Using cannabis can have a big impact on your physical and mental health—for better and, once in a while, for worse. That’s why it’s important to consult a healthcare provider before experimenting.
Here at GreenState, cannabis clinician Dr. Leigh Vinocur is here to answer your questions on healthy living with cannabis.
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Editor’s Note: The answer to this question is meant to supplement, not replace, advice, diagnoses, and treatment from a healthcare provider. Always consult a medical professional when using cannabis for medicinal purposes, and do not disregard the advice of your healthcare provider because of anything you may read in this article.
Q) Can cannabis help with my menopause symptoms?
A) Interestingly, for thousands of years throughout history, women have used cannabis for a variety of obstetrical and gynecological issues. Famous cannabis researcher Dr. Ethan Russo wrote a book on the topic called Women and Cannabis: Medicine, Science, and Sociology. He states one of the earliest reference dates to Ancient Mesopotamia, around the 7th century B.C.E. These ancient manuscripts described the mixing of hemp seed with other things for female ailments, such as painful menses and/or childbirth.
In the 19th century, after Dr. William Brooke O’Shaughnessy brought Cannabis indica from India to Europe, it became part of the Western pharmacopeia. Dr. J. Russell Reynolds, the private physician of Queen Victoria, wrote about it and supposedly used it monthly to relieve her bad menstrual cramps.
What science says about cannabis and menopause
We know that our endocannabinoid system (ECS) helps to regulate our emotions, sleep, and temperature as well as influencing our reproductive and cardiovascular system. And there have been animal studies that show estrogen can interact with and modulate our ECS. Therefore, it makes sense that cannabis, which interacts with our ECS, could help with some of the typical symptoms that women have during menopause. Additionally, studies find that anandamide, one of our endocannabinoids, is involved in regulating the biochemical pathways related to dilating blood vessels that contribute to common symptoms such as hot flashes seen in menopause.
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About 80 percent of menopausal women experience at least one symptom that disrupts their quality of life. The top three symptoms that women complain about during menopause are sleep disturbances, anxiety/mood swings, and hot flashes. While all can be interrelated, hot flashes and night sweats, also called the vasomotor symptoms of menopause, greatly contribute to the lack of sleep, which then, in turn, can worsen or cause the anxiety and mood swings women feel during menopause.
A study published in 2022 in the journal Menopause from a survey of 258 women found that 67 percent were using cannabis to help them sleep at night, and 46 percent said it helped with their mood and anxiety. About 13 percent reported that they used it for hot flashes, with 12.6 percent reporting that it helped with night sweats. And there are corroborating studies that back up these experiences. Studies done in both animals and humans found that cannabinoids can cause blood vessels to relax, thus disrupting the vasomotor symptoms that a deficiency of estrogen causes during menopause.
A larger survey of 1761 women was done in Canada which has legalized cannabis in the whole country. This recent study was published in 2023 in the British Medical Journal, and it found many women were using cannabis for menopausal symptoms, with similar results. About 65 percent stated they were using it to help them sleep, and 45 percent were using it for the associated anxiety.
While the medical community still feels we need more evidence to recommend medical cannabis for menopausal symptoms, there is much anecdotal evidence that looks promising. And it is appealing to women who worry about the potential risks that can be associated with hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause.
But just like with any medical condition, it is important to discuss medical cannabis with your healthcare providers before you use it to ensure it is right for you, as well as discuss any potential risks related to this treatment modality.
Got cannabis questions? Ask Doctor Leigh. Send your questions to GreenState’s Editor at editor@greenstate.com and keep an eye out for new answers from Dr. Leigh Vinocur every month.
Dr. Leigh Vinocur is a board-certified emergency physician who also has a cannabis consulting practice for patients and industry. She is a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and a graduate of the inaugural class, with the first Master of Science in the country in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
The response to this question was not written or edited by GreenState. The author is solely responsible for the content.