As more women seek natural solutions for managing menopause, their menstrual cycle, and hormonal changes, interest in cannabis for menopause and women’s health support is on the rise. Some menopausal and perimenopausal women say cannabis offers relief from things like mood swings, sleep issues, hot flashes, and more. Women still regularly menstruating report cannabis use helps manage symptoms like cramps, period pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Whether you're navigating menopause or other phases of your reproductive cycle, cannabis may provide a natural approach to promoting wellbeing. In this article, we’ll explore the potential of cannabis for menopause and women’s health support, with a focus on how it may influence reproductive health, support hormone regulation, and help manage a myriad of symptoms.
The Potential Promise of Cannabis for Menopause and Women’s Health Support
The history of cannabis and women spans centuries, used widely by various cultures worldwide for menstrual cramps, childbirth, postpartum hemorrhage, breast pain, and other women’s health and reproductive issues. The earliest record of cannabis and women’s health dates back to 7th century Mesopotamia, where Assyrian herbal healing therapies describe using a mix of hemp seeds and other herbs for various female problems, including difficulty during childbirth (hemp seeds + agents in beer), menses (hemp seeds + mint and saffron), and other unspecified female conditions. Increased medical and recreational legalization has skyrocketed social acceptance and therapeutic cannabis use. Today more women than ever are turning to cannabis for women’s health, including natural symptom support during all phases of the reproduction cycle, whether during menopause, perimenopause, or their monthly cycle.
What is Women’s Health?
Women’s health is wide reaching, encompassing the entire female lifetime. It typically refers to the menstrual cycle, reproductive health, hormone regulation, and hormonal changes, influencing everything from energy, mood, and focus to heart health and bone density. Certain hormones, including estrogen and progesterone play a large role in women’s health, helping to maintain balanced health and wellbeing. Hormone levels fluctuate during different periods of a woman’s lifetime, leading to most menstrual, perimenopause, and menopause symptoms. During menopause there’s a dramatic estrogen, which happens in three phases:
Perimenopause
This is the phase leading up to menopause when a woman experiences changes in her menstrual cycle as estrogen levels in the ovaries start to slowly decline. Menstrual cycles start to change, becoming longer or shorter and/or less or more frequent. The length of perimenopause is different for everyone, lasting anywhere from a couple of months to 2-8 years before menopause.
Menopause
Menopause is when a woman stops having a period for 12 consecutive months, usually around the age of 50 but can occur anytime in the 40s or 50s. It happens when there’s a significant decline in how much estrogen and progesterone the ovaries produce. The drop in estrogen is largely responsible for most menopause symptoms.
Postmenopause
Postmenopause and menopause are sometimes used interchangeably, however, postmenopause is largely considered when estrogen levels have dropped to their lowest and menopause symptoms have subsided. The most common symptoms of menopause include: Mood swings, Hot flashes, Sleep problems, Anxiety, Depression, Vaginal dryness, Incontinence, Low libido, Pain during sex, Cognitive issues (often referred to as “brain fog,” including confusion, difficulty concentrating, trouble making decisions, problems thinking clearly, forgetfulness) many women who use cannabis (either recreationally or medicinally) report it helps relieve some of these symptoms. While more research is needed, there are studies to support cannabis could naturally support menopause and women’s health.
Can Cannabis Support Menopause and Women’s Health?
A 2023 survey of almost 1,500 Canadian women, with an average age of 49, revealed that close to 500 participants were current cannabis users. Among them, 74% reported cannabis helped alleviate menopause-related symptoms, including trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and heightened anxiety. In a 2022 survey of perimenopausal and menopausal American women, 80% say they use (and would recommend) cannabis for symptoms related to menopause, citing sleep support and managing mood and anxiety as the top reasons why. Based on survey results and preclinical research, researchers called for future studies exploring the potential of medical cannabis for menopause symptoms, including a deeper investigation of how unique cannabinoid profiles, consumption methods, and other cannabis compounds may contribute to its efficacy. As more women seek non-conventional therapies for menopause, the potential of cannabis to support sleep, soothe anxiety, and other issues common with menopause is gaining increased attention. It’s the influence of cannabis on the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) largely believed responsible for its promise as a holistic approach to managing menopause and other women’s health issues.
The Influence of the ECS on Menopause and Women’s Health
Responsible for maintaining a vast array of physiological functions, the ECS plays a significant role in women’s reproductive and hormone health throughout all stages of her life. Research has discovered that components of the ECS, including endocannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors, and enzymes are present in the reproductive organs (including the ovaries, uterus, and placenta), follicular fluid, immune cells, and the hypothalamus, their role in fertility, reproduction, and endocrine health. A 2009 study showed the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) is produced in the ovary, and that AEA levels peak around ovulation and decline during menopause. Another study showed AEA levels increase significantly during labor, suggesting the endocannabinoid plays a role in normal labor. While more research is needed, the ECS could significantly impact women’s health at all stages, making cannabis an area of growing interest in women's wellness.
The ECS and the Endocrine System
The endocrine system, made up of various glands throughout the body, is responsible for hormone production and secretion. Menopause is directly connected to changes within the endocrine system, and the ECS interacts closely with the endocrine system. A 2019 study found that endocannabinoids influence endocrine function, suggesting they may play a role in regulating hormonal balance, especially during menopause, meaning cannabis could offer women a natural approach to balancing hormonal changes.
