January 23, 2025 • 25 mins
Cannabis & Sex: A Love Story as Old as Time
Why is a love story that began thousands of years ago still struggling to come out from under the covers? That’s the question we’re asking in this episode of The Potcast with Ross Rebagliati, where we’re exploring the passionate relationship between cannabis and sex.
We’ll take you on a journey from tantric rituals in 7th century India, to the secret writings of Carl Sagan, to important research today that’s making a strong case for the connection between cannabis and sexual enjoyment.
Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill from the Women’s Cannabis Project joins us to talk about her research and how she’s made it her mission to get cannabis approved as a medical treatment in the US for women with orgasm difficulty. And Ross sits down with Shahbaaz Kara-Virani to chat about cannabis, performance enhancement, and CBD topicals for the bedroom from Canadian cannabis wellness brand, Proofly.
About Dr. Suzanne Mulvehill https://womenscp.org/
Suzanne Mulvehill, PhD., is a Clinical Sexologist, Orgasmologist, and the Executive Director of the Female Orgasm Research Institute, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to conducting research to identify proven pathways to female orgasm, to bring awareness to the mental and physical impact of female orgasm disorder (FOD), and to reduce the persistently high percentage of women suffering from FOD. Dr. Mulvehill leads the Women’s Cannabis Project, a public policy initiative to get FOD added as a condition of treatment for medical cannabis in US states and countries worldwide. In 2024, the states of Connecticut and Illinois become the first US states to approve medical cannabis as a treatment for FOD.
Dr. Mulvehill’s most significant research to date, revealed that cannabis use before partnered sex improves orgasm frequency, ease, and satisfaction for women who report orgasm difficulty. Her research is supported by 50 years of cannabis and sex research and has been published in Sexual Medicine, and the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
About Shahbaaz Kara-Virani – Proofly https://www.proofly.ca/
Shahbaaz is renowned for his unparalleled skill in nurturing growth and spearheading innovative go-to-market strategies, having made a profound impact in the cannabis and technology sectors. He is responsible for successfully transforming Kind Magazine’s business model from magazine-centric to events-driven, and is celebrated for his exceptional talent in identifying market opportunities and executing successful product launches.
Among many other pursuits, Shahbaaz is an evangelist for Canadian cannabis wellness brand, Proofly, makers of a line of intimate products for performance enhancement in the bedroom, including warming CBD massage oil and water-based CBD lubricant.
About Ross
Ross Rebagliati is a Canadian snowboarder who won a gold medal in the men’s giant slalom event at the 1998 Winter Olympics. A positive cannabis test led the International Olympic Committee to strip him of his medal, but the decision was overruled in appeals court two days later because cannabis was not on the list of banned substances. For that reason, Ross’ medal is the only Olympic medal to have ever been returned.
Since then, Ross has become an outspoken cannabis advocate and entrepreneur. He was featured in the July 14, 2008 edition of Sports Illustrated, which profiled his life since his Olympic win.
About Ripco Processing https://www.ripco.pro
Ripco Processing is at the forefront of medical and recreational cannabis innovation with a focus on CBD and THC products.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
This Podcast is intended for a mature audience over 19 years of age and is provided on aneducational and informational basis.
Any material presented is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as asubstitute for professional medical advice or as an endorsement or medical claim by
Everything Podcasts or Ripco.Pro.
(00:30):
right now
We starved for right now.
He's in first place.
Ross Rebagliati
to Ross's gold medal run.
Ross Rebagliati has tested positive for passive marijuana.
Forced to forfeit his gold medal.
Returns the medal and diploma awarded to the FF Rebagliati They put me in jail in Japan.
(00:56):
Overturned.
He did get the medal back.
I just wanted to take the control back again.
Let's turn this mess into a success.
I'd love if we could be part of normalizing cannabis use and also stand up for the peoplewho use cannabis.
it's personal.
I'm Ross Rebagliati and this is the Potcast
(01:18):
Welcome to the Potcast with Ross Rabliotti, where we explore the world of cannabis throughthe eyes of one of the world's premier cannabis advocates.
I've been at the forefront of cannabis awareness for over 25 years since that fateful dayin Noggino.
Join me as we dig deep for gold nuggets hidden in the wide world of weed.
It's growers, producers, innovators, and enthusiasts.
(01:41):
Don't forget to hit that subscribe button and keep the Potcast in your rotation.
On this episode of the Potcast we're exploring one of the world's oldest love stories.
Two star-crossed lovers who both know what it's like to live in the shadows.
But when they meet under the covers, their chemistry is undeniable.
(02:04):
We're talking about the passionate relationship between cannabis and sex.
It's a story that began thousands of years ago and has been evolving ever since.
And even though the topic is still somewhat taboo,
There are folks out there working to normalize the discussion around the strong connectionbetween cannabis and sex.
(02:25):
We'll hear from Dr.
Suzanne Mulvihill, a clinical sexologist and orgasmologist on a very important mission.
did a study for my dissertation to evaluate women who were using cannabis prior topartnered sex.
It was clearly evident that women
who had orgasm difficulty almost never or never orgasmed without cannabis and almostalways orgasmed with it.
(02:50):
When I saw that show up, when I organized the data and saw like, my God, we're ontosomething.
And a little later, Ross chats with Shabazz Karaverani, ambassador for Proofly, a Canadiancompany making cannabis topicals formulated with CBD for use in the bedroom.
We as a society, I don't feel mainstream.
