My clit has been a one-trick pony for most of my life. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great trick. A powerful, body shaking orgasm, accessible after only a few minutes of direct clitoral stimulation. Nevertheless, after that one deliciously intense orgasm, my clit needed a time out for a while--at least a few hours. I learned to work around this limitation. I would plan my orgasm to happen toward the end of playtime as a culmination of our combined efforts. Or, if I was solo, I would have my orgasm right before going to sleep so that my clit was well rested in case I wanted to have a morning orgasm to start my day. I worked within my clitoral limitations.

Using cannabis topicals brought a plethora of options to my orgasmic capabilities. While initially, when I found Foria Pleasure, it was to help with the pain with penetration I experienced as a survivor of sexual violence (and it worked like a charm!), I was shocked and delighted to discover that the THC in Pleasure also worked to fortify my clit’s resilience. My clit transformed into a multiple trick pony, gifting me with multiple orgasms! Oh happy day! There was one small problem. It was often hard to get my hands on a bottle. The dispensaries couldn’t keep them on the shelves (no wonder) and after Prop 64 passed in California, gone were the days of Pleasure hookups from my friends at the Foria office. I started greedily hoarding my bottles of Pleasure, rationing them out so that I could continue having access to those magical multiple orgasms. 

I’ve been a THC-believer since that first time masturbating with Pleasure, when I discovered that THC was the missing component that allowed me to have both pain-free penetration and multiple orgasms. I’ll admit it--I was a cannabinoid snob. I’d see other brands that were CBD-only and roll my eyes. Sure, I thought, CBD is fine in a pinch, but THC is where the real magic lives. Then I heard about Awaken--the CBD-infused arousal oil formulated with stimulating botanicals like cinnamon, ginger, cacao, peppermint, (and more!) and I decided to give it a shot. I honestly wasn’t expecting much. How could it possibly compare to my beloved THC oil? I was also mildly skeptical about the other ingredients. My vulva has been super sensitive in the past and prone to both yeast infections and UTIs. Would this feel unpleasant and overwhelming? Would it leave me itchy and uncomfortable? Turns out, my fears were utterly unfounded. THC is amazing, and it will always hold a place in my heart. However, after trying Awaken and feeling the heightened sensations and explosive orgasms (with no irritation or unpleasant after effects) I am pleased to say I have become a CBD convert! What a feeling!

Like Pleasure, Awaken is applied 15-20 minutes prior to beginning stimulation--a marinate, if you will. Unlike Pleasure, I started feeling the effects of Awaken as soon as the oil touched my clit and inner labia. Warmth, pleasant but not overwhelming, flooded my genitals. Then in a moment, the sensation shifted to a refreshing tingle--the kind that makes your hips undulate involuntarily. By the time the 20 minute marination period was up, (and trust me, I was watching the clock), I was ready to dive into myself. Toy in hand, I began exploring my folds; delighting in the sensitivity and responsiveness of my vulva. My lips were pleasantly swollen, as though I’d just received some grade A oral, and I discovered some newly sensitive spots that felt fantastic to stroke and caress. I felt like I was discovering my vulva all over again. All this from CBD and some complementary botanicals? Who knew? 

The moment of truth came. I could feel the first orgasm building immediately as I brought the toy to my clit. I actually made myself slow down, not wanting it to end too quickly if the lack of THC took away my clitoral stamina. I felt the first orgasm rock through my body, quivering and convulsing in pleasure. I took a few deep breaths as I rode the waves and relaxed into the afterglow. To my surprise, I felt the urge to keep going. My clit was hungry for more, and I was happy to feed her. I ended up having three more orgasms. In my mind I was channeling my mentor, Betty Dodson, who recommends masturbating for at least an hour so as not to rush the process. I had nowhere to be, so I kept going. Two more orgasms. Goodness gracious! I was delighted. As a true sexual scientist, I knew the experiment needed to be repeated with my partner, first so I could ensure it was possible outside a solo context, but mostly so I’d have someone else to brag to (I mean, celebrate with!) 

