Success in publishing doesn’t happen by accident, it comes from consistently creating, pitching, and putting your work out into the world. That’s exactly what Create & Publish Network member Fame “Noel” Neal has done, turning dedication into a new byline in a respected cannabis industry publication. Building a portfolio of published work takes commitment, and this is exactly why the Create & Publish Network exists: to support artists who are serious about their craft and ready to do the work. Now, let’s dive into Fame’s latest feature published in Grow Magazine, spotlighting the legendary Whoopi Goldberg.
Women’s History Month peeked around the corner as the IgniteIt: New Jersey spotlight session became a lot more interesting. Whoopi Goldberg sat 6-feet from me as I danced on the thin line that existed between professionalism and fandom. When the Traveling Cannabis Writer, Grow Magazine’s senior contributor, sent me on this assignment, I knew it would be significant; I just didn’t expect it to be this personal. As a result, I did what any writer on her first assignment with a new publication would do: I took notes and planned my strategic leap to the stage for a selfie once the panel was over.
As a precursor, there were certain conversations my mother Jeanne, nor any elder women in my life never sat me down for. She never talked about the silvering of pubic hair as women neared menopause. The increase in facial hair and drying of vaginal fluid due to less estrogen production. We are blasted with sexual enhancement infomercials for men while women are somewhere wondering why their sex drive is at an all-time low… or high for that matter.
Men are promised restoration. Women are offered silence. Many of us were never explicitly told that prioritizing our pleasure was legitimate. We were instructed in responsibility, community, and caregiving. Sexual satisfaction was implied to be secondary or spontaneous, not something worthy of deliberate investment.
Similarly, every cannabis plant begins as a small, unassuming seed; compact, self-contained, and packed with potential. You’d never guess the complexity hidden inside. Historically, women’s sexuality was treated much the same way: present but tightly sealed. In many cultures, it was something to be guarded, controlled, or politely ignored. The potential was there: powerful, vibrant, life-giving, but rarely acknowledged openly.
Like a seed in the soil, it waited. Not absent. Not inactive. Just… dormant under layers of expectation.
So when Whoopi Goldberg and her business partners: Davina Kaonohi and Melissa Jachim, took the stage to discuss her THC-infused intimacy product, the room shifted from polite industry dialogue to something far more consequential: Women’s Sexual Wellness. Particularly women in their later years. Golden-Girls just want to have fun, right? The Beauty Evolution founding partners and Whoopi think so.
“People feel like you lose your sexuality once you get to be a woman of a certain age and it’s just not so.” —Whoopi Goldberg, IgniteIt: New Jersey
Sexual wellness has historically taken a backseat in well…any professional cannabis context. The industry has gravitated towards flower, edibles, beverages, vapes, sleep aids, and wellness tinctures. It has mastered lifestyle branding and continues to normalize recreational use. Yet intimacy, particularly pleasure for women, remains a cautious frontier. That hesitation is not merely within the cannabis space. It is cultural; it is regulatory, political, and deeply gendered. Which is precisely why Whoopi’s presence at IgniteIt felt less like a product launch and more like a much needed “cut-the-bullshit” moment.
The moderator, a middle-aged cisgender white man, asked about Whoop Fam’s latest ventures, exploring the topic with the carefulness of a small child jumping from rock to rock across a stream. His cheeks flushed as Goldberg and her business partners casually framed sexual pleasure as a crucial part of women’s wellness, not an afterthought on our long list of domestic responsibilities.
“I want women to have a better time in life. I want women to have a better understanding of their bodies. And what is okay for them.” —Whoopi Goldberg, IgniteIt: New Jersey
The Myth of the Midlife Decline
Many believe that a woman’s sexual peak is in her 30s and declines irreversibly thereafter. Cultural narratives often suggest that by midlife, women should redirect energy exclusively toward family, career stability, or domestic rituals. Sexual curiosity is treated as youthful indulgence rather than lifelong capacity. Here’s the reality check: studies show half of women in their 50s are sexually active (Johns Hopkins University, 2025), and Women (65+) report similar overall sexual function scores, though they often report less distress about sexual problems (Menopause.org). Maybe the 65+ group got their groove back like Stella, or perhaps they’re on that Sativa?