(03:13):
talk about like sex and orgasms.
It's so taboo to even like have that conversation.
So anyways, it's just, I'm excited to mix these two together because they go hand in handobviously.
I'm Don Schaefer.
And I'm Ross Rebagliati and this is the Potcast.
This episode was inspired by the Black Diamond Stick by Ross's Gold.
Infuse your joint or pre-roll with extra THC without a clogging or canoeing like otherinfused pre-rolls.
(03:39):
Just insert the black diamond stick in the middle of your joint or pre-roll, spark it, andyou're good to go.
Ask your favorite budtender for the black diamond stick by Ross's Gold or visitherboldispatch.com.
be 19 plus.
And now for the pot news.
To address the lack of research on the sexual benefits of cannabis use, a study waspublished in the January, 2023 edition of the Journal of Cannabis Research, examining the
(04:07):
influence of cannabis on sexual function
and satisfaction.
Data was collected with an online survey from a self-selected sample of adults who hadreported previous cannabis use.
The final sample included 811 participants ranging from 18 to 85 years old, with mostreporting being in a monogamous sexual relationship.
(04:27):
Overall, study results indicated that both men and women perceived the cannabis useincreased their sexual functioning and satisfaction.
particularly increasing desire and orgasm intensity.
Medical implications of this study include the possible use of cannabis for treatingsexual dysfunctions, especially for women.
(04:47):
On a related note, up to 41 % of women face challenges achieving orgasm, a statistic thathas not changed for 50 years.
Our Potcast guest today, Dr.
Suzanne Mulvihill, published her study in sexual medicines, April, 2024 issue.
in which she assessed the effect of cannabis use on women experiencing such challenges.
(05:10):
Out of 410 valid and complete surveys collected in the study, 72 % of participants whoexperienced orgasm difficulty reported the cannabis increased orgasm frequency, 67 %
stated that it improved orgasm satisfaction, and 71 % indicated that cannabis use madeorgasm easier.
This groundbreaking study fuels Dr.
(05:32):
Mulvihill's ongoing efforts to petition U.S.
states to recognize cannabis as an approved medical treatment for female orgasmdifficulty.
We'll hear more about that in just a moment.
Although most scientific research on the relationship between cannabis and sexual pleasurehas emerged only in last few decades, evidence of cannabis used to aid in both the mental
(06:01):
and physical aspects of sex has been noted throughout history.
According to women in cannabis, cannabis was used in ancient India from the 7th centuryonward as an aid in sexual pleasure and enlightenment in tantric rituals.
It's also referred to as an ingredient in various Ayurvedic recipes for pain relievers andaphrodisiacs.
(06:23):
In ancient Egypt, women reportedly applied a mixture of ground weed and honey to help easethe pain of childbirth.
and more recently in Russia in the 1930s, young brides applied a mixture of lambs fat andcannabis to make consummation of their wedding night more comfortable while also enjoying
the plant's aphrodisiac effects.
(06:47):
With cannabis becoming legal in more regions around the globe, open discussions about itsbenefits for sexual activities or otherwise are slowly coming to the surface.
But put the two taboo subjects together and the conversation is still just a whisper.
Even the late American astronomer and planetary scientist, Carl Sagan, was afraid to talkabout his fondness for the plant and his physical pleasures, writing the following love
(07:16):
letter to weed under the pseudonym Mr.
Cannabis also enhances the enjoyment of sex.
On the one hand, it gives an exquisite sensitivity.
The actual duration of orgasm seems to lengthen greatly, but this may be the usualexperience of time expansion, which comes with cannabis smoking.
Here at the Potcast, we like to use our platform to support the normalization of cannabisand all its diverse uses.
(07:42):
So we reached out to a researcher in the United States, not only working hard to uncoverscientific evidence of the connection between cannabis and sexual enjoyment, but also to
normalize an important topic we don't often hear about.
You've reached the age where giving up isn't who you are.
So why let erectile dysfunction...
(08:03):
We've all seen the commercials for treatments of the sexual difficulties men experience.
But what about solutions for the 41 % of women who face similar challenges?
The Women's Cannabis Project might be the way.
My name is Dr.
Suzanne Maubahill.
I'm a clinical sexologist and orgasmologist, and I work on public policy to get femaleorgasmic disorder added as a condition of treatment with medical cannabis.
(08:30):
Dr.
Mulvey Hall founded the Women's Cannabis Project in 2020 to educate elected officials inthe US and get them on board with their mission with help from local advocates with
stories similar to her own.
someone who was really against cannabis for decades and also suffered from this femaleorgasmic issue, having seen four sex therapists over 30 plus years and trying different
(08:55):
treatment modalities.
It was cannabis that I agreed to just try.
And to my own surprise, that is what I would say freed me, healed me of this, not just theissue itself, but the feelings that come along with it, feelings of inadequacy, feelings
(09:17):
of shame, feelings of brokenness, all of that was healed.
And I just wanted to see, this working for other women too?
And if so, how can we?
take it out of the shame box and the stigmatized box and put it into something that'snormalized.
So that's what I've been working on since 2020.
(09:37):
For Dr.
Mulvihill, this work is not just about helping more women experience pleasure, which isimportant, of course.
It's about much more than that.
According to research cited on her website, orgasm difficulty has well-known links tomental health issues, PTSD, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and other physical
(09:57):
problems.
We hear about it with men, mainly with erectile dysfunction.
The Veterans Administration has spent thousands and thousands of dollars helping vets withED.
