When it comes to cannabis and sex, Leafly nation, the puns write themselves. But it’s no joke—cannabis helps us explore our sexuality and enhance our intimacy with those we love, from both the inside and out. Stay with us now: this year, your valentine deserves flowers, chocolate, and cannabis-infused lube. Cannabis topicals rake in not even 1% of industry sales, but a little THC in your intimate oil or water-based serum makes the slip and slide way easier. And steamier.
Leafly’s own Nick Jikomes, PhD, tells us that cannabis acts as a vasodilator when inhaled, ingested, or applied topically. In the form of a lube, this means increasing blood flow to the area it’s applied to topically and engaging with endocannabinoid receptors.
“In terms of neural effects, THC has a kind of ‘sensitizing’ effect on sensory neurons. This is why tastes, smells, sounds, etc., can feel enhanced after THC consumption. There’s no reason to think why this wouldn’t also apply to the somatosensory system, [where] the sense of touch becomes more sensitive.”
It seems like every CBD company has hopped on the lube train at a time where intimacy is at an all-time low, but THC is by far the biggest bedroom player. So Leafly nation, whether you have a horizontal itinerary planned or want to elevate your solo play, here are the best THC lubricants from sea to shining sea.
California
Kush Queen lube
Kush Queen founder Olivia Alexander, like the rest of us, was drawn to Foria’s intimate THC oil when it hit dispensary shelves years ago. But there were two problems: It wasn’t condom safe, and she’s allergic to coconut oil. Her water-based, nano emulsion lubricant absorbs quickly into your erogenous zone of choice, and won’t compromise any physical birth control methods. You don’t even need to use it for sex. One returning client allegedly applies it before big corporate business meetings to activate her “big purr energy.” I mean, do you!
“I’ve never had a product that has had such a crazy wide audience, from women who are postpartum, couples who use it for intercourse, people who use it for solo play, porn stars, soccer moms,” she tells Leafly. “Being Southern, I was raised fairly prudish, and then I started using it myself and I’m like, ‘oh, that’s what it does!’”
Her Highness Pleasure Oil
The research, if you care to read it, indicates that women by and large orgasm less from sex than men, but they also benefit from cannabis more than men. The Her Highness pleasure oil isn’t a lube per se (and definitely not latex-safe), but more of a stimulating massage oil for your erogenous zones. If you have a coconut allergy, this oil uses olive oil as a base with botanical extracts and a dash of essential oils that enhance sensitivity and, by extension, the big “O.”
OM Love Balm
This might be the only lube-ish product on this list that you can also put on your face! OM’s Love Balm, a 2019 Emerald Cup topical winner, is thicker than the other options on this list due to its shea butter base, (so it’s not latex-friendly) but it’s also a lot stronger, with over 400 mg THC and 100 mg CBD. It’s fragrance-free so it suits any, ahem, orifice you want; OM also has a suppository recipe on their website if you’re feeling adventurous.
Quim THC oil or water-based lube
“It was like my vagina had no rules!”
Quim reviewer
No beating around the bush with Quim—I mean, what else could these products be for? Their line of pelvic-centric products in both THC and CBD formulas can be used for general wellness as well as making sure all “clams” are happy and horny. For THC shoppers, their Night Moves oil or Oh Yes! aloe-based serum contains 350 mg and 200 mg respectively, as well as some botanical aphrodisiacs like damiana. One reviewer, Sarah, was happy to announce, in all caps, that: “It was like my vagina had no rules!”
Quim cofounder Rachel Washtien tells us via email that while Quim’s ethos isn’t “reinventing the wheel,” plant medicine can be used to treat, among other things, “yeast infections, bladder infections, difficulty climaxing, low libido, allergic reactions to commercial lube.” It also works well with sex toys, per one blogger who used it with both her partner and vibrator.
Lavinia’s oh.hi lubricant
Would you buy weed lube made by a former almost-nun? I mean, both cannabis lovers and those who take the cloth believe in a higher power. Founder Katie Enright created Lavinia to close the orgasm gap and make sexuality education fun. The oh.hi lubricant uses a silicone base (so it’s condom-safe, but no silicone toys) rather than water or oil, and uses the dynamic duo of THC and CBD so you can have a dynamic duo of your own. Enright says the silicone base comes with a 15-30 minute onset, but it also lasts far longer than its competitors.
“For me, personally, it takes the pressure off. This product literally increases blood flow so I know I’m gonna have a great orgasm, so I don’t even have to think about it. We’re in the world of sex, which is super taboo, and we’re in the world of cannabis, which is also really taboo. My hope is our company and our product makes it really approachable and really fun.”
Oregon
Luminous botanicals DEW oil
Dew you want to see stars on V-Day? Luminous Botanicals invites you to spritz your bits with one of their two sensual cannabis oils, available in the high-THC “Pleasure” or balanced THC:CBD “Comfort.” If you deal with pain during penetrative sex, opt for “Comfort”; if you feel ready to rumble and tumble, “Pleasure” should work just fine. These both use an almond oil base, with no fragrance and Sun+Earth Certified cannabis.
Washington
Velvet Swing
Who knows more about sex than a professional dominatrix? Mistress Matisse can recall, in the legacy market days, friends making cannabis lube with coconut oil on the stove. So, when Washington legalized adult-use cannabis, she put her 20 years of experience into Velvet Swing, a “liquid foreplay” water-based lubricant with both THC and CBD. Oil-based lubes can disrupt our internal environments, and definitely thwart safe sex by degrading latex, so this one is a safe, but not a boring, bet.
Nevada
Evergreen Organix Intimate Massage Oil
Frankly, we were shocked Nevada isn’t brimming with cannabis sex and intimacy products. This intimate massage oil is pretty basic—100 mg of THC in a tiny dropper bottle of coconut oil, but they encourage you to get creative. You can slap it on there, or add it to a bath, lotion or intimate product of your choice to make sure that massage has a happy ending.
Colorado
Betty’s Essentials Love Potion
The more cannabinoids the merrier, no? This Love Potion has all the major players: THC, CBD, CBG, and CBN in a coconut oil base with no fragrance, so it’s both safe for topical use and edible, should you feel compelled. While THC will do most of the heavy lifting to enhance sensation and dilate blood vessels, CBD, CBN, and CBG all have anti-inflammatory properties that help you loosen up and manage any pain or soreness.
Arizona
THC Living Suppository
Lube doesn’t necessarily have to be liquid to set the proverbial stage. If you deal with pelvic pain or just want to experiment with a new way to administer cannabis, THC Living kindly asks you to shove their suppositories where the sun doesn’t shine.
See also: Stony Yoni lubricant.
See also
Pairist damiana-infused pre-rolls
Sharing a joint with your loved one is, in fact, a form of foreplay. Pairist combines cannabis strains with different herbs with storied use in plant medicine. The hybrid combines Gelatti with damiana, a natural aphrodisiac, to inspire passion.
1906 Love edibles
If you feel like you need a little bedroom helper, you can harness plant medicine without a prescription. 1906 formulates edibles by effects that blend cannabinoids with botanicals from around the world. The “Love” line includes tablets, chocolate drops and coffee beans made with THC, CBD, ashwagandha, damiana, and something described as the “Viagra of the Amazon.”
