Marijuana is associated with improvements in symptoms of female orgasmic disorder (FOD), according to a newly released scientific review.

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.”

“This review found consistent evidence that cannabis improves orgasm function in females with or without FOD/difficulty,” researchers at the Female Orgasm Research Institute and the Association of Cannabinoid Specialists wrote in the paper, which was published in the journal Sexual Medicine on Tuesday.

There are currently no conventional treatments for FOD, which is estimated to affect about 41 percent of women worldwide, the paper says.

But a growing body of scientific literature have identified “improvements in female orgasm function, including increases in frequency, ease, intensity, quality, and/or multiorgasmic capacity,” the authors wrote.

“Improved orgasm function—including increased frequency, intensity, quality, ease, satisfaction, and the ability to experience multiple orgasms per sexual encounter—was reported in all 9 studies that evaluated cannabis use before sexual activity. The RCT that investigated acquired FSD, including acquired FOD/difficulty in patients with gynecologic cancer, revealed statistically significant improvements in orgasm function with cannabis suppositories and mindful use. Another cited statistical significance for improvements in orgasm function—specifically, improvements in orgasm, orgasm satisfaction, and overall sexual experience.”

“Consistent reports of improved orgasm function in women with and without FOD/difficulty span 50 years of research, with cannabis suggested as a treatment for sexual disorders since 1979,” the paper says.

Benefits associated with cannabis use “were observed across diverse study designs, populations, and cannabis use contexts.”

“Given this growing body of evidence, FOD/difficulty should be considered a qualifying condition for medical cannabis, and medical cannabis should be evaluated as a potential first-line treatment,” the study authors said. “These findings suggest a strong association between cannabis use and improved orgasm function.”

They caveated that “more randomized controlled trials are needed to clarify optimal dosing, routes of administration, strain specificity, timing of use, and differential effects across FOD subtypes.”

Suzanne Mulvehill, who co-authored the paper with Jordan Tishler, told Marijuana Moment that the work “provides the evidence base for states and countries to recognize female orgasmic disorder/difficulty (FOD) as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis and suggests medical cannabis be considered as a first-line treatment.”

“We now need gold-standard randomized controlled trials to determine optimal dosing, timing of use and effectiveness across FOD sub-types—lifelong (never orgasmed), acquired (lost the ability) and situational (difficulty in certain contexts such as partner sex),” she said.

“This systematic review confirmed what I’ve seen in my own research and in interviews with women—and what I personally experienced following more than 30 years of struggling with orgasm difficulty: cannabis has the potential to help millions of women overcome orgasm disorder/difficulty and improve their health, relationships, and quality of life,” Mulvehill added.

Relatedly, another study published recently found that marijuana use is associated with increased sexual desire and arousal, as well as lower levels of sexual distress.

Late last year, 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 last year 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 Mike Latimer.