Why Young Adults Use Cannabis During Sex: Pleasure, Anxiety Relief, and Gender Dynamics | Research

The takeaway

Young adults use cannabis during sex for heightened sensations and connection, to ease anxiety and body concerns, and as part of routine — with distinct gender patterns shaping each motivation.

Sexual health educators, youth health practitioners, cannabis researchers, gender studies scholars

What the researchers found

Three categories of motivations emerged: transformed sexuality (heightened sensations, enhanced connection), facilitated sex (eased anxiety, lessened body concerns), and contextual influences (routine, sex-cannabis associations). Gendered dynamics were visible across all categories, with gender shaping how and why cannabis was used sexually.

Why it matters

Cannabis is the second most used substance in sexual contexts after alcohol, yet sexual health promotion rarely addresses it. Understanding the gendered motivations helps create non-stigmatizing, relevant guidance for young adults.

The numbers in context

27 participants aged 18-24. Three motivation categories identified with multiple gendered sub-themes within each. Cannabis ranked as second most used substance in sexual contexts after alcohol among young adults.

How the study worked

Semi-structured interviews with 27 young adults aged 18-24 who use cannabis during sex. Thematic analysis using combined inductive-deductive coding, interpreted through the Gender Structure Framework conceptualizing gender across multiple dimensions.

What this study cannot tell us

Small qualitative sample limits generalizability. Self-selected participants may over-represent positive experiences. Cannot quantify prevalence of each motivation. Cultural context (Canadian young adults) may not generalize.

How to read the evidence

Qualitative study provides rich thematic insights but cannot establish prevalence, causation, or generalizability.

When this study was published

Published 2026, reflecting current young adult cannabis and sexual practices.

The bigger picture

Sexual health promotion has largely ignored cannabis use, focusing almost exclusively on alcohol. As cannabis becomes more accessible, understanding its role in young people's sexual lives — including how gender shapes that role — is essential for relevant public health messaging.

Questions still open

Does cannabis-facilitated sex carry different risks than alcohol-facilitated sex? How do non-binary gender identities shape cannabis-sex motivations? Could addressing underlying anxiety reduce the perceived need for cannabis during sex?

Common questions

Why do young people use cannabis during sex?

Three main reasons: to transform the experience (heightened sensations, deeper connection), to make sex easier (reduced anxiety, fewer body concerns), and because it's part of their routine or social context — with gender playing a role in each.

Does gender affect why people use cannabis for sex?

Yes — the study found distinct gendered dynamics across all motivation categories, with gender shaping both the reasons for using cannabis during sex and the specific experiences sought.

Read the original research

"It's a Beautiful Feeling": Exploring Embodied, Psychological, and Gendered Motivations for Sex Under the Influence of Cannabis Among Young Adults.

Journal of sex research, 1-17

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Lefebvre, Maëlle; Goyette, Mathieu; Morvannou, Adèle; London-Nadeau, Kira; Saint-Jacques, Marianne; Ferlatte, Olivier. (2026). "It's a Beautiful Feeling": Exploring Embodied, Psychological, and Gendered Motivations for Sex Under the Influence of Cannabis Among Young Adults.. Journal of sex research, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2604775