It doesn’t get much more polarizing than weed. Some states have legalized it recreationally, some only medically, while others still have a disproportionately high amount of incarcerated Black folks selling or consuming the one thing that’s made people millionaires—just a couple of states away.
Beyond its stigma, however, marijuana has become a game-changing aid for those dealing with issues like insomnia, chronic pain, arthritis, autoimmune illnesses, and migraines. So what could weed potentially do for your menstrual cycle? Psychiatrist Dr. Julie Holland boasts that cannabis could be the solution to treating monthly PMS symptoms, painful cramps, irritability, depression, and anxiety, as well as symptoms of perimenopause. With powerful anti-inflammatory effects, let’s deep dive and explore the relationship between weed and your period.
Does Weed Help With Cramps?
There are many medications one can employ to ease the pain of uncomfortable cramps, and marijuana is an all-natural option that can do just the trick.
Helping to relax the uterine muscle where cramps occur, weed can aid your body in relieving tension. Many women also get nauseous when their cramping is bad, and cannabis has an outstanding ability to reduce nausea.
If you’ve reached perimenopause, the phytoestrogens in cannabis may help to supplant waning estrogen.
Cannabis and naturally occurring cannabinoids in the body can help counter the effects of stress and inflammation, as well as enhance resilience. A natural vasodilator (it expands the blood vessels), THC can also help reduce the severity of cramps and headaches. More scientifically-noted benefits include:
- Dopamine boost
- Focus and clarity
- Mood stabilizer
- Pain relief
- Appetite aid
A go-to for your PMS stage, THC can help with mood swings, irritability, and low resilience (ability to handle stress). However, if you don’t like the altered feeling of THC, you can get a lot of PMS relief just by using CBD.
CBD for PMS Relief
To back up real quick: THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the substance in the cannabis plant that’s responsible for that well-known “high” feeling. The other major component of the cannabis plant is CBD, an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and muscle-relaxing agent that won’t give you an altered feeling.
A 2019 review of studies into CBD as a treatment for PMS showed that it may be helpful with chronic and acute pain relief and that cannabis and CBD’s anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties may aid in the discomfort that accompanies PMS. Physically and psychologically, it’s incredibly effective.
Beyond that, it’s no secret that your emotions can be up and down during PMS. So does CBD help with period mood swings? The answer is yes! CBD can help to stabilize those fluxes of feelings, as it has properties that aid in anxiety and stress management.
How To Use Weed For Your Period
THC can be consumed in the form of smoking flower or ingesting edibles, while some CBD period products include creams, tinctures, transdermal patches, and gummies. However you decide to consume the plant is completely up to your own personal preference, though there are certainly individual pros and cons to each experience.
For treating cramps, CBD-infused vaginal suppositories or lotions applied to the pelvic area can be incredibly helpful. Similarly, smoking or vaporizing will bring relief quicker and makes it easy to adjust dosage, as the effects don’t last as long.
While the effects last much longer when cannabis is eaten, edibles can be daunting or overwhelming for first-time users, depending on the milligrams. It’s crucial to start with a very low dose and wait a full two hours before deciding whether to ingest more; however, more experienced users can more freely integrate edibles into their wellness routine for longer-lasting effects.
Cons to Using Weed For Your Period
While CBD is thought to decrease anxiety and administer a calming effect, THC can sometimes make you more anxious. If anxiety tends to accompany your PMS symptoms, it may be wise to consider a lower dose of THC, experimenting with which strains suit your body better, or simply opting for CBD altogether.
Within that vein, it’s always important to be cautious and ease into introducing new practices into your routine. If you’re unsure of your tolerance or how you react to weed, make sure to start off with small doses before committing to anything stronger.
Every strain boasts a different combination of cannabinoids that can affect you in a different way, potentially making you lethargic, hungry, horny, anxious, irritable, forgetful, and unmotivated. Allowing time for experimenting and getting to know how to make weed work for you is something to account for.
Women-Owned Weed Brands
If you’re looking to ease into the world of cannabis and incorporate it into your menstrual wellness routine, why not support some women along the way? There are plenty of women-owned weed brands across the nation—here are a few that stand out:
Gorilla Rx Wellness
Los Angeles’ first Black woman-owned dispensary. Founded by the Kikas, a mother-daughter duo, they house the largest collection of Black-owned cannabis brands in California.
Kikoko
Founded by Amanda Jones & Jennifer Chapin, specializing in low-dose, effect-specific teas blending cannabinoids with other supportive herbs to induce certain moods. Ranging from pain to sleep to sex, their brand is every woman’s dream come true, no matter where they are in their cycle.
Zendo
Founder Chynna Parks was born into a family of long-standing medical cannabis advocates, and her sister even operates a cannabusiness of her own. With health consciousness in mind, Zendo was born out of a need for organic options in the edible market.
Humboldt Apothecary
Founded by Gillian Levy & Susan Smith, specializing in tinctures made with cannabinoids and other supportive herbs. With over 25 years of experience as herbalists and a wide variety of THC-to-CBD ratios, this apothecary supports every need, from resting to uplifting.
