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Canadian singles are taking dating to new heights this summer.
In honor of the recently passed bill that legalizes recreational
marijuana use in Canada, WhatsYourPrice.com (a
site where users bid on dates) surveyed over 4,000 singles to get their
thoughts on how marijuana affects their love life. The results are
interesting.
When it comes to dating and marijuana, it appears that Canadians are very open-minded. When asked, 82% of respondents said they would date someone who smokes marijuana regularly. In fact, 52% of people surveyed said they’d even get high on a first date.
However, probably the most interesting stat to come out of the survey is that 2 out of 3 Canadians have had sex while high on cannabis and would do it again.
I currently reside on the West coast in a neighborhood that is home to more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks, so these stats aren’t surprising in the least. As someone who’s never really been into marijuana, living here has made me feel like a bit of an outsider — especially when it comes to dating. In my experience, marijuana makes me feel paranoid and disconnected from other people, which is the last thing I want when I’m on a date. But go on any online dating app here and it seems like every second profile has a reference to being “420-friendly.” I used to think it was all in my head, but the data suggests otherwise.
In regards to marijuana, dating and sex, the survey found that women in general are more weed-friendly than their male counterparts. Not only are women more open to the possibility of dating someone who uses marijuana (86% of women compared to 79% of men), more women reported having used marijuana while having sex — a whopping 78% versus only 62% of men.
This isn’t entirely surprising either. Both sex and marijuana have the ability to flood our brains with euphoric feelings. Similar to how sex triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that activates the reward centre of the brain, cannabis activates the endocannabinoid system – a network of receptors that interact with the unique cannabinoids found in marijuana. A 2016 study looked at the link between marijuana and sex and found that approximately half of respondents reported feeling “aphrodisiac effects” after smoking pot, while 70% said they experienced “enhancement in pleasure and satisfaction.”
According to experts, you don’t have to smoke to take advantage the potential positive effects cannabis can have on your sex life. Ashley Manta is a CannaSexual coach (someone who combines sex and cannabis) and educator. As she explains, “Cannabis can be consumed, inhaled, or applied through topical products, transdermal patches, and sublingual drops. That means that if you don’t want to get high–you don’t have to.”
When asked what specific benefits cannabis can have for women, Manta says, “cannabinoid infused genital products (known colloquially as “weed lubes”) are best absorbed by the mucous membranes in the vulva/vagina. Because these products need time to absorb (I like to think of it as marinating), and the skin of the penis isn’t as conducive to absorption, the effects seem to be more potent in people with vulvas.”
Marijuana can also help with discomfort during sex. Pain with penetration is reported by 3 out of 4 women according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. While Manta is careful to point out that she’s not a doctor capable of offering medical advice, she says “from both my own experience and stories shared by a significant number of my clients and colleagues, using a cannabis topical before sex helps to relieve that pain,” she says.
Whether you’re one of the 2 out of 3 Canadians who enjoys their sex with a side order of recreational marijuana, Manta says that when it comes to cannabis, there’s no “right way” to do it. As she reminds us, cannabis, like sex “is an entirely subjective experience.”
When it comes to dating and marijuana, it appears that Canadians are very open-minded. When asked, 82% of respondents said they would date someone who smokes marijuana regularly. In fact, 52% of people surveyed said they’d even get high on a first date.
However, probably the most interesting stat to come out of the survey is that 2 out of 3 Canadians have had sex while high on cannabis and would do it again.
I currently reside on the West coast in a neighborhood that is home to more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks, so these stats aren’t surprising in the least. As someone who’s never really been into marijuana, living here has made me feel like a bit of an outsider — especially when it comes to dating. In my experience, marijuana makes me feel paranoid and disconnected from other people, which is the last thing I want when I’m on a date. But go on any online dating app here and it seems like every second profile has a reference to being “420-friendly.” I used to think it was all in my head, but the data suggests otherwise.
In regards to marijuana, dating and sex, the survey found that women in general are more weed-friendly than their male counterparts. Not only are women more open to the possibility of dating someone who uses marijuana (86% of women compared to 79% of men), more women reported having used marijuana while having sex — a whopping 78% versus only 62% of men.
This isn’t entirely surprising either. Both sex and marijuana have the ability to flood our brains with euphoric feelings. Similar to how sex triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that activates the reward centre of the brain, cannabis activates the endocannabinoid system – a network of receptors that interact with the unique cannabinoids found in marijuana. A 2016 study looked at the link between marijuana and sex and found that approximately half of respondents reported feeling “aphrodisiac effects” after smoking pot, while 70% said they experienced “enhancement in pleasure and satisfaction.”
According to experts, you don’t have to smoke to take advantage the potential positive effects cannabis can have on your sex life. Ashley Manta is a CannaSexual coach (someone who combines sex and cannabis) and educator. As she explains, “Cannabis can be consumed, inhaled, or applied through topical products, transdermal patches, and sublingual drops. That means that if you don’t want to get high–you don’t have to.”
When asked what specific benefits cannabis can have for women, Manta says, “cannabinoid infused genital products (known colloquially as “weed lubes”) are best absorbed by the mucous membranes in the vulva/vagina. Because these products need time to absorb (I like to think of it as marinating), and the skin of the penis isn’t as conducive to absorption, the effects seem to be more potent in people with vulvas.”
Marijuana can also help with discomfort during sex. Pain with penetration is reported by 3 out of 4 women according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. While Manta is careful to point out that she’s not a doctor capable of offering medical advice, she says “from both my own experience and stories shared by a significant number of my clients and colleagues, using a cannabis topical before sex helps to relieve that pain,” she says.
Whether you’re one of the 2 out of 3 Canadians who enjoys their sex with a side order of recreational marijuana, Manta says that when it comes to cannabis, there’s no “right way” to do it. As she reminds us, cannabis, like sex “is an entirely subjective experience.”
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