“For women, we spent years being told one thing, and growing up and discovering something totally different…I’m 70 and I like pleasure,” Whoopi informed the enthusiastic audience.
The fact is when older women discuss sex publicly, they disrupt entrenched assumptions about desirability and relevance. They model a version of aging that includes pleasure rather than retreat from it. Furthermore, women’s sexual pleasure has been demonized by religion and even more so for women of color. So when Goldberg asked who in the audience “got some” in the last few weeks–admittadly– I wasn’t as enthusiastic to raise my hand as when they asked who was looking for investors. I’m willing to bet others felt the same reluctance. This reluctance reflects an underlying truth when it comes to sex. Even when we are given permission to openly discuss it an inner bell goes off to warn us that the moment is unsafe. 2026 Goals: Jump out of my seat the next time someone asks if I got any.
My sex life aside, the resonance was personal for many attendees. The room buzzed with women reflecting on their own reluctance and subsequent empowerment drawn from Goldberg’s subtly-hostile takeover, on a stage previously dominated by men discussing over-saturation and capital-raising nonetheless.
As Goldberg and her business partners advocated for sexual wellness products in the cannabis space, they were also implicitly participating in a larger policy evolution. The broader cannabis industry has often marketed itself as progressive, yet its leadership demographics have not consistently reflected that aspiration.The inclusion of intimacy products in regulated markets signals a maturation of cannabis beyond its recreational stereotype. It suggests an acknowledgment that cannabis can intersect with real aspects of adult life… including sex, without sensationalism, but with lots of euphemism.
Destigmatizing Cannabis, One Bedroom at a Time
Now let’s talk about cannabis: a formerly demonized substance, making its way into the bedrooms or backseats of middle-aged, middle to upper-income women. Is this the shift we need to adjust attitudes and eliminate stigmas from the “top” down? It’s a fact that said attitudes exist due to the infamous War on Drugs and prevail due to classism and ignorance around the plant. If you were a Breaking Bad fan you may recall Walter White’s wife Skyler White who had an over-the-top reaction to her dying husband buying weed. Her character embodied the essence of what I imagine many middle class women endure: an ignorant and skewed interpretation of the plant and its implications. Little did Skyler know some canna-lube and an L (joint, jay, etc.) may have been the key to her marital distress.
Sexual discussions amongst women over 40 often parallel many of the stigma associated with the plant. Even down to the criminalization of pre-marital sex in many cultures. Women have been socially demonized for what society, religion, and yes men, have told us can only happen on their terms. In 2026, women are taking matters into their own hands, and vagina for that matter. The giver of life, yet her adventures are often suppressed within the context of medical journals and child-bearing. So in the spirit of the medical world, let’s explore the nuances of getting a THC based lube on the NJ Market.
How New Jersey Regulates Your Lube
Pleasure, in New Jersey, must first pass inspection. In New Jersey, The CRC evaluates whether a product falls within permissible “manufactured cannabis products,” how it is applied, and whether systemic intoxication is expected. Topicals designed for localized absorption, including intimacy oils, are generally permitted so long as they comply with THC limits and manufacturing protocols.
New Jersey’s regulatory approach has been deliberate. After legalization, the CRC rolled out phased licensing, prioritized social equity applicants, and implemented strict testing protocols. Manufacturers must work with licensed labs to ensure products are free from heavy metals, pesticides, microbial contamination, and residual solvents. For THC-infused lubricants, this scrutiny is particularly relevant. Consumers are increasingly attentive to ingredient transparency in sexual wellness products. Many traditional lubricants contain glycerin, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and petroleum derivatives, components that can disrupt pH balance or cause irritation. A cannabis-infused alternative marketed within a regulated system must meet higher disclosure standards.
IgniteIt: New Jersey highlighted that women’s contributions in cannabis are not confined to social equity narratives; it extends to innovation and market expansion. Women who refuse to treat their own bodies as an afterthought are, thankfully, leading this movement because who needs more men telling us what’s best for our wellness?
For an industry still defining itself and feeling itself, that may be one of its most sexually mature developments yet. However, even sexual wellness products are held to the same standards as any regulated cannabis product. For the novel yet weary cannabis explorers, let’s break down how cannabis products are regulated, specifically in New Jersey.