And we're hoping to bring more awareness to FOD because it's about women's health.
It's not just about orgasm.
Women with orgasm difficulty have more mental health issues, more mental health diagnoses,more prescription drug use.
(10:24):
So we're working on helping women get healthy.
As mentioned earlier in the pot news, Dr.
Mulvey Hill's research in early 2024 revealed a compelling connection between cannabis useand a more enjoyable sexual experience for women on many levels.
What we found was that there was statistical evidence in cannabis improving orgasmfrequency, orgasm ease, and orgasm satisfaction.
(10:49):
Those were the three subscale questions.
They're called subscale questions of what's called the female sexual function index.
I mean, that's getting kind of into the...
scientific aspects of a validated survey, and we used the orgasm questions from thatsurvey with and without cannabis.
It was clearly evident that the largest group of women who had orgasm difficulty almostnever or never orgasmed without cannabis and almost always orgasmed with it.
(11:16):
When I saw that show up, when I organized the data and saw like, oh my God, we're ontosomething.
It was just fascinating because then I interviewed women as well.
And the stories that I was told, one woman had shared that she had been raped as ateenager and she could not orgasm period.
Not during masturbation, not with the partners and she told her partner, listen, I havethis problem.
(11:42):
And he basically said, try this.
And he gave her a hit of cannabis.
She orgasmed the first time, she used it and it gives me the chills to this day to saythat.
It's something to be used with a lot of consciousness, with a lot of intention and in asense of honor and respect that something as powerful as this can actually help a woman
(12:07):
overcome such traumatic life situations.
I would even call that like a miracle, you know, that someone like in that situation andin my own situation, like that's what prompted me to do this work.
Are there other women out there that have suffered?
and are struggling with the prefrontal cortex basically.
(12:27):
So why does cannabis work so well for women?
A couple of reasons come to mind.
One is a theory, the altered state of consciousness theory.
So I created four theories that got published and women's orgasm has been defined as analtered state of consciousness.
Where men's has not been stated that way in the professional journals per se.
(12:51):
Now,
I will also say that there is no one agreed upon definition for male or female orgasm.
There are multiple definitions, but one that was agreed upon in Paris at a sexual meetingback in like the early 2000s, the one line was that it creates an altered state, that
orgasm is an altered state of consciousness for women.
(13:14):
Cannabis, we know, the THC in cannabis, creates an altered state of consciousness.
My theory is women who learn how to surrender to an altered state of consciousness canlearn how to experience orgasm.
And that was my experience because I had a very difficult time surrendering.
(13:37):
So far, Dr.
Mulvihill has had some success with the Women's Cannabis Project with her recentlypublished and ongoing research.
And she's making slow and steady progress on getting US states to approve the treatment.
But there's still a mountain of work to be done.
The advocacy is try to get a country on board next that might like to add female orgasmicdisorder as a condition of treatment with medical cannabis.
(14:00):
Maybe Canada, maybe Australia.
You know, that whole advocacy line is continuing.
We petitioned 11 states in 2024.
Five of them denied it and two approved it and three haven't yet acknowledged that wesubmitted the petition.
So we'll continue with that advocacy along that line and some additional research.
We have a journal article.
(14:20):
My research partner and I wrote a journal article and it's been peer reviewed by onejournal and we're going to be resubmitting that in this next six months.
I mean, look at how many commercials there are for ED.
There aren't any really for female sexual dysfunction because we don't think that way.
I was an elected official for four years and I worked on a political action committee inFlorida for 10 years helping change land use.
(14:45):
But I know the navigation of law change and, you know, it kind of goes with that line, howdo you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
You have to take it one step at a time.
To learn more about Dr.
Mauvihill's work and how you can support the mission of the Women's Cannabis Project,visit WomenCP.org.
(15:10):
Now it's time to switch positions.
We mentioned earlier that historical cannabis use for sexual purposes included someinteresting topical applications.
So Ross reached out to someone working with Proofly, a Canadian company that makes a lineof topical cannabis products formulated to provide relaxation and muscle and joint pain
(15:30):
relief for a variety of physical activities.
Their products are not so much used to alter one's of consciousness,
but for their other performance enhancing qualities.
My name is Shabazz Karavrani.
I live between Toronto and New York City.
I've been in the cannabis industry for the last seven years in a variety of differentroles.
I was a former founder of the Canadian Beach Soccer team.
(15:53):
I grew up playing soccer.
My dad was a professional cricket player growing up.
So sports has been in my family and I have particular affinity towards cannabis as aperformance enhancer, as a recovery tool.
as a wellness piece because, you know, we live in a society that really promotes alcohol,cigarettes, all these bad things.
And so I've made it my life's goal to change the stigma and really drive a lot ofeducation in this industry.
(16:16):
like Ross and Shabazz might have a few things in common.
I want to touch on that, what you mentioned about the performance enhancement of cannabis.
And I have my own views on that.
But how do you see it being performance enhancing?
You know, it's interesting because cannabis is this crazy thing that works with yourcannabinoid receptors and things like that.
(16:36):
For me, specifically, subjectively, it is really about getting in the right frame of mindfor the thing that you're about to do.
think it helps me just lock in and appreciate the moment.
So for me, that's performance enhancement.
I concur.
I'm on the same page.
I first started talking about performance enhancement from cannabis 20 years ago when thatwas really like
(16:58):
profound statement to make.
Hold on a second, guys.
Are we still talking about sports or something else?