I called my boyfriend and told him we had some CannaSexual® field research to do. As always, he was fully game. (As you can imagine, he LOVES my job). A few days later we had a date night, and I tried Awaken again. We let it marinate while he gave me a lower back, hip, and leg massage to help me feel grounded and open. This time, to begin, he went down on me. As I felt his tongue make the first pass between my lips, I held my breath. What would his experience be like? He looked up, his eyes radiating joy. “You taste like chocolate mint! Yum!” He dove back in and I lost touch with reality for a while. I wish I could tell you exactly how many orgasms I had that evening. The truth is, I lost count. It was EPIC. One of the downsides to the THC products is that I worried that having my boyfriend go down on me afterward would lead to him getting high. His tolerance is far less than mine, and technically, applying THC to the vulva before oral sex means that the pussy has just become an edible. For those with low tolerance, that could be a potential pitfall. Luckily, CBD has no intoxicating effects, so he could lick all the Awaken off of me that he wanted. Sweet!

I began to wonder what else CBD could do for me. One of my areas of shame as a sex educator is that as much as I love giving anal stimulation, I was never able to pleasurably receive anal stimulation. I knew that numbing creams were a no-go; the pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong, so to numb it out can lead to inadvertent damage of the sensitive rectal tissue. The Basics suppositories seemed to be a perfect alternative. CBD is great for both inflammation and reducing discomfort, but has no numbing properties. It was time for more field research! 

This time, my boyfriend and I were away for the weekend at a beautiful resort in Borrego Springs. The whole place felt magical, and it seemed an appropriate venue to unlearn my previous anal aversion. I put in a Basics suppository and waited. I knew 100mg was probably more than I needed, but my fears around anal were enough to make me want to try to stack the deck in my favor as much as possible. Like a good sex educator, I knew that anal requires plenty of lube, breathing, communication, trust, and most importantly, warm up and pacing. I went in without expectations, just wanting to see what sensations arose if I had some CBD support along with my somatic techniques and sex educator best practices. We took our time. After I put in the suppository and let it sit for 15 minutes, I inserted a small butt plug. He had me lie back and gave me a thorough pussy massage first, to help me feel aroused and open. Then he put on gloves and moved down to my ass, removing the plug slowly as I exhaled. He started with just an external massage, then one finger, then two. Each time checking in, asking me if I was ready for more, and making sure I wasn’t feeling any pain. It was lovely. Once I felt sufficiently warmed up, I had him lie back and I straddled him. We worked out in advance that it would be better to have me on top, so I could lower myself onto him at my own pace, stopping if I felt any pain. As I began to lower myself down, I paused every few seconds to breathe. He looked at me encouragingly, but without expectation, ready to stop as soon as I wanted to. 

To my utter shock and delight, I didn’t feel pain. I felt open and definitely stretched, but not uncomfortable. Instead I felt a pleasantly full feeling. Before long, I had him fully inside of me. It happened! We did it! Yay! I relaxed down more and started rocking back and forth, grinding my hips into his pelvis. Then, without warning, I felt a sudden gush of fluid. I squirted! Something you need to understand is that I almost never squirt. If I do, it’s a tiny trickle at best. This was a flood. I looked at him, he looked at me, and we both exclaimed “wow!” We kept going. I reached down and started stroking my clit with one hand, still rocking on top of him. I squirted again. Another gush, another shock for me. It ended up happening FOUR TIMES in a row. I still look back at that night and marvel at our explorations. By the time the night was over, all of my anal aversion had left me. Unexpectedly, I became someone who craved anal stimulation. Since then we’ve started incorporating butt plugs more regularly into our play, and we’ve had pleasurable anal several more times. My newest thing is loving double penetration. And I’ll tell you what--CBD suppositories made it possible, just as CBD arousal oil made my multiple clitoral orgasms possible. I’m a believer! 

Do I think that this result will be the same for every single person who tries these products? Of course not. All bodies are different, and tolerance, body chemistry, mindset, and setting all have an impact on your experience. However, if you’ve been thinking about incorporating CBD products into your sex life, I’m here to tell you it’s a fully worthwhile exploration. Try it on your own first while masturbating. See how your body responds in a controlled environment before exploring these products with a partner. Talk to your partner about what you’re using and how you’re hoping it will impact your experience. Consent first, always! The thing I love most about CBD products is that you can get them in all 50 states. They’re so much more accessible than THC products, which I find makes them feel less intimidating for new users. That’s why I wrote an entire book on CBD and Sex. Keep in mind, while CBD does work best in the presence of at least some amount of THC, other cannabinoids, like those found in Foria’s broad spectrum hemp CBD oils, can also contribute to the entourage effect and help to improve your experience.