Over the past decade, the smoke shop and cannabis industries have undergone tremendous growth and transformation. Similarly, the adult products industry has emerged from a shadowy past, gained public acceptance, and become an exciting addition to the mainstream health and wellness category. Maia Toys, established in Los Angeles in 2010, has been at the forefront of this transformation, revolutionizing the sexual wellness industry with their innovative and high-quality selection of products.
Lisa Hanna, the President of Sales at Maia Toys, recognized the company’s commitment to quality products when she joined the team in 2017. However, she also realized that the designs and packaging were outdated. To rebrand and modernize the company’s image, Hanna incorporated magnetic closure boxes that allowed customers easy access to the product. Maia even includes testers with orders, so that retailers can display specific products to be seen, touched and felt.
“Our approach is ‘Apple-like,’ with clean white packaging that can go into any kind of retail location,” Hanna says. “The aim is to provide high-end appeal at a reasonable price, making Maia products accessible to everyone.”
Maia Toys’ extensive catalog includes bullets, vibrators, wands, dongs and dildos, anal toys and prostate massagers, erection enhancers, and masturbators. While the company originally catered primarily to women, they now offer something for every gender, demographic, and sexual fetish.
A recent survey found that people’s most common reasons for using pleasure products are for fun or to revitalize their sex lives. Similarly, many cannabis users have reported similar motivations, including enjoyment, experimentation, and social enhancement.
Recognizing the commonalities between the two communities, Maia Toys launched a 420 collection of cannabis-themed pleasure products.
They started with two simple vibrating bullets and have since expanded their product line to cater to various sexual needs. For instance, their Maui rabbit-style vibrator features a clitoral stimulator shaped like a cannabis leaf that provides more contact with the sensitive area. The Marlie wand boasts a silicone head adorned with small cannabis leaves that enhance clitoral stimulation, while their anal play kit includes butt plugs known as Doobies, which have leaf-shaped bases to prevent them from going too far. Another popular item is the Jessi 420, a 10-function mini bullet vibrator in emerald green with hemp leaf patterns.
Mia’s latest innovation is the Vaporator, the world’s first smokable 420-friendly vibrator that features 20 high-speed vibration functions and can accept 510 thread cartridges, allowing for a seamless switch between vaping and vibrating.
Maia’s mission is to bring pleasure and fun to the masses. They believe that retailers catering to the counterculture should embrace the sale of adult toys, as it presents a new opportunity to generate revenue without competing with the other smoke shop products. In short, if you’re in the business of providing good times, why not offer a little something extra to help your customers take things to the next level?
“Most everybody has sex, and now people are consuming cannabis in different ways, so there’s no reason why an adult toy should be out of place in a smoke shop,” Hanna says.
“Everybody’s looking to broaden their horizons and make more money in their stores. Adult products, like liquor and cigarettes, are recession-proof,” Hanna adds. “[Adult products] aren’t dirty or disgusting. To me, they’re nothing more than just another SKU.”
