Can Cannabis Use Help Manage Menopause Symptoms?

Who would’ve guessed that women and adults aged 50 years and older represent the fastest-growing population of cannabis users? Middle-aged women use cannabis to manage symptoms that accompany menopause, according to a poster presentation at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Menopause Society held September 27 to 30, in Philadelphia, PA.

With the legalization and normalization of recreational and medical marijuana, use is increasing across all age groups, however, research has focused solely on men and younger adults. Until now, there has been little research on the prevalence of cannabis use among women in perimenopause and postmenopause.

Data taken from 5000 women analyzed the frequency, forms, and motives of cannabis use by postmenopausal women. Results indicated that cannabis use is common in women in this stage of life. More than 40% of participants reported using cannabis for recreational or therapeutic purposes, most often to treat chronic pain (28%), anxiety (24%), sleep problems (22%), and stress (22%). Six percent of women reported using cannabis for menopause symptoms, specifically mood and sleep difficulties.

“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,” said Carolyn Gibson, PhD, lead author of the study and health services researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. “We still do not know if use is actually helping for those symptoms, or if it may be contributing to other challenges,” she said in a press release.

According to the study, over the past 30 days, more than 10% of participants reported using cannabis: 56% via smoking, 52% consumed edible products, and 39% used more than one form of cannabis. Of the participants who reported 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.

Stephanie Faubion, MD, medical director for The Menopause Society said that the study findings suggest the “need for recognizing and discussing cannabis use in the health care setting.” She concluded that additional research is needed to determine the harms of benefits of using cannabis.

This article originally appeared on Clinical Advisor