What surveys of cannabis users report
In a 2019 online survey of 216 people with experience using cannabis before sex, University of British Columbia researchers found that 58.9% of those who answered said cannabis increased their desire for sex. Asked about sex overall, 38.7% said it was better, 16.0% said it was better in some ways and worse in others, 24.5% said it was sometimes better and 4.7% said it was worse.
A 2023 US survey of 811 adults who had used cannabis found that more than 70% reported increased desire. Age and gender made no significant difference to how people rated cannabis's effect on their sex lives.
Both surveys relied on volunteers who answered online, so they capture what respondents perceived, not what cannabis does on average. The UBC authors note that their sample may not represent people who use cannabis in general, and that more than a third of respondents used it daily.
Why it varies from person to person
CAMH says people often report that lower doses of cannabis enhance taste, touch and smell and make them more aware of their body, but adds that some people enjoy these sensations while others find them uncomfortable. Health Canada lists heightened senses alongside less welcome short-term effects such as sleepiness, confusion and trouble concentrating.
Dose matters. CAMH says stronger doses of THC can produce anxiety, paranoia and panic, and the same person can react differently from one time to the next. In the UBC survey, some people said cannabis made them sleepy or less focused, or had no effect on their sex lives. More on that in weed and anxiety and head highs versus body highs.
Negative findings: orgasm, erections and sperm
Larger, population-based research points to downsides with frequent use. A telephone survey of 8,656 Australians aged 16 to 64, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, found that men who used cannabis daily were more likely than non-users to report being unable to reach orgasm, reaching orgasm too quickly and reaching it too slowly. How often women used cannabis was not linked to sexual problems.
Research on erections is mixed. A 2019 meta-analysis of five case-control studies covering 3,395 men found erectile dysfunction in 69.1% of men who smoked cannabis, compared with 34.7% of non-users, but results varied widely between studies and the authors called for long-term research. A 2025 study using genetic data (Mendelian randomization) found no evidence that cannabis use causes erectile dysfunction, so the question is not settled.
Sperm research raises a separate concern. In a Danish study of 1,215 young men, smoking cannabis more than once a week was associated with 28% lower sperm concentration and 29% lower total sperm count after adjusting for other factors, and the drop was larger in men who also used other recreational drugs. Studies like these show associations rather than proof of cause, but Canada's Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines list reproductive problems among the main health risks of cannabis use.
If you are trying to conceive or are pregnant, talk to a doctor. Health Canada says cannabis use during pregnancy can lead to lower birth weight, and the lower-risk guidelines say people who are pregnant should not use cannabis at all.
Consent, impairment and safer sex
Cannabis affects attention and thinking. Health Canada lists confusion and impaired memory, concentration and attention among its short-term effects, and CAMH says cannabis and alcohol intensify each other's effects and together can cause severe impairment, including poor judgment. The crossfading guide covers why that combination raises the risks.
That matters for consent, which should be clear, freely given and ongoing. Talk about boundaries before anyone uses, check in as things go, and stop if anyone seems too impaired to say yes or no.
It matters for safer sex too. In the Australian survey, daily cannabis use was linked with having two or more sexual partners in the past year among both men and women, and with a sexually transmitted infection diagnosis among women. Decide on condoms and contraception before anyone is high.
Heavy use and relationships
Health Canada says daily or near-daily use can harm memory, focus and speech, effects that can strain relationships with family and friends, and that reducing or stopping can reverse some or all of them. If frequent use has become a sore point with a partner, a tolerance break is one way to reset.
When to talk to a doctor or pharmacist
Erection problems, changes in desire, trouble reaching orgasm or trouble conceiving are worth raising with a doctor, who can look for causes and go over options. If you take medication, ask a pharmacist before combining it with cannabis: CAMH lists other drugs, including over-the-counter and herbal products, among the things that change how cannabis affects you.
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