Iâ€™ve become addicted to the show Weeds. In one episode the main character visits a medicinal-marijuana dispensary. It was quite amazing. I havenâ€™t even seen a place like this in Amsterdam. Out of curiosity, I looked online for more info. Turns out these places are quite real and very legal in California (legal in the state â€“ not impervious to federal investigation and arrest).

Almost immediately, I could see where sex work activists are getting it wrong. Forget trying to legalize or decriminalize sex work on a broad scale. Instead, they should be trying to get sex work the same medical dispensation as marijuana.


Studies come out every month touting the medical benefits of regular sex. Although Iâ€™m not a doctor, Iâ€™m betting that a prescription of regular sex could benefit patients suffering from prostate problems, some cardiovascular conditions, muscular deterioration, impotence issues, depression, social anxiety, agoraphobia, simple stress relief and many other things. Regular sex enhances self-esteem. It would also be very beneficial to those who are physically handicapped. These benefits arenâ€™t confined to men â€“ women receive the same benefits from regular sex (except for the prostate benefits). Although there are negative effects from sex (like pregnancy and disease), smoking pot has secondary effects as well.

The solution is simple. Make sex something that a doctor can write a prescription for. A dispensary in this case could simply be an online list of available sex workers if one doesnâ€™t have a partner. Sex workers could list specialties and skills that specifically benefit patients with certain, treatable conditions. Sex workers who are on the list are immune from arrest, harassment or any other criminalization. Since sex work laws are made at a community level, the feds have no reason to harass or arrest sex workers or their clients.

This would be different from sex therapists who require a lot of therapy to get to them. This could be as simple as â€œa blowjob a day keeps the doctor away.â€ Or it could be complex enough to require a sex worker who has training in handling specific psychological issues.

Sex workers on the list would not have to provide their services at certain rates but they would have to follow a code of ethics, particularly in regards to contraception and disease-transmission. Of course, since theyâ€™re on the list and immune from arrest, it would make the open sharing of information much easier and allow for some professional regulation like the porn industry has.

Since consensual sex work is a victimless crime, itâ€™s a natural step to making it a benefit to society at large. And yes, sex workers of all stripes would have to be recruited to be on the list. After all, heterosexual men arenâ€™t the only ones who need a bit of sexual healing.

7 thoughts on “medicinal sex (work)

  1. Amanda,

    What a very interesting idea. It could probably work, all that is needed are some doctors that would participate. When you find them let me know because I need a prescription for a blonde. 🙂

    The other route that I have thought of is to start a church where sex the fundamental way of getting to know god. Because as we all know, in this country anything religious is sacred and beyond reproach.


  2. Robert,

    First, medicinal sex (including paid sex) would have to be allowed by various local districts and a law passed at the state level. Then, we’d worry about doctors. But I don’t think that would be much of an issue!

    There have been a number of religious sex cults. The ones I’ve read about fail because they didn’t involve full consent of their members. That’s why I don’t want to mix religion and sex.

    And don’t forget, the medicinal sex idea is a way of allowing paid sex to have a non-criminalized role in society in a more acceptable way than just changing laws for the sake of changing them. Mixing a church and paid sex probably would not work, unless you wanted to revive the idea of temple prostitutes.


  3. Actually sex surrogacy is an established psychological practice, that was formalized by Masters & Johnson (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_surrogate) though it remains controversial and has not been fully endorsed by either the American Psychological Association or the American Psychiatric Association (though both organizations to a degree acknowledged the practice).

    From what I have read, the failure to embrace this type of therapy stems more from typical American prudishness on sex and sexual relations, than any problems with the approach.

    Not sure Amanda that the Medicinal Marijuana campaign fits well, but can see some parallels. Now the question is, what group will advocate for, and work toward the goal?

  4. Joseph,

    This is different from sex surrogates, as I already mentioned in the post.

    I forgot what the proper word was, which is why I used the term therapist. I’m quite aware of them and also quite aware that medicinal sex would be a lot more accessible to a lot more people on both sides of the issue. That’s the point. And medicinal sex doesn’t have to mean using a sex worker, it’s just an easy way of getting around a lot of stupid laws.

    I think that the reason sex surrogates aren’t utilized more often is the squeamishness most people have with mixing sex and commerce. That, and the amount of training it takes to become a licensed surrogate. I’m proposing something much simpler and without a lot of regulation (and without focusing too much on the mental health aspect).

    I don’t know who would try to promote this idea. I’m just tossing it out because medicinal marijuana seems to work pretty well in California (minus the interference from the Feds). Since sex work with individual workers who work in one state is not a federal concern, medicinal sex work could be a success.

    But don’t ask me to discuss all the political and legal details because I don’t know. I didn’t spend a lot of time researching this. It was just a funny idea I had, not something I’m going to dedicate my life to accomplishing.


  5. You know & I know that they are hookers, whores, prostitutes, so stop with the BS about it being a doctor, they all need therapyâ€¦in jail. Thatsâ€™ whatâ€™s wrong with this medical profession, itâ€™s not a profession, itâ€™s the oldest whoredom on the planet. Such as the â€œCriminal â€œattorneys, yes, they are criminals, just like the sex therapists, they conduct sex with clientsâ€¦play on words, deceptive on trade. Stop lying to people. If I put you in a cage and poked you with a stick and then told you you were not in a cage, and that was not a stick, what the hell would you think? Itâ€™s the same with them saying they are not prostitutes, what the hell is it? People are tired of their lying weird Assesâ€¦
    Those doctors have websites like craigslist where they all look professional, but try clicking on the links, they have sites in lingerie…that is degrading to the medical profession and abusive to people looking for help, those doctors are like a spider waiting for the fly…one could expect it with a massage, but not a doctor taking advantage of people looking for help, it’s patient abuse. First, they tell the patient they need help and lie to them about their condition, that is only setting the stage for them to extort money like a hooker slithering on the lamp, looks like the snake on the pole of the medical logo ‘eh? Toodles & Talleho!

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