Cannabis has made its way into edibles, lotions, tonics, and vapes. So why not personal lubricants?
California-based Foria is making the case this Valentine's Day that sex, wellness, and cannabis belong together.
"Our primary line is the intimacy line because we feel like sexuality is such an important conversation in the wellness space and not many people are having it," Kiana Reeves, chief brand educator at Foria, told Cheddar.
The company is pitching a new line of sex and health products that includes THC- and CBD-infused lubricants, suppositories, and arousal oil.
States with legalized marijuana have seen the market for cannabis-based products explode in recent years, but some crossovers require a little bit of education.
Selling a product like THC-infused arousal oil, for instance, requires overcoming two taboos at once: the role of sex in wellness, and the role of marijuana in sex.
"One of the biggest things we actually try to do in all of our messaging is un-shame both of these topics," said Reeves, who previously founded a company focused on pelvic health.
She also emphasized the products' benefits to female pleasure. Cannabinoid receptors are all over the body, Reeves said, which includes the sensitive pelvic area.
Because of marijuana's federal legal status, it's difficult for scientists to test the relationship between cannabis and sexual pleasure, but self-reported surveys have found that many people experience increased pleasure and relaxation during sex while on the drug.
Foria has relied on six years of anecdotal evidence to determine its success with customers.
"We have pleasure on the one hand, which everyone wants to have better sex and more pleasure. That's hands down what we're talking about, but we're also reaching people in menopause and who have endometriosis and who have other painful pelvic conditions during that sex that need an assist," she said. "This is an excellent tool for them."
Foria divided its product line into two categories to accommodate customers both within and outside of states that have legalized recreational marijuana. The THC products are available in Colorado and California dispensaries, and the full CBD line is available online for order.
