Women are using cannabis to manage their menopause symptoms, a new study found, highlighting the need to determine its effectiveness.
The study of more than 5,000 women found more than 40 percent reported ever using cannabis for recreational or therapeutic reasons, which included chronic pain (28%), anxiety (24%), sleep problems (22%) and stress (22%). Among the 6% of women who said they’ve used cannabis specifically for menopause symptoms, mood and sleep difficulties were most often cited.
“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.
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More than 60% of the respondents said they only used cannabis recreationally; a quarter reported both recreational and medical use, and 13% said they only used it to manage symptoms or chronic health conditions.
About 10 percent said they had used cannabis within the last 30 days, with slightly more smoking it than using edible products. Of the smokers, however, 31% reported near daily use, compared to 19% of the edible users.
The paper was presented at last week’s Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society.
“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.”