Menopause symptoms can be very traumatic and debilitating for some women but marijuana could be the answer to controlling the bad symptoms.
According to a new study that was presented at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), more women are increasingly using cannabis to treat night sweats, hot flashes, insomnia and other symptoms, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Midlife Women Veterans Health Survey had over 230 women involved and over half had reported experiencing hot flashes, night sweats and genitourinary symptoms. About 30 per cent reported insomnia.
The study found that roughly 60 (or 27%) of the women reported using cannabis to cope with their symptoms and another 10 per cent expressed interest in pursuing cannabis as a possible treatment option. Less than 20 per cent of the women involved in the study said they were using traditional treatments to address menopause symptoms, including hormone therapy.
Hot flashes and night sweats were the most common reasons for consuming cannabis according to the study’s findings.
“These findings suggest that cannabis use to manage menopause symptoms may be relatively common,” said Carolyn Gibson, a psychologist and health services researcher at San Francisco VA (Veteran Affairs) Health Care System and lead author of the study.
“However, we do not know whether cannabis use is safe or effective for menopause symptom management or whether women are discussing these decisions with their healthcare providers — particularly in the VA, where cannabis is considered an illegal substance under federal guidelines. This information is important for healthcare providers, and more research in this area is needed,” Gibson added.
According to Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director, the study “highlights a somewhat alarming trend and the need for more research relative to the potential risks and benefits of cannabis use for the management of bothersome menopause symptoms.”