Cannabis Intimacy by the Book, The CRC
Oversight of any THC-based product falls to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC), the body responsible for licensing cultivators, manufacturers, retailers, and testing laboratories.
Every product sold in a licensed dispensary must pass through: State-approved cultivation or sourcing, licensed manufacturing, mandatory laboratory testing, child-resistant packaging compliance, potency and contaminant disclosure, and marketing restrictions.
Public health advocates emphasize the need for research into localized THC absorption. These considerations underscore that sexual wellness in cannabis cannot simply ride the wave of novelty; it must be grounded in evidence and compliance.
From Parabens to Cannabinoids
Clever branding aside, sexual wellness products invite legitimate scrutiny. Consumers are increasingly ingredient-literate seeking transparency and product safety.
Topical THC products operate differently than inhalable or edible cannabis. Rather than producing systemic intoxication, many are designed to create localized effects, enhanced blood flow, heightened sensitivity, potential relaxation of tissue. The science continues to evolve, but the premise rests on the presence of cannabinoid receptors throughout the body, including in pelvic tissues.
Traditional lubricants often contain Glycerin (which can disrupt vaginal flora), Parabens (linked to hormone disruption concerns), Synthetic fragrances, and Petroleum derivatives–all of which can affect the natural state of a woman’s body. Considering the fragility of PH Levels and much of the cannabis industry’s affinity towards natural ingredients, the move in this direction may signify an improvement in the quality of feminine products available.
Under New Jersey regulations, any THC-infused product must: Disclose cannabinoid concentration, pass contaminant screening (heavy metals, pesticides, microbes), avoid unverified medical claims, and comply with packaging and labeling requirements.
Manufacturers must submit products for laboratory analysis before they ever reach a retail shelf. This is not Etsy wellness culture. It is a controlled commercial ecosystem that shapes how sexual wellness products enter the market.
Why Sexual Wellness Makes Business Sense
From a business standpoint, women over 50 represent a powerful and under-targeted demographic. They possess purchasing power, health literacy, and growing curiosity about alternative wellness products; and if the cannabis industry hopes to mature beyond its recreational stereotype, it must diversify product categories. Thus, the expansion into sexual wellness is not simply cultural, it is economic. It diversifies revenue streams for manufacturers and retailers operating within the state’s compliance framework.
The global sex toy market (a major category of intimacy products) was valued at about $26.9 B in 2025 and is expected to grow to over $54 B by 2035, roughly double over the next decade. Women are a key consumer base, making up about 52% of demand globally (Global Growth Insights, 2026).
In the U.S., women hold a majority share: around 58% of the sex toy market, and are increasingly identified as primary buyers, especially as acceptance of female pleasure increases (Market.US, 2026). This suggests that Women have an inherent credibility and advantage when it comes to the sex industry. This is almost unheard of in any other market.
The Responsibility Factor, Intentional Pleasure, Accountable Industry
When it was all said and done, Goldberg’s emphasis was not on sex, but product efficacy and the responsibility of the industry to create safe products that do what they are intended to do.
“Create products that actually work. Ineffective products tarnish the industry.” exclaimed Goldberg.
What these women did on stage was significant: They unpacked the notion that women over 50 are uninterested in sex. That libido does not adhere to cultural timelines. That pleasure can be intentional. Women deserve agency in their sexual lives and cannabis can be part of that continued sexual journey.
Whoopi wasn’t the only woman trailblazing at the IgniteIt: New Jersey Spotlight. Here are a few other brilliant women dominating from New Jersey to New York.
“If we don’t figure out how AI can propel and help our business grow we’re gonna be behind the eight ball.”—Dr. Roz McCarthy, Founder/CEO Black Buddha Cannabis & M4MM
“Women have a $3.3 Trillion revenue and are 10% better earners than men. We might be worth the risk.”—Faye Coleman, Co-Founder & CEO Pure Genesis
“As markets mature, brands really need to start investing in the markets and investing behind their brand for their brand to actually sell.”—Kate Miller, Co-Founder & CEO Miss Grass
“Being in the Cannabis Space, we have the opportunity to change people’s perspectives and to create products that help people live better.” —Davina Kaonohi, Beauty Evolution
Author Bio:
Fame “Noel” Neal is an NY-based impact & content strategist with a passion for fostering community partnerships, building unique brands, & creating buzz-worthy communications.