For me, it was all about like dialing into my equipment the best that I could.
Hmm.
I'm still not quite clear.
I would move my bindings like a half a degree here, tighten my boots up a little bitthere, depending on the temperature and stuff like that.
And I found that cannabis really like helped me tune into how my equipment felt and if itwas working in those conditions.
(17:25):
yes.
Okay.
Sports.
Now back to the topicals of hand.
(17:53):
I've been working with them for last two and a half years.
They have a variety of amazing products.
They just came out with daytime gummies as well.
I'm huge on daytime stuff, daytime workouts, daytime yoga, daytime sex, right?
That's my favorite.
If you get all those things together, you're going to sleep better at night.
Can I interrupt you guys for a little CBD talk?
(18:14):
Proofly makes two intimate products, warming CBD massage oil and water based CBDlubricant.
You can probably guess why a warming massage oil would be enjoyable.
And most adults know what lubricant does.
But what about the CBD factor?
The cannabinoid known as CBD is not psychoactive like THC, but research suggests it mayhelp relax muscles, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain.
(18:41):
Which is why it's a common ingredient in topicals formulated for muscles and joints.
In addition to relaxation and pain relief supporting an enjoyable sexual experience, CBDmay also help increase blood flow to reproductive organs and sexual tissue due to the
abundance of cannabinoid receptors in those areas.
The more you know.
(19:02):
And now for the question on everyone's mind.
With such compelling connections between cannabis and sexual enhancement, why don't we seemore cannabis products in Canada geared toward use in the bedroom?
Are consumers
even aware of them.
Proofly has their lubricant, their oil, which is fantastic.
But I think it's because of a couple factors.
(19:23):
So I think the way in which recreational retail is rolled out in Canada, these would bethe medical channel.
So when you go into the medical channel, you're trying, like we talked about pain relief,you know, these types of things.
I recreational cannabis has a negative stigma associated with it, right?
Even my mom sometimes would put on a cream.
She was putting on the Proofly balm the other day, CBD balm.
She's like, am I going to get high?
(19:43):
I'm like, no.
but there's no way to get education on that for her.
And so if there's no education, then you have these retail stores and the stigmaassociated with recreational cannabis.
You're not going into that store to find cosmetics or find lube or find pieces.
You're not thinking like that because the advertising's tough and unless you're in thatstore or you know someone in the industry, it's like, you you're not going in there.
(20:07):
There's all these other stores to go into.
La Vie en Rose or Sephora or whatever they can.
I don't know, I at a lingerie store or something.
There's no conditioned consumer understanding of how to actually purchase that, right?
And so the path to purchase is opaque and that makes it really, really challenging.
And then you mix it with the marketing advertising regulations and not being able to drivetraditional kind of marketing and advertising through those channels like Facebook,
(20:31):
Instagram, things like that.
So I think it's a frontier that needs to be popped right open because being a little highor being a little relaxed or whatever the case is, whatever you're seeking, or even if
you're looking to use lube or
a more natural alternative or whatever the case is from CBD, THC, etc.
Sex is just better when you're a little stoned.
(20:51):
At least for me, I appreciate it more.
Maybe you're more playful.
You're discovering a little bit more.
I'm finding the edibles in particular are banger for the bed.
Snuggling up with your wife after a long day and leaving that stress behind, you take alittle edible and 15 minutes later you're all cozy again and the stress of the day and
whatever arguments you had with your wife.
(21:13):
kind of just drift away and then the pillows are cozy, the blankets are warm and the nextthing you know, bada boom, bada bing, everyone's feeling good.
There you go and I think we live in a world where there's a lot of dopamine hits.
You you have Instagram, you have this, you have all these things happening and then welive in a world that's like hyper.
With all the bells and whistles.
Yeah, exactly.
Hyper fast, you know, you're getting information from everywhere and so to your pointRoss, like it really just allows you to kind of reconnect with your partner a little bit
(21:40):
differently and realign.
So, you know, once that happens, the magic, the fireworks are going up, right?
It's tough otherwise kind of thing.
But just even in the bedroom in terms of like that feel, that taste, that touch kind ofthing, it's, you know, it's heightened for sure in different ways.
But the challenge often is, is if you find a product, sometimes because of the way theindustry is set up, you might not know where to go to find that product.
(22:03):
It's not like you can just go on Amazon and search like, hey, proofly topicals, right?
And so it really requires the brand to go and
understand exactly who's selling their product.
And so sometimes if I find a product I really like, it's not as easy as, just go toWalmart.
So it's a very convoluted buying experience.
And I think that's something as an industry we can work on.
(22:24):
We got to deregulate a little bit too and start allowing the advertising for these naturalplant-based products and stop the ridiculousness on all the red tape that's involved in
being part of the cannabis industry and having the ability to
let people know about what's going on in mainstream media.
was thinking about this the other day.
I'm like, we as a society, I don't feel mainstream talk about like sex orgasms.
(22:49):
It's so taboo to even like have that conversation.
So anyways, it's just, I'm excited to mix these two together because they go hand in hand,obviously.
I'm seeing the mindset change and normalizing like change management doesn't just happentomorrow.
It's like, you got to normalize it.
And like, you know, I love this quote.
It's like to change the city, you got to sweep your
front steps first, right?
(23:09):
So I'm trying to sweep my steps so that it hopefully echoes and changes and evolves thecity kind of thing.
Thanks to Shabazz Karaverani from Proofly for joining us today on the Potcast and helpingto raise awareness about the undeniable connection between cannabis and sex.
You can learn more about Proofly's intimate topicals at proofly.ca.
(23:30):
Whether you're curious about trying cannabis for medical reasons or recreationalperformance enhancement,
It's nice to know people like Dr.
Movahill and Shabazz are working to bring this relationship out from underneath thecovers.
Perhaps if we keep talking about cannabis and sex without shame, we can fight the stigmaand help everyone add a little more pleasure to their lives.
(23:53):
This episode was inspired by The Black Diamond Stick by Ross's Gold, the easy way toinfuse your joint or pre-roll with extra THC.
Ask your favorite budtender for it.
or visit HerbalDispatch.com.
be 19 plus.
Join us for the next episode of The Potcast where we'll be chatting with folks on thefront lines of the budding cannabis tourism industry, from farm gate stores to tours that
(24:21):
take you to the hottest cannabis-friendly spots.
You're in for a ride.
Be sure to subscribe to The Podcast so you don't miss it.
The Potcast with Ross Rebagliati is an everything Potcast production.
The opinions expressed in this Potcast are not necessarily the views of the Potcast teamor our partners.
The show is intended for a 19 plus audience.
(24:42):
Thanks to our host, Ross Rebagliati our show runner and writer, Jessica Grajczyk and oursound engineer is John Massacar.
I'm Don Schafer.
Thanks for listening to the Potcast.
Another Everything Podcasts production.
Visit everythingpodcasts.com, a division of Pattison Media.
Subscribe wherever you get your Potcast.
This Podcast is intended for a mature audience over 19 years of age and is provided on aneducational and informational basis.
Any material presented is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as asubstitute for professional medical advice or as an endorsement or medical claim by
Everything Podcasts or Ripco.Pro.
(00:30):
right now
We starved for right now.
He's in first place.
Ross Rebagliati
to Ross's gold medal run.
Ross Rebagliati has tested positive for passive marijuana.
Forced to forfeit his gold medal.
Returns the medal and diploma awarded to the FF Rebagliati They put me in jail in Japan.
(00:56):
Overturned.
He did get the medal back.
I just wanted to take the control back again.
Let's turn this mess into a success.
I'd love if we could be part of normalizing cannabis use and also stand up for the peoplewho use cannabis.
it's personal.
I'm Ross Rebagliati and this is the Potcast
(01:18):
Welcome to the Potcast with Ross Rabliotti, where we explore the world of cannabis throughthe eyes of one of the world's premier cannabis advocates.
I've been at the forefront of cannabis awareness for over 25 years since that fateful dayin Noggino.
Join me as we dig deep for gold nuggets hidden in the wide world of weed.
It's growers, producers, innovators, and enthusiasts.
(01:41):
Don't forget to hit that subscribe button and keep the Potcast in your rotation.
On this episode of the Potcast we're exploring one of the world's oldest love stories.
Two star-crossed lovers who both know what it's like to live in the shadows.
But when they meet under the covers, their chemistry is undeniable.
(02:04):
We're talking about the passionate relationship between cannabis and sex.
It's a story that began thousands of years ago and has been evolving ever since.
And even though the topic is still somewhat taboo,
There are folks out there working to normalize the discussion around the strong connectionbetween cannabis and sex.
(02:25):
We'll hear from Dr.
Suzanne Mulvihill, a clinical sexologist and orgasmologist on a very important mission.
did a study for my dissertation to evaluate women who were using cannabis prior topartnered sex.
It was clearly evident that women
who had orgasm difficulty almost never or never orgasmed without cannabis and almostalways orgasmed with it.
(02:50):
When I saw that show up, when I organized the data and saw like, my God, we're ontosomething.
And a little later, Ross chats with Shabazz Karaverani, ambassador for Proofly, a Canadiancompany making cannabis topicals formulated with CBD for use in the bedroom.
We as a society, I don't feel mainstream.
(03:13):
talk about like sex and orgasms.
It's so taboo to even like have that conversation.
So anyways, it's just, I'm excited to mix these two together because they go hand in handobviously.
I'm Don Schaefer.
And I'm Ross Rebagliati and this is the Potcast.
This episode was inspired by the Black Diamond Stick by Ross's Gold.
Infuse your joint or pre-roll with extra THC without a clogging or canoeing like otherinfused pre-rolls.
(03:39):
Just insert the black diamond stick in the middle of your joint or pre-roll, spark it, andyou're good to go.
Ask your favorite budtender for the black diamond stick by Ross's Gold or visitherboldispatch.com.
be 19 plus.
And now for the pot news.
To address the lack of research on the sexual benefits of cannabis use, a study waspublished in the January, 2023 edition of the Journal of Cannabis Research, examining the
(04:07):
influence of cannabis on sexual function
and satisfaction.
Data was collected with an online survey from a self-selected sample of adults who hadreported previous cannabis use.
The final sample included 811 participants ranging from 18 to 85 years old, with mostreporting being in a monogamous sexual relationship.
(04:27):
Overall, study results indicated that both men and women perceived the cannabis useincreased their sexual functioning and satisfaction.
particularly increasing desire and orgasm intensity.
Medical implications of this study include the possible use of cannabis for treatingsexual dysfunctions, especially for women.
(04:47):
On a related note, up to 41 % of women face challenges achieving orgasm, a statistic thathas not changed for 50 years.
Our Potcast guest today, Dr.
Suzanne Mulvihill, published her study in sexual medicines, April, 2024 issue.
in which she assessed the effect of cannabis use on women experiencing such challenges.
(05:10):
Out of 410 valid and complete surveys collected in the study, 72 % of participants whoexperienced orgasm difficulty reported the cannabis increased orgasm frequency, 67 %
stated that it improved orgasm satisfaction, and 71 % indicated that cannabis use madeorgasm easier.
This groundbreaking study fuels Dr.
(05:32):
Mulvihill's ongoing efforts to petition U.S.
states to recognize cannabis as an approved medical treatment for female orgasmdifficulty.
We'll hear more about that in just a moment.
Although most scientific research on the relationship between cannabis and sexual pleasurehas emerged only in last few decades, evidence of cannabis used to aid in both the mental
(06:01):
and physical aspects of sex has been noted throughout history.
According to women in cannabis, cannabis was used in ancient India from the 7th centuryonward as an aid in sexual pleasure and enlightenment in tantric rituals.
It's also referred to as an ingredient in various Ayurvedic recipes for pain relievers andaphrodisiacs.
(06:23):
In ancient Egypt, women reportedly applied a mixture of ground weed and honey to help easethe pain of childbirth.
and more recently in Russia in the 1930s, young brides applied a mixture of lambs fat andcannabis to make consummation of their wedding night more comfortable while also enjoying
the plant's aphrodisiac effects.
(06:47):
With cannabis becoming legal in more regions around the globe, open discussions about itsbenefits for sexual activities or otherwise are slowly coming to the surface.
But put the two taboo subjects together and the conversation is still just a whisper.
Even the late American astronomer and planetary scientist, Carl Sagan, was afraid to talkabout his fondness for the plant and his physical pleasures, writing the following love
(07:16):
letter to weed under the pseudonym Mr.
Cannabis also enhances the enjoyment of sex.
On the one hand, it gives an exquisite sensitivity.
The actual duration of orgasm seems to lengthen greatly, but this may be the usualexperience of time expansion, which comes with cannabis smoking.
Here at the Potcast, we like to use our platform to support the normalization of cannabisand all its diverse uses.
(07:42):
So we reached out to a researcher in the United States, not only working hard to uncoverscientific evidence of the connection between cannabis and sexual enjoyment, but also to
normalize an important topic we don't often hear about.
You've reached the age where giving up isn't who you are.
So why let erectile dysfunction...
(08:03):
We've all seen the commercials for treatments of the sexual difficulties men experience.
But what about solutions for the 41 % of women who face similar challenges?
The Women's Cannabis Project might be the way.
My name is Dr.
Suzanne Maubahill.
I'm a clinical sexologist and orgasmologist, and I work on public policy to get femaleorgasmic disorder added as a condition of treatment with medical cannabis.
(08:30):
Dr.
Mulvey Hall founded the Women's Cannabis Project in 2020 to educate elected officials inthe US and get them on board with their mission with help from local advocates with
stories similar to her own.
someone who was really against cannabis for decades and also suffered from this femaleorgasmic issue, having seen four sex therapists over 30 plus years and trying different
(08:55):
treatment modalities.
It was cannabis that I agreed to just try.
And to my own surprise, that is what I would say freed me, healed me of this, not just theissue itself, but the feelings that come along with it, feelings of inadequacy, feelings
(09:17):
of shame, feelings of brokenness, all of that was healed.
And I just wanted to see, this working for other women too?
And if so, how can we?
take it out of the shame box and the stigmatized box and put it into something that'snormalized.
So that's what I've been working on since 2020.
(09:37):
For Dr.
Mulvihill, this work is not just about helping more women experience pleasure, which isimportant, of course.
It's about much more than that.
According to research cited on her website, orgasm difficulty has well-known links tomental health issues, PTSD, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and other physical
(09:57):
problems.
We hear about it with men, mainly with erectile dysfunction.
The Veterans Administration has spent thousands and thousands of dollars helping vets withED.
And we're hoping to bring more awareness to FOD because it's about women's health.
It's not just about orgasm.
Women with orgasm difficulty have more mental health issues, more mental health diagnoses,more prescription drug use.
(10:24):
So we're working on helping women get healthy.
As mentioned earlier in the pot news, Dr.
Mulvey Hill's research in early 2024 revealed a compelling connection between cannabis useand a more enjoyable sexual experience for women on many levels.
What we found was that there was statistical evidence in cannabis improving orgasmfrequency, orgasm ease, and orgasm satisfaction.
(10:49):
Those were the three subscale questions.
They're called subscale questions of what's called the female sexual function index.
I mean, that's getting kind of into the...
scientific aspects of a validated survey, and we used the orgasm questions from thatsurvey with and without cannabis.
It was clearly evident that the largest group of women who had orgasm difficulty almostnever or never orgasmed without cannabis and almost always orgasmed with it.
(11:16):
When I saw that show up, when I organized the data and saw like, oh my God, we're ontosomething.
It was just fascinating because then I interviewed women as well.
And the stories that I was told, one woman had shared that she had been raped as ateenager and she could not orgasm period.
Not during masturbation, not with the partners and she told her partner, listen, I havethis problem.
(11:42):
And he basically said, try this.
And he gave her a hit of cannabis.
She orgasmed the first time, she used it and it gives me the chills to this day to saythat.
It's something to be used with a lot of consciousness, with a lot of intention and in asense of honor and respect that something as powerful as this can actually help a woman
(12:07):
overcome such traumatic life situations.
I would even call that like a miracle, you know, that someone like in that situation andin my own situation, like that's what prompted me to do this work.
Are there other women out there that have suffered?
and are struggling with the prefrontal cortex basically.
(12:27):
So why does cannabis work so well for women?
A couple of reasons come to mind.
One is a theory, the altered state of consciousness theory.
So I created four theories that got published and women's orgasm has been defined as analtered state of consciousness.
Where men's has not been stated that way in the professional journals per se.
(12:51):
Now,
I will also say that there is no one agreed upon definition for male or female orgasm.
There are multiple definitions, but one that was agreed upon in Paris at a sexual meetingback in like the early 2000s, the one line was that it creates an altered state, that
orgasm is an altered state of consciousness for women.
(13:14):
Cannabis, we know, the THC in cannabis, creates an altered state of consciousness.
My theory is women who learn how to surrender to an altered state of consciousness canlearn how to experience orgasm.
And that was my experience because I had a very difficult time surrendering.
(13:37):
So far, Dr.
Mulvihill has had some success with the Women's Cannabis Project with her recentlypublished and ongoing research.
And she's making slow and steady progress on getting US states to approve the treatment.
But there's still a mountain of work to be done.
The advocacy is try to get a country on board next that might like to add female orgasmicdisorder as a condition of treatment with medical cannabis.
(14:00):
Maybe Canada, maybe Australia.
You know, that whole advocacy line is continuing.
We petitioned 11 states in 2024.
Five of them denied it and two approved it and three haven't yet acknowledged that wesubmitted the petition.
So we'll continue with that advocacy along that line and some additional research.
We have a journal article.
(14:20):
My research partner and I wrote a journal article and it's been peer reviewed by onejournal and we're going to be resubmitting that in this next six months.
I mean, look at how many commercials there are for ED.
There aren't any really for female sexual dysfunction because we don't think that way.
I was an elected official for four years and I worked on a political action committee inFlorida for 10 years helping change land use.
(14:45):
But I know the navigation of law change and, you know, it kind of goes with that line, howdo you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
You have to take it one step at a time.
To learn more about Dr.
Mauvihill's work and how you can support the mission of the Women's Cannabis Project,visit WomenCP.org.
(15:10):
Now it's time to switch positions.
We mentioned earlier that historical cannabis use for sexual purposes included someinteresting topical applications.
So Ross reached out to someone working with Proofly, a Canadian company that makes a lineof topical cannabis products formulated to provide relaxation and muscle and joint pain
(15:30):
relief for a variety of physical activities.
Their products are not so much used to alter one's of consciousness,
but for their other performance enhancing qualities.
My name is Shabazz Karavrani.
I live between Toronto and New York City.
I've been in the cannabis industry for the last seven years in a variety of differentroles.
I was a former founder of the Canadian Beach Soccer team.
(15:53):
I grew up playing soccer.
My dad was a professional cricket player growing up.
So sports has been in my family and I have particular affinity towards cannabis as aperformance enhancer, as a recovery tool.
as a wellness piece because, you know, we live in a society that really promotes alcohol,cigarettes, all these bad things.
And so I've made it my life's goal to change the stigma and really drive a lot ofeducation in this industry.
(16:16):
like Ross and Shabazz might have a few things in common.
I want to touch on that, what you mentioned about the performance enhancement of cannabis.
And I have my own views on that.
But how do you see it being performance enhancing?
You know, it's interesting because cannabis is this crazy thing that works with yourcannabinoid receptors and things like that.
(16:36):
For me, specifically, subjectively, it is really about getting in the right frame of mindfor the thing that you're about to do.
think it helps me just lock in and appreciate the moment.
So for me, that's performance enhancement.
I concur.
I'm on the same page.
I first started talking about performance enhancement from cannabis 20 years ago when thatwas really like
(16:58):
profound statement to make.
Hold on a second, guys.
Are we still talking about sports or something else?
For me, it was all about like dialing into my equipment the best that I could.
Hmm.
I'm still not quite clear.
I would move my bindings like a half a degree here, tighten my boots up a little bitthere, depending on the temperature and stuff like that.
And I found that cannabis really like helped me tune into how my equipment felt and if itwas working in those conditions.
(17:25):
yes.
Okay.
Sports.
Now back to the topicals of hand.
(17:53):
I've been working with them for last two and a half years.
They have a variety of amazing products.
They just came out with daytime gummies as well.
I'm huge on daytime stuff, daytime workouts, daytime yoga, daytime sex, right?
That's my favorite.
If you get all those things together, you're going to sleep better at night.
Can I interrupt you guys for a little CBD talk?
(18:14):
Proofly makes two intimate products, warming CBD massage oil and water based CBDlubricant.
You can probably guess why a warming massage oil would be enjoyable.
And most adults know what lubricant does.
But what about the CBD factor?
The cannabinoid known as CBD is not psychoactive like THC, but research suggests it mayhelp relax muscles, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain.
(18:41):
Which is why it's a common ingredient in topicals formulated for muscles and joints.
In addition to relaxation and pain relief supporting an enjoyable sexual experience, CBDmay also help increase blood flow to reproductive organs and sexual tissue due to the
abundance of cannabinoid receptors in those areas.
The more you know.
(19:02):
And now for the question on everyone's mind.
With such compelling connections between cannabis and sexual enhancement, why don't we seemore cannabis products in Canada geared toward use in the bedroom?
Are consumers
even aware of them.
