Sex and drugs are often mentioned in the same breath, although as most people who have sampled this popular dopamine-laced cocktail will testify, the two ingredients don’t always complement each other particularly well. To try and figure out how certain social lubricants influence sexual satisfaction, researchers have conducted a study that analyzes the impact of both marijuana and alcohol on people’s sexual experiences.
A total of 24 participants – 12 male and 12 female – were interviewed about their sexual encounters while both drunk and stoned. Writing in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, the study authors report that “the most common reported feeling after sex on alcohol was regret.” This is partly because of the way that “beer goggles” tend to make people more likely to sleep with people they wouldn’t normally find attractive, and partly because the sex itself is often lacking in fireworks when booze is involved.
People of both sexes reported feeling nauseous and even falling asleep when attempting to have sex under the influence of alcohol, while men said they often experienced embarrassing technical difficulties when drunk in bed. This, unsurprisingly, tends to lead to frustrated urges, shorter duration of sex, and an inability to achieve orgasm.
Smoking weed, meanwhile, was reported to lead to increased physical sensitivity and more intense orgasms, although some people also described mental obstacles like paranoia and apathy, which often killed the mood and prevented them from climaxing. Some women also said they experienced “vaginal dryness” when trying to have sex while stoned.
Sex on marijuana was also found to be more sensual and emotional than drunk sex, which was often described as meaningless and clumsy. This may be partly because of the way that booze causes people to lose their inhibitions, making them more likely to sleep with people they have just met. For instance, male participants said they become more likely to make sexual advances towards strangers when drunk, with less concern for being rejected, while women said they become more willing to accept these propositions once they’ve had a few drinks.
On the other hand, participants said they tended to only sleep with people they already knew when they smoked marijuana. This appears to be largely down to the fact that weed is illegal in many places, and is therefore normally consumed in intimate settings with friends and lovers, rather than strangers.
