Can CBD enhance your pleasure?

February is the month of love, and romance isn’t the only smell in the air.  The sensual aroma of hemp and cannabis has been stimulating our senses since 400BC, perhaps even longer. But why does it make such a good partner for romance? This month we’re taking a look at our special relationship with the cannabis plant, exploring how this ancient aphrodisiac is adding a new flavour to today’s feminine intimate care.  

 

Our relationship with cannabis goes back a long way

Cannabis can be traced back to folklore cultures all around the world, where it has often been used in sexual rituals and to boost sexual pleasure. In India, it’s has been used as a key part of some yoga and tantric sex practices for millenia, and it is regarded as a traditional folk medicine. In a paper published on tantric cannabis use it’s claimed that the combination of yoga, sex and cannabis can help to achieve a spiritual awakening. While that’s a climax not all of us will reach, it’s interesting to see how the cannabis plant was seen as a conduit between mind, body and spirit, enhancing sexual practices and inducing a state of bliss. 

In ancient Rome, it’s believed that men took part in a purification process with a concoction made from snake venom, cannabis, alcohol and ivy. This mixture, known as ‘satyrion’, was taken as part of an erotic ritual, and sent the men that took it into a hallucinogenic haze. 

Cannabis was also used in medieval Europe by healers and herbalists to help alleviate a range of sexual problems. Even as far back as the vikings, there are links connecting the cannabis plant to sexual practices. 

Throughout history humans have been drawn to the intoxicating effects of cannabis to soothe our ailments, celebrate rituals and arouse sexuality. It’s as if we’re biologically programmed to reap the benefits of the cannabis plant. Well, in truth we kind of are. And it’s all because of a little-known system in your body that regulates functions including mood, reproduction and fertility, amongst other things.

 

The endocannabinoid system

Discovered in the 1990s, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex signaling network made up of three elements: endocannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes. This internal cellular network is known to regulate a number of different functions and processes within the body, including sleep, memory, appetite and mood. And part of its role includes regulating the body’s sexual and reproductive systems. The ECS has receptors located throughout the body and brain, in key areas associated with intimacy; and these send signals to the body when we’re aroused. The ECS also stimulates production of the bonding hormone oxytocin which is released when we kiss, hug and or have skin-to-skin contact. 

We’ll be taking a deeper dive into the endocannabinoid system next month so make sure you subscribe to our newsletter to get all the latest updates.

 

Can CBD enhance your experience?

CBD is popping up in all sorts of feminine wellness products, from lubricants to tampons. And the reason it’s becoming such a popular ingredient is because it’s known to aid the symptoms of many different intimate health conditions, including heavy and painful periods, endometriosis and pain during sex.

From soothing pain, to enhancing pleasure, the cannabinoids in cannabis heighten awareness of the senses. When it comes to sexual pleasure, the mental aspects of the experience are as important as the physical, and that’s where CBD can provide some extra relief. Many of us feel anxiety in the bedroom - perhaps feeling body conscious, navigating yours and your partner’s boundaries or experiencing performance nerves. Many believe that adding CBD into the mix helps to slow the mind and tune into the body, which could lead to a more pleasurable sexual experience. As CBD can help to decrease both physical and emotional pain, it can be a great natural option for people struggling with painful intercourse. 

The great thing about CBD is that there are lots of ways to incorporate it, however best suits you. From gentle moisturisers and body balms, to massage oils and intimate lubricants, there’s no one way to do CBD. And part of the fun is in the discovery. So lie back, relax and find your moment of bliss...with a little help from mother nature. 

Sarah Green - Cannabliss Content Creator 

The Graces London Team 

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