A growing body of evidence suggests that women going through menopause or perimenopause are turning to medicinal cannabis for alleviation of their symptoms.
On the other hand, there are many who believe the reported rates of therapeutic cannabis usage by postmenopausal women may be exaggerated. Experts say that CBD oil may be a safer option to medical cannabis for menopausal symptoms, despite the fact that medical cannabis may provide some alleviation.
Increasing evidence reveals that women are turning to medicinal cannabis for help from menopause and perimenopause symptoms. About one-quarter of female veterans in the year 2020 used cannabis to alleviate menopausal symptoms.
More women may be turning to medicinal cannabis during menopause and perimenopause than was previously thought, according to new research published in the Journal Menopause.
However, authorities warn that it is still not entirely clear how cannabis affects menopausal symptoms including anxiety, sadness, sleep disturbances, and pain. Inquiring about medicinal cannabis usage for menopausal symptoms and making evidence-based advice for symptom management should be standard practise for healthcare practitioners.
More and more women are turning to medical marijuana for help with the symptoms of menopause.
More than 250 premenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women were enrolled in the new research after responding to adverts promoting women’s health and cannabis. Nearly eighty-three percent of the study’s subjects reported using medicinal cannabis at least monthly to alleviate menopausal symptoms.
The survey found that the most prevalent reasons for using cannabis were to improve sleep and mood/anxiety disorders. Eighty-four percent of individuals reported using cannabis in the form of smoking to alleviate their symptoms, while 78% used edibles.
Though the results may seem encouraging at first glance, the study is inherently biassed because participants were selected based on their prior interest in cannabis. It does, however, raise the crucial issue of the hardships that women face throughout menopause without official medical support.
Menopausal women’s usage of medical cannabis
The use of cannabis for the treatment of menopausal symptoms is quite rare. Unfortunately, there is currently no information available about the safety or effectiveness of this process. Patients need to be aware that there are more tried and true treatments, such as hormone therapy, and that this medicine is something that has to be discussed with a doctor.
The menopause may be a difficult time for women, but a study from 2020 found that 1 in 4 female veterans have used cannabis to help with the symptoms. In fact, the study’s authors discovered that cannabis usage was more common among women experiencing menopausal symptoms than hormone treatment or other conventional methods.
It’s concerning since hormone therapy is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, and the benefits usually exceed the dangers for women in their 50s who are within a decade of menopause.
Some thoughts on how medical cannabis on menopausal discomfort.
Numerous physiological systems are known to be regulated by the endocannabinoid system, which is triggered by plant-based cannabinoids including CBD and THC. Systems like those involved in:
Pain perception
This includes: body temperature, memory, emotion, appetite, stress, sleep, metabolism, and immune response.
Reproduction
Medical cannabis is used to treat a variety of conditions, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women.
The amygdala controls our feelings, actions, and drives. These are amplified during menopause. Ingesting cannabis, in whatever form, inhibits this reaction, resulting in reduced anxiety and despair.
Although THC is commonly associated with sleepy highness, it has been shown to have the opposite effect on certain users, especially those who are either inexperienced with cannabis or who consume larger doses than typical.
Conversely, CBD appears to promote attentiveness at lower dosages. However, may cause drowsiness at higher doses. However, there is a lack of high-quality clinical evidence supporting the use of CBD-containing products in the vaginal or vulvar tissues for the treatment of vaginal dryness.
CBD as a substitute for weed
THC and other cannabinoids, including CBD, connect to specific brain receptors that regulate functions including learning, memory, and pain. Women who are going through menopause typically find relief from common symptoms of menopause for just that reason.
Some CBD manufacturers have begun to cater to the special demands of this expanding market by infusing their products with things like hibiscus, sage, and other natural plants that have been helping menopausal women find comfort for thousands of years.
Further study is still needed
Experts have emphasised that the supposed advantages of using cannabis to alleviate menopausal symptoms require additional investigation. Experts are hesitant to recommend using cannabis with THC for this reason since there has not been sufficient study into the use of cannabis for menopausal symptoms.
CBD, a benign and non-psychoactive chemical found in cannabis, is responsible for most of the therapeutic advantages experienced by medical cannabis patients. It’s likely that women taking cannabis for menopause are getting the advantages of the CBD, while unnecessarily dosing themselves with THC.
People undergoing menopause attempt CBD to assist reduce their symptoms instead of cannabis products containing THC.
Takeaway
There has been a rise in the use of medicinal cannabis in Australia to alleviate the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.
Some experts, however, argue that this estimate may be too high, and they warn that there is still a lack of data on the topic of safety and efficacy.
Hormone therapy is now the treatment of choice; however, some professionals may consider using CBD products as an alternative until more thorough study is completed. Consult your doctor about the safest treatment choices if you are having symptoms related to menopause or perimenopause.
To know more about where to buy medical cannabis in Australia and other medical marijuana resources, you should book a consultation session with a professional from Chronic Therapy today.
