If there’s one thing in the world that is (or should be) non-political, it’s a better sex drive. A new study from Spain has found that cannabis revs up the sex drive of those who use it, leading to higher levels of desire and arousal.

Whether that helps with state legalization drives remains to be seen, but cannabis and sex have become popular topics regardless of what politicians do.

Spanish researchers presented their findings in the journal Healthcare. “To date, there has been increasing interest in the influence of cannabis use on sexual function,” they wrote. “Our findings indicate that young people who use cannabis frequently, regardless of gender, have better overall sexual function.”

The new study echoes findings from past research that has examined cannabis and sex, particularly the impact of cannabis on sexual function. People who use CBD products (especially women) enjoy sex more. A study that focused on women found that they had better sex lives after using cannabis.

New Research Focused on Cannabis, Alcohol Use

The new research involved looking at the impact of cannabis on sex with 185 women and 89 men. The age of those involved in the study ranged from 18 to 30.

Over six months, researchers found cannabis users scored higher than non-users in several sex-related areas, including sexual functioning, level of arousal and ability to achieve orgasm. Frequent cannabis users scored higher than moderate users. The findings were similar for men and women.

The researchers found that alcohol had no significant positive impact in sexual function or experience. However, the study noted that alcohol can potentially cause erection problems in men, stating that “alcohol interferes with sexual responses due to metabolic changes since it alters nitric oxide synthesis.” Nitric oxide is key to “vasodilation of the penile arteries”  – or, in other words, an erection.

Cannabis Users Felt Less Inhibited

Researchers listed a handful of reasons why they believe cannabis improved sex in a number of areas.

• A sense of heightened perceptions
• A distortion of time
• Higher levels of relaxation
• A decrease in inhibitions

While cannabis improved sexual function in the study participants, only moderate consumption of alcohol resulting in improvement. Researcher said many people benefit from the ability of cannabis to cause “a reduction in anxiety and shame, which facilitates sexual relationships.”

Women also said marijuana improves their mood, helps them sleep, and helps them better cope with stress and anxiety.

The study also noted that previous research has found that men have identified a connection between increased cannabis use and increased sexual function. In particular, men noted feeling a higher level of sexual satisfaction and a decrease in occurrence of erectile dysfunction.

One major caveat about cannabis and sex: the researchers also noted that marijuana and alcohol may lower self-discipline and lead to people engaging in unsafe sex. They called for more education on the importance of practicing safe sex. Women also say marijuana improves their mood, helps them sleep, and helps them better cope with stress and anxiety.