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As the medical use of marijuana evolves and the negative stigma surrounding it diminishes, many are starting to understand the health benefits marijuana can have. The public, physicians and mental health experts are now turning to cannabis as an alternative to various traditional methods of medicine and as time goes on and further studies evolve the evidence grows stronger that cannabis is a valuable medical outlet.
Specifically women have a lot to gain from the use of cannabis and the medicinal benefits it can have on an array of different ailments women suffer from. Women’s bodies are constantly changing, which presents unique health challenges from things like menstruation, menopause and hormonal imbalances. History has shown women have been using cannabis for health problems for some time yet many are still unsure about its medical benefits due to the age old stigma of marijuana use. Here we’ll dive into weed effects on women’s health, the medical benefits and history of marijuana effects on women’s health.
A Brief History
Cannabis and Women’s Health
The first reference of the effects marijuana has on women’s health dates back to the Mesopotamia era where women were known to blend cannabis with things like mint and saffron creating a botanical agent known as Azallu, which was used to help with menstrual pains. It has also been found that in places such as China , Persia, Israel/Palestine and Syria cannabis was used for various pain associated with women, such as cramps, bloating, abnormal bleeding, menopausal symptoms and UTIs. Some European countries also used cannabis to help with the pain of child birth, they would grind up cannabis into honey then use it in the vaginal area to help reduce swelling and pain.
Dating back as far as the 19th century the likes of Queen Victoria used cannabis tinctures to help ease the pain of her cramps. The queen’s doctor John Russell Reynolds who had traveled throughout the Indian subcontinent had learned from century old remedies and believed in the power cannabis had on pain. For 30 years he worked with the plant and he described it as a great service for spasmodic dysmennorhoea. In 1883 the British Medical Journal published two letters regarding the treatment of heavy bleeding with cannabis. One physician tested cannabis during clinical trials for period pain claiming “The failures are so few, that I venture to call it a specific in menorrhagia.” Another physician who was practicing in India claimed that a cannabis tincture was “par excellence” for managing heavy bleeding and could help doctors tell the difference between a bad period and an early miscarriage.
Even before that in the earlier 11th century, women in Europe would use a cannabis like ointment to help reduce the swelling of breasts during premenstrual swollen due to weeds anti-inflammatory properties. Pots effect on women’s health can date even further back from then the Mayan and Aztec era, women would soak in medicinal herbs which included cannabis to help with their menstrual relief.
Cannabis and Gynecological Health
When we consume cannabis it interacts with what is known as our endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a regulatory system that regulates a variety of functions within the body, things like mood, metabolism, appetite, immune system response and pain are just some of the areas the ECS regulates. The ECS is also a huge factor when it comes to playing a part in the female reproductive processes. Our ECS is able to regulate these functions through endocannabinoids which binds to cannabinoid receptors both in the brain, nervous system and immune system. When something goes wrong or becomes unbalanced our ECS jumps into action by creating endocannabinoids, which then come together with cannabinoid receptors.
When these two combine a reaction occurs to bring a better balance so that the issue occurring can return to normal. Unfortunately for some their ECS has a lack of endocannabinoids which leads to an imbalance within the body and can cause certain health problems down the road.
This is where we introduce cannabis and the over 100 different types of cannabinoids it contains, known as phytocannabinoids. When we consume cannabis our endocannabinoids get some well needed assistance, as the cannabis derived cannabinoids are able to provide similar functions that our natural endocannabinoids are as well, interacting directly with the body’s cannabinoid receptors. This direct relation between cannabis cannabinoids and our ECS indicates that those cannabinoids that come from cannabis can directly help with a series of reproductive issues that are caused by a deficiency of endocannabinoids. This directly links weed effects on women’s health.
Cannabis and Menstruation
Menstruation pain occurs prior to a woman’s period and during, with the pain usually worse during the first few days of it occurring. The pain can be associated with a variety of symptoms such as abdominal cramps, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue and muscle spasms. These symptoms can be quite intense depending on the individual an are dealt with using pain relief medications, that can have minimal effect and is harder on the body long term. This is why many women are turning to cannabis to help deal with their menstrual pains.
