Written by Renata Filiaci

Menopause is not a disease or disorder, but a transitional period and a normal part of aging for women. Although it is not a disease, it can present itself with many symptoms. The menopausal transition can bring hot flashes, trouble sleeping, inflammation, pain during sex, moodiness and irritability, depression, or a combination of these symptoms. Menopause is a point in time 12 months after a woman’s last period. The years leading up to that point, when women may have changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms, are called the menopausal transition or perimenopause. The menopausal transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55. It usually lasts about seven years but can be as long as 14 years.

The current state of the medical system in regards to menopause is changing. For way too long, women have been silent about menopause and their needs during that period — so the topic was neglected by modern medicine. Scientists and researchers are still trying to find out why and how a woman’s body changes during menopause. Therefore, they have put effort into finding out how cannabis can help a woman during this time.

If you have kept up with the literature, you understand that we all have an endocannabinoid system composed of cell receptors throughout the body that help maintain homeostasis. These respond to endocannabinoids, the cannabinoids your body produces, as well as to external cannabinoids. Estrogen is important to the endocannabinoid system because it regulates fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which breaks down certain endocannabinoids. So, if there are lower (or fluctuating) levels of estrogen in your body, this can affect your endocannabinoid system, which in turn may partly explain some of the effects of perimenopause such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, lower libido, and difficulty sleeping. So, it would make sense that doses of cannabinoids would help out with those symptoms.

How else can cannabis help menopause symptoms?

1. Sleep disorders, whether falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, are very common among women during the menopause years. Preliminary research backs up the use of certain combinations of CBD and THC may provide relief for sleep disorders. CBD can help the user regulate their sleep-wake cycle when it gets disturbed.
2. THC and CBD can mimic some aspects of anandamide, an endocannabinoid that helps regulate body temperature. Hot flashes and night sweats are triggered by altered chemistry in the hypothalamus, such as high stress situations, — the body’s own thermoregulator. Cannabis has the ability to interact with the body’s serotonin system which could be one reason why some women use it for this symptom.
3. Estrogen helps maintain proper blood flow to the pelvic region, bringing fresh oxygen to the tissues in the sexual organs and urinary tract. Long story short, it keeps things elastic and healthy. Once women enter menopause, these functions get easily compromised and lead to an array of unpleasant conditions, such as inflammation, dryness, muscle stress, and oversensitivity in those intimate regions. A meta-analysis of 12 human studies and 8 animal studies concluded that cannabinoids may have an effect on female sexual function, whether topical or internal. Topical lubricant that contains CBD or THC are potent vasodilators, which means they can make your body funnel more blood to the pelvic region, reduce inflammation, relax muscles, and calm the nerves within the vagina.
4. Anxiety and depression are common in women during menopause. Estrogen and progesterone regulate the activity of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, directly affecting mood. CBD can help with anxiety on two levels. First, it facilitates serotonin neurotransmission through one of its receptors (5-HT1A), making it more available for the brain and regulating mood. Secondly, and most importantly, CBD is able to improve the binding ability of a neurotransmitter known as GABA, slowing down neurological activity and helping us relax.
5. Without estrogen, our bodies produce more inflammatory molecules, specifically tumor necrosis factor (TNF). A spontaneous increase in the levels of this molecule is associated with faster onset of menopause. More than 60% of women aged 40–64 struggle with muscle and joint pain. CBD has documented anti-inflammatory properties. As shown in animal models, it can act as an anti-arthritic by protecting joints against inflammatory damage and reducing concentrations of inflammatory TNF.
6. Hormones play a significant role in shaping our bodies on many levels; this also includes controlling our metabolism. Without estrogen, our bodies don’t burn as many calories as they did before the plunge — even while sleeping. You may suddenly notice that you also burn less fat during physical activity. According to population studies, adults who use cannabis regularly have lower insulin levels and smaller waist circumferences than those who abstain from cannabinoids. CBD could contribute to that phenomenon by triggering the PPAR-γ receptor that boosts our metabolism. On top of that, CBD also helps increase the production of natural endocannabinoids, including 2-AG, which can mitigate insulin resistance, especially during menopause.

As you see, taking in cannabinoids during perimenopause and menopause can help manage and mitigate the symptoms that are affiliated with this transitional period in a woman’s life. I’d highly suggest a tincture, the oil under the tongue, because of the high fatty acid content within the carrier oil. There is also no sugar in the tincture. High fatty acid content is said to ease psychological distress and depressive symptoms often suffered by menopausal and perimenopausal women, according to new research. The study presents the first evidence that omega-3 supplements are effective for treating common menopause-related mental health problems.