Dr. Sanjay Gupta Explores Cannabis and Perimenopause in New Documentary
Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores why more women are turning to cannabis to manage menopause symptoms, from sleep issues to chronic pain, as research continues to evolve. Video source: CNN Health
A new installment in Weed is turning its focus to a demographic increasingly shaping the cannabis conversation: women navigating midlife health.
In “Weed 8: Women and Weed,” Sanjay Gupta examines whether cannabis could play a role in managing symptoms linked to perimenopause, including sleep disruption, mood changes, and chronic discomfort.
The documentary arrives as women become one of the fastest-growing groups of cannabis users in the United States, with some reports suggesting they have recently outpaced men. The shift, Gupta suggests, reflects a broader search for alternatives where conventional treatments may fall short.
“Over the past year, I’ve traveled across the country filming the eighth installment in this decade-plus-long series. This latest chapter focuses on women and weed — a natural progression, and one that felt overdue,” Dr. Gupta said, CNN reported.
Across the program, Gupta speaks with patients, physicians, and researchers to better understand how cannabis is being used in real-world settings — particularly in areas where clinical guidance remains inconsistent. The documentary also raises questions about safety, dosage, and the lack of standardized medical frameworks for cannabis use in women’s health.
Gupta said that many featured participants had tried other treatments without success and reported finding relief only with cannabis.
“What I immediately learned was that cannabis has become a lifeline for countless women who feel unseen by conventional medicine. They are grandmothers trying to ease the side effects of cancer treatment, athletes managing endometriosis, teachers navigating the sleeplessness and mood swings of menopause,” he added.
The release builds on Gupta’s long-running exploration of cannabis science and policy, a topic he has revisited multiple times over the past decade. See our previous coverage of Gupta’s earlier weed documentary here.
While the film stops short of offering definitive answers, it underscores a growing shift toward including cannabis in women’s health conversations.
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Stephen Andrews