It is well documented that cannabis is a strong tool for its anti-inflammation effects, these anti-inflammatory effects can directly contribute to helping ease menstrual issues in women. These anti-inflammatory effects can directly help with lowering the pain of inflammation in the uterus. So when asking does weed help period cramps, the answer is yes!
When treating menstrual pain with cannabis it directs back to the cannabinoids within the cannabis plant and how they interact with the endocannabinoid system. There are cannabinoids receptors located throughout many cells in the uterus, which strongly suggests that the success that cannabis has with treating menstrual pain is directly related to the ECS and the role ECS and cannabis can have on the management of dysmenorrhea-related pain. Cannabis has also shown strong signs of helping suppress nausea and vomiting which is commonly associated with women during menstruation. Cannabis has a long history of helping ease both nausea and vomiting and although there is no direct study towards menstrual nausea and cannabis, it is believed that cannabis would have the same effects as it does on normal nausea symptoms.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is the growth of uterine tissue outside of the uterus, located either on the fallopian tubes, ovaries or the surrounding tissue. For women who suffer from endometriosis the most common symptom is pain, spotting between periods, digestive issues and possibly infertility. It has been found that women with endometriosis are deficient in CB1 which is a endocannabinoid receptor, this means the ECS is not functioning properly. Cannabis can help produce more CB1 receptors helping stimulation throughout the ECS , it can also help with the reduction of inflammation and pain which are common with those with endometriosis. This is another strong reason why women smoking weed is a good for their body.
Cannabis and Menopause
Pot effects on women’s health doesn’t stop at younger women, it has great benefits for women in their older years as well. When women begin to experience menopause their body begins to go through a plethora of changes such as hot flashes, mood swings, pain, fatigue, osteoporosis and insomnia. These effects can take quite a toll on a women’s body and mental health and this is where cannabis can play a big role.
Research surrounding menopause and cannabis is still developing and has only been conducted on a limited basis, this however doesn’t mean cannabis cannot help with the various symptoms menopause brings on. Some research has even pointed to early-onset menopause being directly related to a lack of endocannabinoids in the body, this is due to the close link between both the ECS and estrogen. Though cannabis and menopause may not have a direct correlation, women smoking weed has been proven in many ways to help deal with the various symptoms experienced during menopause.
Insomnia is a big drawback of experiencing menopause and can have a big influence on a women’s daily life. Cannabis has proven that it can help influence sleep for the better. When consuming cannabis the main cannabinoid THC has show that it can how long it takes one to fall asleep and reduce the amount of times you awake throughout the night. Also when you consume high levels of THC it has shown to help reduce body temperature which can also contribute to dealing with common hot flashes. Moods swings are another common occurrence during menopause and cannabis can directly influence those as well. Research has shown when intense moods come on due to menopause cannabis can help level our the ECS helping keep emotional functions more balanced and lower the risk of a women falling into depression. Last but not least, cannabis has been known to encourage better bone regulation helping reduce the rusk of osteoporosis which follows during postmenopausal women.
Cannabis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an imbalance of reproductive hormones which leads to an excess of androgen levels, this results in problems with ovaries and irregular menstrual periods. Though the cause of PCOS isn’t clear the increase in insulin created by the pancreas may be the reason for the higher levels of androgen. With no cure for PCOS cannabis has been researched into possibly helping and treating PCOS. Those with PCOS have shown signs that their endocannabinoid system might not be working correctly, this is due directly to the high insulin levels in women with PCOS. Using cannabinoids from cannabis could potentially help repair the ECS which then would result in a lowering of insulin levels in women with PCOS, and potentially treating or repairing damage done by PCOS. Further research needs to be conducted however to come a definitive conclusion.
Women Smoking Weed
The evidence continues to point towards women using cannabis as a useful tool in the fight against many issues women come across in their life, though more direct research is needed. If you are looking for products that can help you we recommend trying various products Haute.Health has to offer, such as Cannabis Flower, Cannabis Concentrate and even Wholesale Cannabis if you are looking to stock up.
