How Cannabis Can Help Women Finally Reach Orgasms With Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill | Ep 76
Ever felt like your body just won’t respond, no matter how much you try? You’re not broken—but the way we’ve been taught to think about female pleasure is.
In this episode, we explore why orgasms can feel impossible for some women and how cannabis is now being recognized as a legitimate medical treatment for female orgasm difficulty (FOD). Some U.S. states, including Illinois and Connecticut, have even added FOD to their list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis!
If you’ve ever felt frustrated, pressured, or ashamed about your orgasms (or lack thereof), this episode will change everything you thought you knew about your body and pleasure.
More from Our Guest:
🌿 Website: www.femaleorgasmresearch.org
🌿 Women’s Cannabis Project: www.womenscp.org
📸 Instagram: @drsuzannemulvehill
📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@drsuzannemulvehill
About the Guest:
Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill, PhD, is a Clinical Sexologist, Orgasmologist, and Executive Director of the Female Orgasm Research Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to researching female orgasm and advocating for medical recognition of female orgasmic disorder (FOD). She leads the Women’s Cannabis Project, which successfully lobbied for Connecticut and Illinois to become the first U.S. states to approve medical cannabis as a treatment for FOD.
Her groundbreaking research—published in Sexual Medicine and The Journal of Sexual Medicine—reveals that cannabis before sex significantly improves orgasm frequency, ease, and satisfaction for women with FOD. With over 50 years of cannabis and sex research backing her work, she has presented at major international conferences, including the World Conference for Sexual Medicine and the European Society for Sexual Medicine.
Dr. Mulvehill and her research have been featured in Forbes, Psychology Today, High Times, Marijuana Moment, and more. She is a regular guest on international podcasts, bringing awareness to orgasm health, sexual wellness, and policy change.
Beyond her work, she loves snorkeling, camping, traveling, yoga, and meditation—and she’s a proud mother and grandmother.
Table of Contents
The Link Between Trauma and Orgasm Difficulty
It was 30 years of having difficulty orgasming. After seeing four sex therapists over 30 years, I found out about cannabis and wanted to try it. Oh my gosh, it was shocking—it changed my life. People tell me things like, “As soon as I take that gummy, I can feel arousal.” This has been in the research since the 1970s. This is not new information. What’s new is actually turning it into policy and making it law. There’s research showing that THC in cannabis reduces activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain that stores trauma.
Women, for example, who have experienced sexual trauma or childhood sexual abuse often report orgasm difficulty. In fact, the number one sexual complaint of women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse is difficulty orgasming.
A Conversation About Cannabis and Female Sexual Health
Dr. Diane: “Hey everybody, Dr. Diane here. Welcome back to the lounge! I’m so thrilled about the conversation we’re going to have today. I have the best guest—a new friend of mine—and we’re going to talk about the research she’s been doing. These studies are blowing my mind. She sent them over for me to review, and they focus on orgasm and female orgasm difficulty, which is a real, legitimate problem. I’ve seen stats suggesting that only 15% of women can orgasm through penetration alone, and around 20% of women have never orgasmed. Stats vary, but the point is, this is a big issue. It’s common, yet nobody talks about it. People are suffering and thinking there’s something wrong with them, but there’s nothing wrong—we just don’t have all the tools yet. The research this guest is going to share with us about cannabis and its use in solving this problem is phenomenal.”
What Inspired the Research?
Dr. Suzanne: “Thank you so much for having me, Dr. Diane. It’s a pleasure to be here. I’m excited to share the research and provide supportive ideas and tools to help open people’s minds. It’s such a unique way of solving this problem. So much of the conversation around sexual health focuses on testosterone, HRT, and other treatments. I’m curious—what inspired you to dive so deeply into this research on cannabis and female orgasm disorder?
