Mother Nature’s Love Drugs: How Cannabis and Psilocybin Can Spice Up Your Sex Life

Sex is one of the most natural human experiences there is. But natural doesn’t mean effortless–and sometimes, a little assistance from a love drug can be a big help. Having trouble getting into the moment? Struggling to stay there? You’re not alone!

There are lots of products that claim to solve these all too common issues, ranging from prescription pharmaceuticals to capsules and tinctures you can get over the counter. However, our favorites come from nature. While you can’t trust every product that promises a radically revamped sex life, here are two that are backed up by science.

Photo: Washarapol D BinYo Jundang via Pexels

High on Passion: Exploring Cannabis’s Role as a Love Drug

Cannabis has been enjoyed in countless ways across numerous cultures since the dawn of civilization. And with the plant’s long list of benefits and applications, it’s no wonder that we’ve kept using it, cultivating it, and studying it. 

For most of human existence, cannabis’s benefits have largely been backed up by anecdotal evidence and common wisdom. But in more recent years, science has begun to verify many of cannabis’s health claims… including its ability to alleviate symptoms of conditions like epilepsy and PTSD.

Something else this love drug has been scientifically proven to help with? An underwhelming libido. 

A Love Drug to Boost Desire–and Have Intense Orgasms

A 2023 study found that cannabis increased both desire and orgasm intensity for over 70% of the 811 participants. Additionally, over 40% of the women in the study were more likely to have more than one orgasm during sex. 

It’s an encouraging finding for anyone interested in using cannabis as a love drug to improve their sex life. And with any luck, it will pave the way for future research into cannabis’s other reported sexual benefits, including increased sensuality (read: it lights up your touch receptors), desire, and lubrication in people with vaginas. It can also help out in indirect ways, too, like by banishing the two biggest libido killers—stress and anxiety—from the bedroom.

Invite Mary Jane to Bed

Thinking about inviting our BFF Mary Jane to your next tryst but not sure where to get started?

Two words: weed lube. Pot pioneers like Foria and Quim want to maximize your pleasure with CBD-infused topicals like Foria’s Awaken Arousal Oil and Quim’s Smooth Operator Intimate Serum. 

Despite the phrase “weed lube,” these products aren’t lubricant in the traditional sense—they shouldn’t be your go-to if you’re trying to reduce friction during penetrative play (although Foria does sell that kind of lube too). 

Instead, think of them more like an arousal enhancer: about 5-10 minutes (or up to 30 for the Foria oil) before getting down to business, apply it to your labia, clitoris, and/or vagina. As the products absorb into your body, the CBD encourages natural lubrication and increases sensitivity. Foria also offers CBD suppositories that can be inserted before penetrative vaginal or anal sex.  However, make sure to wait 30-60 minutes before sliding anything else in.

(Don’t want to plan ahead? Invite your partner to massage weed lube into your vulva as part of foreplay.) 

A Friendly Reminder About This Love Drug

As with any other intimate product, it’s important to carefully check the ingredients list and maybe do a test patch on less sensitive areas of skin before you bring it into the bed. Also keep in mind that the Foria lube is oil-based and should not be used with latex or polyisoprene toys or condoms. Quim’s lube, on the other hand, is totally compatible with latex!

Don’t want to shell out for a luxury lube? Cannabis can also help your sex life the old fashioned way. Try smoking or vaping a sweet strain with your partner to get in the mood. You have to admit: there’s something erotic about watching smoke float out of your lover’s lips as you enter a new state of consciousness together. Shotgun, anyone?

Photo: Marek Piwnicki via Pexels

Psilocybin–Uncovering the Sensual Side of Magic Mushrooms

Cannabis isn’t the only love drug from Mother Earth whose aphrodisiac qualities have been generating buzz. Psilocybin… also referred to as Magic Mushrooms… has also been enjoying the spotlight. While psychedelics have been researched for decades in the context of mental health, scientists have only begun paying attention to its aphrodisiac qualities more recently. Sure, we all have that friend who swears by ‘shroom-enhanced sex. But when it comes to structured documented research, there hasn’t been a lot out there. 

But that’s starting to change. In February 2024, Nature.com published Psychedelics and Sexual Functioning: a Mixed Methods Study, “the first research study to quantitatively investigate the effects of psychedelics on sexual functioning.” 

Don’t let the jargon trip you up; the results were pretty cosmic.

The Psychedlic Path to Sensational Sex

Patients with depression were treated with either psilocybin or a combination of the SSRI escitalopram and a small amount of psilocybin for six weeks. Participants who only took the love drug psilocybin reported positive changes in sexual function, whereas those who took escitalopram did not report such changes.

More research needs to be done, but this study, combined with years of anecdotal evidence of psilocybin’s potential as a sexy supplement, is certainly promising. 

If you’re new to ‘shrooms—or any type of psychedelic—our best advice is to start low and go slow.  Only take a little bit at first (some sources, including the harm reduction-focused subreddit r/PsilocybinMushrooms, recommend that beginners try 0.5-1.5 grams of dried ‘shrooms) and wait to see how it affects you. 

While larger doses of psilocybin can induce hallucinations, a small dose of about 0.1-0.5 grams—also called microdosing—is more likely to make you feel calm and chill. So no worries if an impromptu meet-and-greet with a holographic pixie isn’t appealing to you. You can still benefit from trying psilocybin. 

What Does Sex on Psilocybin Feel Like?

Many people find that the psychedelic effects enhance their appreciation of the experience. As you start to feel the effects, take the opportunity to admire your partner in new and exciting ways. Maybe you find certain features even more beautiful and unique. How does your lover’s skin feel against your own? Does the cadence of their voice remind you of your favorite song? How do they smell? How do they taste? When you touch each other, do you feel a connection that goes beyond the physical? 

Please note though that because psilocybin is illegal in most states and only decriminalized in certain areas, the product selection is a bit more limited than it is with cannabis. You can eat psilocybin in its natural state, and you can also brew it into a tea or make a citrusy shot called a lemon tek. 

If you’re not into the taste of mushrooms (it’s definitely not for everyone!), psilocybin chocolates are another option if you’re able to find them. But definitely be mindful about your hometown’s laws regarding psilocybin use—there’s nothing sexy about a run in with the cops.