Cannabis as a Potential Solution for Menopause Symptom Management

Presently, the fastest-growing cannabis user demographic comprises women and individuals aged 50 and above. Furthermore, a recent study affirms that midlife women frequently turn to cannabis to alleviate various menopause symptoms (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cannabis use for menopause in women aged 35 and over: a cross-sectional survey on usage patterns and perceptions in Alberta, Canada

Go to source). With rapidly //expanding legalization and normalization, recreational and medical cannabis use is increasing across all age groups. Past research largely focused on usage habits by men and younger adults. However, until now, little was known about the prevalence or characteristics of cannabis use among women in and after the menopause transition.

A new study based on data from more than 5,000 midlife women has sought to address this information gap by analyzing the frequency, forms, and motives of cannabis use by primarily postmenopausal women.

Cannabis Usage Trends Among Midlife Women

Based on the results, the researchers concluded that cannabis use is relatively common in midlife women. Over 40% reported ever using cannabis for recreational or therapeutic purposes, most often to treat chronic pain (28%), anxiety (24%), sleep problems (22%), and stress (22%).

More than 10% of study participants had used cannabis in the past 30 days, most often smoking (56%), ingesting edible products (52%), or using cannabis in more than one form (39%). Among those with past 30-day use, 31% reported smoking cannabis on a daily or near-daily basis, while 19% reported daily or near-daily use of edible cannabis products.

“We know that cannabis products are being marketed to women to manage menopause symptoms, and these findings suggest that midlife women are turning to cannabis for menopause symptoms and other common issues in the menopause transition. But we still do not know if use is actually helping for those symptoms, or if it may be contributing to other challenges.” says Dr. Carolyn Gibson, lead author and health services researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.

“These findings highlight the need for recognizing and discussing cannabis use in the healthcare setting” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society. “Additional research is needed to evaluate the potential harms and/or benefits of use.”

Reference:

1. Cannabis use for menopause in women aged 35 and over: a cross-sectional survey on usage patterns and perceptions in Alberta, Canada - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10314536/)

Source-Eurekalert