

“The outcomes favoured the [combined] group,” that research said “in which
sexual function, levels of sexual arousal, lubrication, and orgasm
increased, and the levels of sexual pain decreased.”

Earlier research also found that administration of a broad-spectrum, high-CBD
vaginal suppository was associated with “significantly reduced frequency
and severity of menstrual-related symptoms” as well as the symptoms’
negative impacts on daily life.

As for sexual fulfillment, a separate study last year found that while
alcohol might be effective to “facilitate” sex, marijuana is better at
enhancing sexual sensitivity and satisfaction.

While alcohol increased some elements of sexual attraction—including making
people feel more attractive, more extroverted and more desirous—people who
used marijuana “have more sensitivity and they are more sexually satisfied
than when they consume alcohol,” authors wrote.

A broad scientific review of academic research on cannabis and human
sexuality published in 2024 concluded that while the relationship between
marijuana and sex is a complicated one, use of cannabis is generally
associated with more frequent sexual activity as well as increased sexual
desire and enjoyment.

That article, published in the journal Psychopharmacology, also suggested
that lower doses of marijuana may actually be best suited for sexual
satisfaction, while higher doses could in fact lead to *decreases* in
desire and performance. And it suggested effects may differ between men and
women.

Some advocates have cited the potential for cannabis to improve sexual
function in women as a reason to add conditions such as FOD as a qualifying
condition for medical marijuana.

A 2020 study in the journal Sexual Medicine, meanwhile, found that women
who used cannabis more often had better sex.

Numerous online surveys have also reported positive associations between
marijuana and sex. One study even found a connection between the passage of
marijuana laws and increased sexual activity.

Yet another study, however, cautions that more marijuana doesn’t
necessarily mean better sex. A literature review published in 2019 found
that cannabis’s impact on libido may depend on dosage, with lower amounts
of THC correlating with the highest levels of arousal and satisfaction.
Most studies showed that marijuana has a positive effect on women’s sexual
function, the study found, but too much THC can actually backfire.

Separately, a paper last year in the journal Nature Scientific Reports that
purported to be the first scientific study to formally explore the effects
of psychedelics on sexual functioning found that drugs such as psilocybin
mushrooms and LSD could have beneficial effects on sexual functioning—even
months after use.

“On the surface, this type of research may seem ‘quirky,’” one of the
authors of that study said, “but the psychological aspects of sexual
function—including how we think about our own bodies, our attraction to our
partners, and our ability to connect to people intimately—are all important
to psychological wellbeing in sexually active adults.”

*Photo courtesy of Max Jackson.*

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Treatment, Scientific Analysis Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment.