When you think of nuns what’s the first thought that comes to mind? A naughty Halloween costume? The swift strike of a ruler to the back of the wrist? Confessing your deepest darkest sins? How about a nun that makes you cum? I didn’t think so.
Katie Enright is the said former nun in training whose charismatic and curious nature led her astray from a life of celibacy and thrust into the world of sexual wellness by way of cannabis lube. Yes, you read that correctly.
Sitting down with Katie via video call from her LA apartment on Wednesday evening started out like any typical conversation with a girlfriend over a cup of tea. The topic of discussion, however, may be enough to make some squirm in their seat. From anal sex tips to foreplay to tips on how to experience multiple orgasms, to whether or not nuns masturbate - the conversation quickly called for an open exchange on what many would consider taboo. I found it fascinating.
Katie’s story begins when she travelled abroad for her original plan to, of course, become a nun. She believed her calling in life was nunhood and so she prepared for a life of study, reflection and celibacy. Katie said, “I had a really great experience with faith growing up, I realise that a lot of people have a really negative experience but that was just not the case for me. I loved participating in church activities and I wanted to make the world a better place. That's ultimately where it stemmed from, I wanted to be of service to people.”
However, Katie used her power for good over evil to be of service in a slightly unconventional way through her cannabis lube, Lavinia. Her mission is to enhance people's sex lives through cannabis and to normalise two historically taboo subjects (sex and cannabis). Lavinia wants to empower people to live life to the climax. What’s a life of service if not empowering people to experience multiple orgasms?
Never in her wildest dreams did Katie expect to create a community like Lavinia. When making the decision to pursue a life of service as a nun, Katie was assigned to live with a man as a housemate during her study abroad - a Belgian Knight to be exact - named Francois. Her priorities quickly changed.
Katie said, “I think Francois helped gear me to think maybe there are other Belgium Knights out there named Francois in the world and maybe I don’t want to become a nun - he was a very handsome man.”
Stepping away from nunhood and into a life where sexuality is expected, Katie felt behind to her peers in sexual experience and so began her research. “For me, I’m really passionate about sex education,” Katie said. “I think it’s really important to know what you’re doing and I personally didn’t feel like I had a place where I could talk to people about it because I felt like my friends were already sexually active and I was a little bit embarrassed, too.”
Passionate about sexual education and a large pillar of her brand, Katie spoke about the rules the church instils in followers from an early age, which is abstinence. “In a religious upbringing the issue with sex education isn’t what’s taught, it’s abstinence, so when you decide to no longer abide by abstinence, or if you get married and you are on your honeymoon night, you don’t know what to do because you haven’t really been educated about sex at all,” Katie explained.
She went on to say, “I think it’s really important to know what you’re doing and I personally didn’t feel like I had a place where I could talk to people about it because I felt like my friends were already sexually active and I was a little bit embarrassed to kind of talk to them and I couldn’t go to my parents or brothers and sisters. I didn’t feel like I had a place to learn so I started taking webinars and tutorials and started learning about sex and different tips and tricks, techniques all online and that was my sexual education.”
As a result of her research, she began to delve into methods and products that would help her feel empowered, and pleasured, and promote access to better, more powerful orgasms. Katie never found the exact product she was looking for, so she began experimenting in her kitchen with coconut oil, THC and CBD.
Katie found that cannabis can enhance orgasms and create a better sexual experience when correctly applied. She explained, “Cannabis is a vasodilator, which means it increases the size of the blood vessels and increases blood flow, so you know when you smoke weed and your eyes turn red? That’s exactly what is happening - the size of the blood vessels are increasing and the blood flow is increasing as well.”
“Anytime you have increased blood flow in that area, amazing things happen - that’s how men get erections and how women have really strong intense orgasms. So cannabis and sex kind of go hand-in-hand, they’re a great compliment to each other because cannabis really gets the blood flowing especially when you apply it topically.”
“Lavinia is a silicone-based lubricant which is great for anal and vaginal use. So when you combine the silicone and THC and CBD it’s amazing and increased blood flow can also help with pain and discomfort.”
Katie started making it simply for herself, then for friends who would ask for it, then friends of friends, and then friends of friends of friends. From this community came Lavinia. Bartending at the time a stranger came up to Katie and asked, “Are you the weed-lube girl?” Katie chuckled as she reflected on the memory as she said aloud, “Wow I AM the weed-lube girl, yeah that’s me!” The stranger then asked if he could buy her lube and as soon as the words left his mouth, Katie knew she was on to something and so sparked her journey from a former nun (in training) to a beacon of light serving those looking to cum.
Lavinia’s first product, oh.hi, is a cannabis-enhanced lubricant that works best for women (vaginally or anally), and with men who enjoy receiving anal stimulation (it does not absorb transdermally aka through skin), and as it contains THC. It is especially great for those who may have a harder time climaxing, and those who want to experience multiple orgasms. However, the product is for anyone who wants to feel empowered and confident in their sexual experiences.
Katie said, “Lavinia is great for both men and women, you apply oh.hi topically to women and for men’s skin transdermally - it doesn’t really absorb on the penis, so the effect is mostly for women and then men maybe receive the placebo effect of the woman having these great orgasms.”
She went on to say, “When we were going through the data with our Doctor, Christina Collins, we noticed in the data that the intensity and the force of the orgasm are so much more intense with our cannabis lube that of course it would feel good for a man to have the pulsating of the vaginal walls be so much more intense, so it actually does enhance men’s pleasure as well.”
Katie spoke a little bit about what’s next for her brand Lavinia and she said they are currently working on a few additional products: “before sex gummies, after sex gummies and also anal shooters to enhance pleasure during anal sex, and the anal product does get you high as well.”
Finally, I couldn’t close out our chat without asking Katie a true Tell Me About It question - do nuns masturbate? “That’s actually a really great point,” Katie said.
“I don’t really know what the church's stance on masturbation is, I should do some more research. I don’t think I did at the time, because of the church’s stance - it’s ‘the purity of thought’ and so I think you can masturbate without unpure thoughts which may be allowed, but again I’m making this up on the spot as someone who didn’t become a nun so debate in the comments what you think.”
Lavinia’s silicone-based cannabis lubricant, oh.hi, is unfortunately not available in Australia (yet) but exclusively sold in California dispensaries. Check out their “Where to Buy” page or if you’re stateside call your local dispensary to check stock availability.
Special thanks to Katie Enright for telling us all about her story, Lavinia and enhancing people's sex lives through cannabis.
Ariana x