Keeping sex fresh and interesting is vital. If that wasn’t the case, publications wouldn’t plaster their covers with promises to reveal “the secrets that will drive your partner wild in the bedroom!!!” But they do, because we eat that sh*t up. We will buy a magazine or click on a link that we think will make us a seduction dynamo.
Why? Because we all want to blow minds. Everyone wants to be an unforgettable f*ck.
As cannabis becomes legal in an increasing number of states, it’s making sex memorable in ways that weren’t widely accepted or accessible in the past. So to get the skinny on how to improve your sex life (aka “drive your partner wild!!”) with cannabis, we turned to April Pride — an activist, designer, and entrepreneur. The creator of cannabis lifestyle brand Van der Pop, Pride is known for her sleek smoking accessories. But, Van der Pop also dedicates considerable time to welcoming women into the cannabis community, supporting female-owned brands, and helping women maximize the health and wellness benefits of the plant (including all the sexy, sexy ones).
We sat down with Pride to ask her about how both men and women can incorporate cannabis into sex. She not only supplied us with general info, but also named specific products (with which she has no affiliation), and sealed the deal with vital tips for first-time users. Read on before you get it on.
Before we get into sex stuff, how did you get into this whole scene? You’re more than a weed accessory brand, obviously.
Yes. I wanted to introduce better-looking products, which were aligned with how women live their lives. What I found, about six months after launch, was that there was so much education that needed to happen before you could show someone our products in the first place. They didn’t understand why they should buy it or what was important about the plant that was inside our jars or inside our stash bags.
When we launched we had an advice column, a strain reviews, so, it wasn’t as though education wasn’t a part of the plan. But now, education is really, in my mind. No matter what the product is — information we want to share, or events, acclamations, or the products themselves — we really listen to what women, in particular, want and need. I think that’s why people really connect with what they’re seeing from my company. It doesn’t help anybody if we’re not approaching this or sharing things that resonate with women.
You designed stash jars labeled according to use, which I think is the best idea ever. You have one labeled “sex.” Do sexuality and cannabis come up a fair amount?
After we launched, I was introduced to Foria which is an infused sensual lube out of California. I got my hands on some samples. That also really marked a huge shift in my brand. My husband and I have been together for twenty years, we know “what’s up,” in a way with each other. When we smoked pot and had sex it would go on forever, and there was something extremely deliberate about it. It was very, very different than when I wasn’t high.
So, you have this sensual lube, which is intended to interact with the cannabinoid receptors on your clitoris. Add that to the mix and I knew for certain that there was so much about this plant that so many people would want to know about, starting with sex. Period.
I’ve watched ing a lot of relationships, and sex is complicated. Not being intimate with your partner because life is busy or you lose interest or whatever it may be is common. It’s unfortunate, and it makes things harder in relationships. Cannabis is a magic bullet — in that you can have this mind-blowing sex with your partner and you’re more interested in going back for more. Just reconnecting and reconnecting.
That opened up my mind. I was like, “What else are we talking about here?”
The way you’re describing it, it seems like something every woman would want to have in her life; and men, too.
Yes! Right, what’s good for us is good for everybody. Women are not taking care of themselves, add on top of that the fact that we have to feel ashamed or we’re being judged because we choose cannabis. Yet, if you have a three martini lunch that’s a joke. I don’t get it. Weed isn’t a Band-Aid to help you get over a bad day; it’s really something that can set you up for success throughout your life.
On an ongoing basis, that’s very different medicine than what alcohol can provide in terms of long-term success, you know?
Cannabis is obviously part of a larger health and wellness movement, but that’s often overlooked.
We did a survey that speaks to this. Fifteen hundred North American women participated; overall, 70% feel like the stigma against cannabis is real. In an adult use state that number drops to 66%. There’s really no difference, whether its legal or not. That is not the reason that keeps women from feeling like it’s okay to try this.
We have to work on the stigma, so that people will say yes to something that I feel will drastically improve their life. Including sex, but we’re talking about weed and sex together, those are two topics that when you put them together, it can be napalm. It’s such a delicate subject, but it’s so important.
What do you say to women and to men who want to try to find a way to introduce cannabis into their sex lives? What are some suggestions for starting points?
I will assure you that we’ve done a lot of research on this, over the years, so that we give advice that leads to a good night. Last Valentine’s Day we asked for our audience to send us information about the strains they like for sex. We found that with a sativa there’s too much of a chance that people may get anxious. That doesn’t make you feel sexy, right?
With a hardcore indica, you may just need to go to sleep. So really the ideal is an indica leaning hybrid. People can say what they want about that nomenclature and those descriptions, but I really feel strongly that if you went into a dispensary and asked for an indica leaning hybrid that you would find a strand that would be perfect for this use. We got all of the strain answers from our audience, and I would say eighty percent fell into that category. Clearly that does work.
I would say, if you’re not a stoner, if you don’t smoke joints, you don’t want to smoke out of a bowl, there is dry herb vaporizing, or you can get a cartridge and use a vape pen. You can be on your way for less than fifty dollars. That’s kind of a cool gift.
Then, if you want to see stars, on top of those options, depending on the state that you’re in, there are cannabis infused sensual oils that you can buy. Foria is one that is in California. Here in Washington, we have Bond and we have Velvet Swing, which is a new brand that launched last year that is really great. I love the women that are pushing that forward. There’s another one, HerbaBuena, also in California. That’s a great infused lube as well. Enpower, is one that’s in Oregon. Each state has their different brand, but the products are all intended for the same thing, and they all work.
Though, I can’t recommend something and not also share what we’ve found in terms of its usage. When you’re using a topical and infused sensual oil that you apply topically on your clitoris, some people also use it anally, you should know that the third time is the charm. It’s like trying to get high for the first time, not everybody does. You may not feel any of the effects until the third time you try. Once you do, it always works.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bggy_KGBRvF/?taken-by=vanderpop
So, if you’re going to get into topicals, maybe you try it out on your own a couple of times?
Yeah! Absolutely, I think that’s perfect.
Edibles probably aren’t a great thing to bust out for the first time on an early date?
No, I would definitely try something that’s more “user light.” It’s fully dependent on your experience. For the most part, edibles may not hit at the right time. It’s just not dependable enough in terms of the timing and what is eaten that day and where you are on your cycle. It may really affect the effects.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfTuhsmB9rs/?taken-by=vanderpop
When they go wrong, they go so wrong.
Yeah. Yes they do.
