SEX POT

My Messy Bedroom

My first real boyfriend back in high school was a narcotics salesperson
(sounds so much better than dope dealer, don't you think?).

Besides the steady drug supply, the one thing I loved about that
relationship was the sex. He was older and had been with a few women older
than himself who had taught him a thing or two. As a newbie, I was happy to
benefit from his experience. When things started falling apart, I was
reluctant to give up the sex, but because I was falling out of love, it
became harder to get in the mood.

Pot helped.

In fact, it got to the point where smoking a joint was the only thing that
got me in the mood. I loved sex while stoned -- it felt all floaty and
connected and transcended me to the happy place.

I don't smoke much anymore though I still enjoy the occasional transcendent
indulgence. A few puffs can make a dull party amusing. If I'm feeling
awkward and anti-social, it can make me chatty and witty (well, I think I'm
terribly witty anyway).

And unlike alcohol, pot tends to enhance my senses, rather than dull them.

Obviously, not everyone has the same reaction. I have friends who get right
stupid on pot, or who become paranoid and anti-social. Others simply fall
asleep.

But I'm not the only one who thinks pot makes a decent sexual enhancer.

Marijuana has been used as an aphrodisiac for thousands of years. The
ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine systems used cannabis to increase libido,
produce long-lasting erections, delay ejaculation, facilitate lubrication
and loosen inhibitions. Some Tantric sex practitioners drink a substance
called "bhang" -- a sort of spiced marijuana milkshake -- to enhance the
sexual experience. According to one source, Indian prostitutes ingest bhang
sherbet to help them feel sexually aroused. In 19th century Serbia, female
virgins were given mixtures of lamb's fat and cannabis on their wedding
night to make sex less painful. Many Middle Eastern and Northern African
cultures have used cannabis for sexual purposes in a potent form known as
"kif" as recently as the early 20th century.

So what is it about weed that turns people on?

Besides the obvious -- heightened sensation, relaxation and a feeling of
hyper connectedness -- there are also physiological effects. Along with
increased heart rate, changes in blood flow and respiration,
"Neurochemistry, hormonal systems, and brain regions such as the temporal
lobe are affected by both marijuana and sexual arousal," writes Terry Necco
in Cannabis Culture magazine.

That's because THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in
pot, not only releases dopamine in the brain -- causing the "high" -- it
replicates the effects of a sexy little naturally occurring neurochemical
called anandamide.

But pot doesn't always make sex better. For some people, it has the
opposite effect. Ascetics, monks and others have used marijuana to free
themselves of sexual desire. Instead of connecting them to their bodies,
sexual desires or other people, pot helps them meditate. And certainly for
some regular folk, it's tough to focus on coming when your mind is busy
contemplating the meaning of life.

The sexual effects of smoking also depend on the person's tolerance to the
drug. A couple of tokes may get one person in the mood (and keep 'em there
before, during and after the act), while another user may need to get
really high in order to feel a heightened sexual awareness.

Of course, as with anything, you can have too much of a good thing. Heavy,
long-term marijuana use can result in low motivation, including the
motivation to have sex.

And whereas some folks report an increased libido -- in one study, men said
they achieved bigger, harder erections, while women said they became wetter
and were more able to achieve orgasm when stoned -- others may report an
inability to sustain an erection.

It is commonly believed that smoking marijuana causes reproductive system
damage, having an effect on testosterone production and other hormones
(which, in turn, can affect fertility, menstruation, and erectile
functions, among other things) because cells within the reproductive system
are very high in fat, and thus absorb and hold more THC than do most other
cells in the body. (Apparently, in some cases, male pot smokers have
developed man boobs because of localized fatty deposits.)

Pot prohibitionists like to haul out the "pot will lower your sperm count"
argument, though research on this produces conflicting results. One study
that was widely reported a few years back supposedly proved sperm count
reduction as a result of marijuana exposure. Turns out it was a study done
on sea urchins, not humans. How they got those little sea urchins to
inhale, one can only guess.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, on the other
hand, cites study upon study indicating that those lower sperm count levels
return to normal once marijuana consumption has ceased.

One of the most controversial topics surrounding marijuana, though, is its
use during pregnancy.

It's no surprise that the U.S. government, with a history of Just Say No
campaigns, trades on scare tactics. Most official propaganda, er, research
by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, for example, indicates low birth
weight and developmental problems in babies born to women who used
marijuana during pregnancy.

However, while experts generally recommend against any prenatal drug use,
the folks at NORML reference recent National Academy of Sciences work,
saying, "Marijuana has little evidence implicating it in fetal harm, unlike
alcohol, cocaine or tobacco. Epidemiological studies have found no evident
link between prenatal use of marijuana and birth defects."

In fact, one study of Jamaican women who had smoked pot throughout
pregnancy found that their babies actually registered higher on
developmental scores at the age of 30 days, while experiencing no
significant effects on birth weight or length.

So put that in your pipe and smoke it.