LOS ANGELES – Securing a trademark is no small undertaking. Reams of forms, hours of research into existing marks and potential conflicts and legal hoops to jump through abound. And then, there’s the expense.

Having survived all of that with the help of attorney Steven M. Levy of Accent Law Group, cannabis-friendly sexuality educator Ashley Manta was pleased — and a little awestruck — when she received notification she secured the U.S. trademark CannaSexual.

“It felt surreal to open an envelope from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and see my idea, my creation, listed on a page with an official seal,” she said. “I could not be more thrilled that this idea I had to educate about sex and cannabis would blossom into a sustainable business.

“This trademark is groundbreaking and will hopefully pave the way for future growth in the adult and cannabis worlds,” she added.

According to Manta, who coined the term in 2014, a CannaSexual is anyone who mindfully and deliberately combines sex and cannabis to deepen intimacy and enhance pleasure whether solo or partnered.

The concept grew from personal experience: As a sexual trauma survivor, she experienced pain with penetration and found using a THC-infused spray on her vulva before sex helped decrease discomfort and increase pleasure. (THC is the naturally occurring psychotropic compound in cannabis.) The discovery led Manta on a path of discovery that took her to speaking engagements at events and conferences across the country. She has written or contributed to more than 100 articles about sex and cannabis in publications including DOPE Magazine, Leafly and Sexual Health. She has been quoted in Teen Vogue, Redbook and High Times and on websites including Mashable, Vocativ, Refinery29 and VICE.

“After spending time at [the] ANME [Founders trade show] last month, I am more convinced than ever that both industries have a long and prosperous future of cross-pollination,” Manta said. “I saw manufacturers showcasing their hemp CBD [non-psychoactive] beauty and sexual wellness products right alongside online retailers and brick-and-mortar shops who carry smoke shop items like pipes and vaporizers in addition to toys and lube. Sex and cannabis can pair so well together, and I’m overjoyed to be at the forefront of the movement to promote education and mindful consumption as a CannaSexual.”

Manta said the CannaSexual brand is body-positive, gender-inclusive and queer-friendly; it welcomes all people from all walks of life. She is scheduled to offer CannaSexual advice sponsored by Foria from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 12-13 during the upcoming Emerald Exchange in Malibu, Calif. She also will offer mini-workshops and one-on-one consultations Aug. 26 from 1-5 p.m. at Constellations—Past, Present, Future in Long Beach, Calif.

For more information, visit CannaSexual.com or follow Manta on social media: Twitter @ashleymanta, Instagram @ashleymanta and @CannaSexual, and Facebook.