There has been a blatant disregard for period pain in society. The gender-bias in the medical field that discounts a woman’s pain as hysteria or the taboos surrounding menstruation has manifested in the form of a lack of research to find solutions to a menstruator’s plight.
Menstruators Have Limited Options For Relieving Menstrual Pain
If you menstruate and suffer from terrible cramps, you must have popped a pill or two to eliminate them. Research on anti-inflammatory drugs found that only 31 out of 100 women who took painkillers were relieved of their period of pain. Painkillers also come with a handful of side effects such as headaches, nausea, or stomach problems.
The limited options that a menstruator has are: endure the pain or resort to these pills, which may or may not work. This dilemma calls for more solutions for eliminating period pain. We need efficient research on every option available.
This warrants more research on cannabis that has time and again been used to relieve menstrual pain. Legal or not, this is a discussion that we need to have.
What Does History Say?
Dr Ethan Russo, a cannabinoid researcher, says that cannabis’ “role in obstetric and gynaecological conditions is ancient, but will surprise many by its breadth and prevalence.”
Persian texts dating back to the 9th century mention the use of cannabis to “calm uterine pains.” A 1596 Chinese text also endorses cannabis to treat menstrual disorders.
Queen Victoria’s personal physician Sir J. Russell Reynolds writes about the phenomenal effects of cannabis in eliminating menstrual cramps in the Lancet Journal – the oldest and one of the most revered medical journals in the world.
What Do Scarce Research And Science Say?
A 2015 survey conducted by the University of British Columbia found that 90% of the women who use cannabis to relieve menstrual cramps claim it to be effective. However, their sample size was only 192 women, which is too small.
In another research conducted, the researchers divided the reasons and ways in which menstruators smoke pot to relieve menstrual pain into 5 themes:
- It works: “Take it when you have cramps. Cannabis relieves cramps almost instantly.”
- Try different types: “Smoking/vaporizing (fast relief) or eating (longer-lasting relief).”
- Tried everything else: “I’ve had doctors prescribe prescriptions; nothing works. Marijuana so far is the best cure for my period cramps, which are usually unbearable.”
- Titrating dose: taking it in moderation as the goal is not to get high but relieve pain.
- More natural: “Why take pills that hurt us when you can just smoke cannabis?”
Our body is flooded with these cannabinoid receptors. When cannabinoids enter our bodies, they attach themselves to endocannabinoids in our body – receptors that regulate pain and inflammation, thereby consisting of pain-relieving properties.
Conversely, no clear studies explain how marijuana defeats menstrual pain. Menstrual cramps are triggered by inflammatory compounds called prostaglandins. Cannabinoids are known to have no effect on the production of prostaglandins; therefore, having no role in reducing any period pain.
Many also believe in the possibility that it is all psychological, instigating euphoria and influencing one’s perception of the pain.
How Can Cannabis Affect The Menstrual Cycle?
Published in the Journal of addiction medicine, a study of 52 women who smoke weed as well as cigarettes was conducted in 2016. It was found that these women have a shorter luteal phase. The luteal phase is the duration between the day after ovulation and the day before one’s next period.
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) an ingredient in Marijuana, can also disrupt the menstrual flow. It can lead to irregular cycles and heavy to no bleeding.
Takeaway
Halima Al- Hatimy, the founder of Fem Care talks about the use of cannabis for menstrual pain and endometriosis at the Medical Cannabiz World Summit. She states that even though millions of women suffer from endometriosis, there is inadequate research on what causes it. There is also an absence of a universally effective drug to treat it.
She suffers from endometriosis herself and finds medical marijuana to be the most effective treatment she has come across. She mentions that they need support for their campaign “to push for cannabis policies on an international level so that we can do this research and ensure that the people who need this medication are getting it and are using it safely.”
All we have is history and a few pieces of research and testimonials from women vouching for marijuana and its effects. While it comes with its own shortcomings, we cannot completely dismiss its use in dulling or eliminating period pain.
Over-the-counter drugs are ineffective and also unaffordable for many. In my opinion, if at all, regulated consumption of marijuana can cater to a menstruator’s plight – we need quality research on it.
Government policies continue to inhibit the research for this. However, hopefully, in the future, we may be able to establish a clear link between ‘pot’ and ‘period’.