A Personal Journey to Healing
Dr. Suzanne: “Well, it was 30 years of having difficulty orgasming, dealing with the shame, feelings of inadequacy, and isolation. Back in the 1980s, there was no internet or Reddit threads with thousands of people discussing orgasms. After seeing four sex therapists over 30 years, I stumbled upon cannabis. I wanted to try it, but it wasn’t part of a plan to address my orgasm difficulty. I had to learn how to use it and surrender to a different state of consciousness. To my surprise, I ended up orgasming with a partner. I wondered if it was the cannabis, so we tried again. Over time, I could orgasm with or without cannabis in different ways. It changed my life. I sold my company in 2020, went back for my PhD, and graduated last year. My dissertation focused on this topic, and I wanted to see if other women were suffering from orgasm difficulty and finding cannabis beneficial.”
How Cannabis Helps Women Overcome Orgasm Difficulty
Dr. Diane: “What I love about your story is how cannabis opened the door for you. It sounds like you eventually reached a point where you could orgasm with or without cannabis. That aligns with research from the 1970s, which showed that women who learned to orgasm with cannabis didn’t always need it later. This is not new information, but turning it into policy is new. For example, states like Colorado and Illinois have added female orgasm difficulty as a condition for medical cannabis treatment. Why does cannabis help? Research shows that THC reduces activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain that stores trauma. Women with sexual trauma or childhood sexual abuse often have hypervigilant minds that prevent them from surrendering to orgasm. Cannabis helps quiet that part of the brain, allowing women to relax and be present in their bodies.”
The Research: Cannabis and Female Sexual Health
Dr. Suzanne: “For my dissertation, I surveyed over 1,000 women and analyzed 387 validated responses. These women were using cannabis, either before sex or not. Of the participants, 53% (202 women) reported orgasm difficulty before partnered sex. Interestingly, some women thought they had an orgasm problem, but when we analyzed their responses, we found they didn’t. Women with true orgasm difficulty almost never orgasmed without cannabis but almost always orgasmed with it. Cannabis improved orgasm frequency, ease, and satisfaction for both groups. For women with orgasm difficulty, 77% reported improved orgasm frequency, over 70% reported improved satisfaction, and around 67% reported improved ease. These results were life-changing for many women.”
Cannabis and Partnered Sex: What the Research Shows
Dr. Diane: “Did your study focus only on partnered sex, or did it include masturbation as well?”
Dr. Suzanne: “We focused specifically on cannabis use before partnered sex. This is the largest group of women with situational female orgasm difficulty, meaning they can orgasm in some situations but not others. Women without orgasm difficulty don’t orgasm in all ways either, which is important to note. There’s a misconception that women need to orgasm through every type of stimulation to be considered ‘normal,’ but that’s not true.”
Cannabis and Pelvic Pain: A Game-Changer for Women
Dr. Diane: “Cannabis seems to help with arousal, relaxation, and even pelvic pain. Have you seen studies on cannabis and pelvic pain?”
Dr. Suzanne: “Yes, there’s research showing that cannabis helps women with chronic pelvic pain and conditions like vaginismus. It relaxes the body and reduces pain, but the environment and mindset are crucial. Women need to feel safe, be with a supportive partner, and use the right dosage. Frequency of use also matters. Studies show that women who use cannabis more frequently report better sexual functioning and reduced pain.”
Can Cannabis Help with Desire Discrepancy?
Dr. Diane: “What about desire? Can cannabis help with desire discrepancy in long-term relationships?”
Dr. Suzanne: “Yes, but it’s not a magic pill. If there are unresolved relationship issues, cannabis won’t fix them. However, it can help women relax, feel more present, and create space for intimacy. Studies show that states with medical cannabis laws report higher rates of sexual activity. Women have told me that cannabis helps them feel aroused and ready for intimacy.”
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Dr. Diane: “That’s such an important point. Cannabis can help, but it’s not a cure-all. It’s a tool that needs to be used intentionally. Thank you so much for sharing your research, Dr. Suzanne. For our listeners, we’ll dive deeper into delivery methods and practical tips in part two.
You can access part two by joining the Hot Monogamy Club. We’ll also include links to Dr. Suzanne’s website and social media in the show notes. Thank you all for joining us today!”
Learn More and Stay Connected
Join Dr. Diane’s Modern Monogamy Club (formerly Libido Club) for exclusive access to part two of this podcast and practical tips on using cannabis for sexual health.
