Slowly, research is being done to better understand cannabis. Currently, it is been discovered it is helpful for stress, inflammation, PTSD, and more. Understanding the underlying way it works is critical to unlock more benefits. Now, science says this creates teh rush as marijuana, Yes, it is the same chemical and physiological avalanche is the human orgasm.
The brain is the largest sex organ in the body. Taking a closer look inside the brain is exactly what curious researchers are doing. While much scientific investigation into this question has examined the activity levels in specific areas of the brain, others seek to measure changes in chemical composition.
Researchers from Germany decided to examine the levels of certain endocannabinoids in blood plasma before and after subjects masturbated to orgasm. Endocannabinoids are chemical compounds which interact with receptors in cells altering neurotransmitter release in the brain. The concentrations of several chemicals were measured in the blood plasma of human subjects before and after they masturbated to orgasm.
Brain scans using functional MRI’s (FMRI) have shown during masturbation many areas of the brain are engaged. The hypothalamus becomes more active and amps up production of a powerful hormone called oxytocin acts as a neurotransmitter. The chemical has also been implicated in maternal-infant bonding, empathy and generosity. The thalamus and the substantia nigra, an area densely populated with dopamine-producing neurons, are also highly engaged. Previous research out of Rutgers University has suggested the orgasm creates a type of altered state of reality.
2-AG is the most abundant endocannabinoid in the human body. It is also present in mother’s milk and is believed to regulate appetite, our immune system and to manage pain. The German researchers found masturbating to orgasm significantly increased the amount of the endocannabinoid 2-AG in blood plasma.
Our data indicate the endocannabinoid 2-AG is involved in the human sexual response cycle and we hypothesize 2-AG release plays a role in the rewarding consequences of sexual arousal and orgasm.
This sort of finding is of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry, it may open an opportunity to explore the ways a prescribed medicine could affect cannabinoid levels. Making people’s sexual lives richer is big business. The erectile dysfunction medicine market was worth over $3 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $7.1 billion by 2030.
The chemistry of cannabis may have a role to play in yet another area of our personal health. There is much work still to be done. Follow up studies are bound to follow this line of questioning to explore how cannabis-based medicine may help improve peoples’ sex lives. So, for the good of our collective health, if a reputable team of scientists asks you to masturbate for money in a lab setting, do it for science.