ECS, Cannabinoids and Hormonal Balance
Research shows that CB1 receptors are present throughout glands in the endocrine system, including the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and thyroid. Ultimately, this is why it’s believed cannabinoids may support hormone balance, supporting women through menopause and other phases of their reproductive cycle. A 2021 study also suggests a complex connection between the ECS and the estrogen system, while research from 2018 reports endocannabinoids have a significant impact on the endocrine system and that targeting ECS could support endocrine system activity. A 2022 study While increased research on specific cannabinoids to support menopause and women’s health is needed, their influence to support ECS function means cannabis could play a big role in hormone balance during menopause.
Top 5 Potential Benefits of Using Cannabis to Manage Menopause Symptoms
1. Alleviating Anxiety, Mood Swings, and Depression
While there are few studies on how cannabis may support mood swings, anxiety, and depression in menopause, a large body of evidence highlights its potential to support mental and emotional wellbeing.A 2022 study, for example, found CBD holds potential as an alternative treatment for depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. There’s also the breakthrough 2015 study highlighting CBD has considerable potential as a treatment for multiple anxiety disorders. A recent study published in 2024 says patients with major depressive disorder who were treated with medical cannabis, which typically contains moderate to high levels of THC, report significant reduction in depression severity.
2. Pain Management
With a large body of evidence suggesting various cannabinoids can reduce inflammation and relieve pain, cannabis could help relieve menopause discomfort, such as joint and muscle pain. One study highlighted THC is mostly responsible for the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxing properties of cannabis, and that CBD may contain “significant” analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, noting that CBD works synergistically with THC for enhanced analgesic effects. A 2023 study discovered that both CBD and CBG contain powerful pain-relieving properties (without the psychoactive effects of THC) that may help manage bone pain, a common symptom of menopause that’s caused by a decline in estrogen, which helps maintain bone health. A 2022 study found CBD and CBG may both alleviate pain and inflammation. Researchers of the study noted that CBG specifically may help prevent cartilage degeneration, which is common in the knee joint of menopausal women and believed to be related to estrogen deficiency.
3. Managing Hot Flashes
There’s research to suggest that certain cannabinoids may support temperature regulation, which may help women manage hot flashes during menopause. A 2017 study, for example, noted that THC has a profound, long-lasting effect in reducing body temperature in animal models, but it’s dose dependent. High doses cause hypothermia and low doses cause hyperthermia. Earlier research reveals THC induces hypothermia in rats at 2-5mg/kg, although how this effect works in humans remains unknown. A 2002 study suggests the ECS plays a large role in regulating body temperature because of its influence on the hypothalamus, which contains endocannabinoids and a large concentration of CB1 receptors. This means high dose THC cannabis products, such as RSO tablets and syringes, could offer relief from hot flashes during menopause by lowering body temperature because of THC’s impact on CB1 receptors.
4. Sleep Support
More than half of menopausal women experience sleep issues, including difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night, waking up earlier than desired, and lack of quality sleep. Not only has research found medical cannabis improves sleep in individuals with insomnia, different cannabinoids show to have different effects on sleep. THC at lower doses, for example, may reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, increase deep sleep, and extend total sleep time. A 2019 study on CBD, sleep, and anxiety found CBD improved sleep, but results fluctuated over time. Its calming, anxiolytic properties, however, could support sleep issues related to anxiety during menopause. A 2024 study found CBN, which is often promoted for containing sedative-like properties, might be beneficial for improving overall sleep disturbances. Why more research on sleep disturbances in women experiencing menopause is needed, the way various cannabinoids interact with receptors involved in sleep regulation, show to promote deeper, more refreshing sleep. This means cannabis could be a promising way to naturally restore restful sleep during menopause.
5. Increased Libido and Sexual Health
Over 75% of women experience issues with sexual health during menopause, including loss of libido and difficulty orgasming. It’s largely due to a decline in estrogen levels, which can significantly reduce the desire to have sex or become sexually aroused. A 2023 study of over 800 people that investigated the influence of cannabis use on sexual function and satisfaction found that over 70% experienced increased desire and intensity of orgasms. Researchers also noted that individuals that used cannabis intentionally before having sex experienced increased sexual satisfaction compared to those who didn’t. With cannabinoid receptors in the genitals, it’s suggested that the ability of cannabis to increase blood flow could be largely responsible for increased desire for sex. For menopausal women with a low sex drive, cannabis might help increase libido, sexual desire, and sensation during sex.
Are There Side Effects or Risks Using Cannabis for Menopause?
While cannabis is generally considered safe to use during menopause, it could cause side effects in some consumers, including dry mouth, dizziness, and changes in appetite. Consumers with a low tolerance or new users may experience increased anxiety when consuming THC. Always consult a healthcare provider before using cannabis, especially if you’re taking other medications, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) particularly, as cannabis can interact with some drugs, affecting their efficacy and safety.
Last Thoughts
With more women exploring natural ways to manage menopause, interest in cannabis is rising as a promising choice for symptom relief. From reducing anxiety, depression and pain to supporting sleep, hormone balance, libido, brain fog, and body temperature, cannabis may offer a natural approach to women’s health that benefits the various reproductive stages of the female lifetime. While more research on cannabis and menopause is essential, there is research that supports it could hold potential for managing difficult symptoms during menopause, empowering women to naturally support their wellbeing during this transitional phase of life.