“Given the lack of clinical trial data on the efficacy and safety of medical cannabis for management of menopause symptoms, more research is needed before this treatment can be recommended in clinical practice.”

In recent years, medical cannabis has been used to treat a host of symptoms ranging from those of Parkinson’s disease to side effects of chemotherapy.

Now, a new survey from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) shows more women are turning to the treatment during perimenopause and postmenopause, too.

Perimenopause is defined as as the time period when an individual’s ovaries gradually stop working, and it can include symptoms like irregular menstrual flow, hot flashes or night sweats. Postmenopause is the time following menopause when an individual’s period has stopped for 12 consecutive months.

To better understand medical cannabis use among these cohorts, researchers conducted a survey of 131 perimenopausal and 127 postmenopausal individuals. They found individuals experiencing perimenopause reported higher incidence of depression and anxiety diagnose and were more likely use medical cannabis to treat menopause-related mood and anxiety symptoms than postmenopausal individuals.

Eighty-six percent of the total cohort reported currently using cannabis as an adjunct treatment for menopause-related symptoms, the most common of which were sleep disturbances and mood and anxiety. Smoking and edibles were the most popular form of ingestion. [Read More @ The Hill]