Legalizing marijuana may lead people to have more sex..apparently.

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So how does medical marijuana influence people's sex lives? The study authors noted previous research that shows marijuana “heightens sensory perception, increases relaxation, reduces stress and diminishes anxiety,” adding that “enhanced senses may contribute to an increase in sexual activity.”

Simon also notes that both high and low doses of marijuana are associated with an increase in women’s desire to be sexually active. However, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for men. While “low levels of cannabis use are associated with increased reported sexual arousal in men,” Simons points out that “higher doses may lead to a diminished libido.”

In the study, researchers looked at states that implemented medical marijuana laws between 2005 and 2014 and states that did not, and then analyzed how these policies might have influenced sexual activity and fertility in people in their 20s and 30s. The researchers found that medical marijuana laws are associated with an increase in sexual activity. But there’s also a serious downside: The same study found that cannabis use may make people less likely to use contraception, which can, in turn, contribute to higher birth rates.

“To the degree that marijuana impairs judgement or limits communication between partners, marijuana use could cause a decrease in contraceptives that might result in unplanned pregnancies or the spread of STDs,” Simon tells Yahoo Lifestyle.  

researchers can’t say for sure whether people in the study who didn't use contraception were intentionally trying to get pregnant or whether they forgot or didn’t bother to use protection. “On one hand, more of these births occur to non-married partners and we find suggestive evidence of a temporary increase in gonorrhea following the passage of medical marijuana laws,” he says. “This is consistent with a story of ‘impaired judgement.’”

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