Cannabis in Menopause

A study from the University of Alberta surveyed roughly 1,500 women aged 35 or older. The average age was 49, and 35% of women were postmenopausal and 33% perimenopausal.

Results showed that 34% of women were presently using cannabis, with 66% indicating they had previously used it. Of the current users, more than three-quarters were using it for medical purposes, and 74% found it valuable for their symptoms.

The most common medical reasons reported for current cannabis use were insomnia (65%), anxiety (45%) and muscle/joint pain (33%). 

The research showed that some women use cannabis for symptoms experienced during menopause. Further research is required to assess the safety and efficacy of cannabis for managing menopause symptoms. 

Data from the British Menopause Society (BMS) shows menopausal symptoms affect over 75% of women—more than 25% of whom report severe symptoms. Typical symptoms comprise anxiety, low mood, depression, insomnia, poor memory and brain fog. And last an average of seven years, with one in three women experiencing symptoms beyond this.

The standard treatment for menopause symptoms is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Menopause and perimenopause symptoms have historically been badly understood or recognised by the traditional healthcare system, with numerous women reporting that they felt unsupported by their GP, explaining why some are looking for alternative options. 

Last year the North American Menopause Society published its findings, indicating that it is becoming more common for women to turn to medical cannabis to relieve menopause-related symptoms. 

In a study of over 250 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, the results implied that 86% presently use cannabis as a natural remedy for menopause-related symptoms via various modes of ingestion.

"We have cannabinoid receptors throughout our female reproductive tract and the brain area that deals with the stress response. This is called the HPA axis, which controls how the brain talks to the ovaries.

"By introducing a high-CBD during the day and then a little bit of THC to help with sleep at night, the perimenopausal symptom clusters respond well because CBD can help reduce the stress response."- Dr Dani Gordon, specialist in cannabinoid medicine.