Proofly has their lubricant, their oil, which is fantastic.
But I think it's because of a couple factors.
(19:23):
So I think the way in which recreational retail is rolled out in Canada, these would bethe medical channel.
So when you go into the medical channel, you're trying, like we talked about pain relief,you know, these types of things.
I recreational cannabis has a negative stigma associated with it, right?
Even my mom sometimes would put on a cream.
She was putting on the Proofly balm the other day, CBD balm.
She's like, am I going to get high?
(19:43):
I'm like, no.
but there's no way to get education on that for her.
And so if there's no education, then you have these retail stores and the stigmaassociated with recreational cannabis.
You're not going into that store to find cosmetics or find lube or find pieces.
You're not thinking like that because the advertising's tough and unless you're in thatstore or you know someone in the industry, it's like, you you're not going in there.
(20:07):
There's all these other stores to go into.
La Vie en Rose or Sephora or whatever they can.
I don't know, I at a lingerie store or something.
There's no conditioned consumer understanding of how to actually purchase that, right?
And so the path to purchase is opaque and that makes it really, really challenging.
And then you mix it with the marketing advertising regulations and not being able to drivetraditional kind of marketing and advertising through those channels like Facebook,
(20:31):
Instagram, things like that.
So I think it's a frontier that needs to be popped right open because being a little highor being a little relaxed or whatever the case is, whatever you're seeking, or even if
you're looking to use lube or
a more natural alternative or whatever the case is from CBD, THC, etc.
Sex is just better when you're a little stoned.
(20:51):
At least for me, I appreciate it more.
Maybe you're more playful.
You're discovering a little bit more.
I'm finding the edibles in particular are banger for the bed.
Snuggling up with your wife after a long day and leaving that stress behind, you take alittle edible and 15 minutes later you're all cozy again and the stress of the day and
whatever arguments you had with your wife.
(21:13):
kind of just drift away and then the pillows are cozy, the blankets are warm and the nextthing you know, bada boom, bada bing, everyone's feeling good.
There you go and I think we live in a world where there's a lot of dopamine hits.
You you have Instagram, you have this, you have all these things happening and then welive in a world that's like hyper.
With all the bells and whistles.
Yeah, exactly.
Hyper fast, you know, you're getting information from everywhere and so to your pointRoss, like it really just allows you to kind of reconnect with your partner a little bit
(21:40):
differently and realign.
So, you know, once that happens, the magic, the fireworks are going up, right?
It's tough otherwise kind of thing.
But just even in the bedroom in terms of like that feel, that taste, that touch kind ofthing, it's, you know, it's heightened for sure in different ways.
But the challenge often is, is if you find a product, sometimes because of the way theindustry is set up, you might not know where to go to find that product.
(22:03):
It's not like you can just go on Amazon and search like, hey, proofly topicals, right?
And so it really requires the brand to go and
understand exactly who's selling their product.
And so sometimes if I find a product I really like, it's not as easy as, just go toWalmart.
So it's a very convoluted buying experience.
And I think that's something as an industry we can work on.
(22:24):
We got to deregulate a little bit too and start allowing the advertising for these naturalplant-based products and stop the ridiculousness on all the red tape that's involved in
being part of the cannabis industry and having the ability to
let people know about what's going on in mainstream media.
was thinking about this the other day.
I'm like, we as a society, I don't feel mainstream talk about like sex orgasms.
(22:49):
It's so taboo to even like have that conversation.
So anyways, it's just, I'm excited to mix these two together because they go hand in hand,obviously.
I'm seeing the mindset change and normalizing like change management doesn't just happentomorrow.
It's like, you got to normalize it.
And like, you know, I love this quote.
It's like to change the city, you got to sweep your
front steps first, right?
(23:09):
So I'm trying to sweep my steps so that it hopefully echoes and changes and evolves thecity kind of thing.
Thanks to Shabazz Karaverani from Proofly for joining us today on the Potcast and helpingto raise awareness about the undeniable connection between cannabis and sex.
You can learn more about Proofly's intimate topicals at proofly.ca.
(23:30):
Whether you're curious about trying cannabis for medical reasons or recreationalperformance enhancement,
It's nice to know people like Dr.
Movahill and Shabazz are working to bring this relationship out from underneath thecovers.
Perhaps if we keep talking about cannabis and sex without shame, we can fight the stigmaand help everyone add a little more pleasure to their lives.
(23:53):
This episode was inspired by The Black Diamond Stick by Ross's Gold, the easy way toinfuse your joint or pre-roll with extra THC.
Ask your favorite budtender for it.
or visit HerbalDispatch.com.
be 19 plus.
Join us for the next episode of The Potcast where we'll be chatting with folks on thefront lines of the budding cannabis tourism industry, from farm gate stores to tours that
(24:21):
take you to the hottest cannabis-friendly spots.
You're in for a ride.
Be sure to subscribe to The Podcast so you don't miss it.
The Potcast with Ross Rebagliati is an everything Potcast production.
The opinions expressed in this Potcast are not necessarily the views of the Potcast teamor our partners.
The show is intended for a 19 plus audience.
(24:42):
Thanks to our host, Ross Rebagliati our show runner and writer, Jessica Grajczyk and oursound engineer is John Massacar.
I'm Don Schafer.
Thanks for listening to the Potcast.
Another Everything Podcasts production.
Visit everythingpodcasts.com, a division of Pattison Media.
Subscribe wherever you get your Potcast.
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