Could CANNABIS boost your sex life? Smoking pot 'increases libido, heightens the intensity of orgasms and helps men with erectile dysfunction perform'

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It is something all couples dread - problems in the bedroom.

For women, a lack of libido and inability to reach orgasm can make sex an anxious and stressful experience.

While the male of the species has erectile dysfunction to contend with.

With various exercises, pills and experimental treatments available, it seems, more people are turning to an alternative method to boost their libido.

A new survey suggests smoking cannabis can serve as a 'natural' aphrodisiac, according to California medical marijuana company, HelloMD. 

Fourteen per cent of people taking medical marijuana use the drug to boost their libidos, they found.

And, women are more likely than men to use pot to enhance their sex drive, the findings reveal.

Cannabis can serve as a natural aphrodisiac by helping people relax, elevating their mood and enhancing their libido, according to a new survey. In fact, 14 per cent of medical marijuana users take the drug to improve sex

HelloMD conducted the survey in January, after quizzing 1,400 medical marijuana patients.

The company said it was the largest and most comprehensive medical marijuana survey to date. 

Most of the patients participating in the survey were using cannabis to treat chronic pain, anxiety, stress and insomnia.

Most of the respondents reported weed made them feel more relaxed, elevated their mood, helped them sleep better - and enhanced their libido. 

The survey found that 76 per cent of medical marijuana patients use the drug to relax, 47 use it to elevate their mood, 65 per cent use it to help with their sleep, 18 per cent use it as alcohol replacement - and 14 per cent use it to improve their sex lives. 

New York City sexual therapist Dr Ian Kerner told Daily Mail Online that many people find that marijuana enhances their sexual experience.

And, he found that marijuana can be particularly beneficial for men who have problems performing in the bedroom. 

Dr Kerner said: 'For men who I work with who suffer from erectile disorder, smoking pot before they have sex can really help them relax and maintain erection.'

The doctor also noted that for women, cannabis can help them relax during sex.

'Studies have shown that for women to go through the process of arousal and to reach orgasm, parts of the brain associated with stress, anxiety and high emotion deactivate,' he said. 

'For some people who can’t lower their anxiety on their own, pot helps them relax.'

Certain people also find that marijuana can increase sensitivity during lovemaking, the doctor added.

A sex therapist told Daily Mail Online that cannabis can also help people lower their inhibitions - in addition to making orgasms more intense by increasing touch sensations in the body

Dr Kerner said: 'For the people who smoke it during sex, they say that orgasms feel better, their sense of touch is heightened, the music they’re listening to sounds better and their inhibitions are sometimes lowered.' 

However, the doctor stressed that the effects of marijuana on sex are very person-specific.

While some people find cannabis can make sex more pleasurable, others may find smoking weed to make sex a disastrous experience. 

The doctor explained: 'As a therapist, I have had a lot of patients who have not had positive interactions with marijuana.' 

For certain people, pot can make them more anxious, cause them to become hyper-aware of how they look and lead to panic attacks. 

And so, the sex therapist said cannabis likely won't enhance sex for people who have negative reactions to weed in general.