Cannabis and Menopause
Menopause can produce a range of challenging symptoms,
including mood and libido dysregulation, hot flashes and temperature regulation
issues, unwanted hair growth, insomnia and night sweats, osteoporosis, and
vaginal dryness.
Anecdotal reports from dispensary patients have consistently
indicated that women have successfully used herbal cannabis medicines to
address the symptoms of menopause.
The Endocannabinoid system is involved in regulating many of
the neurological and endocrine system issues that accompany menopause. It also
maintains bone mass, possibly reducing its loss.
For effective cannabis dosing for menopause, small-spaced
doses work better than a large single dose. Low doses of oral or sublingual
cannabis medicines are increasingly popular with patients for their convenience
and the length of the effects. Oral dosing can last anywhere from 4-8 hours.
For hot flashes, 2.5 to 4 mg of THC taken sublingually is recommended.
For insomnia and night sweats, the equivalent of 5 mg of THC swallowed, one
hour before bedtime.
Indica variety types are better for sleeping and sativa
types are better for daytime use.
Vaporization is recommended over smoking
since it reduces exposure to combustion toxins.
Looking for the right cannabis strains to buy? Try looking for a certain terpene profile, such as Terpinolene, Myrcene, Limonene, and Beta-caryophyllene.
Terpinolene-dominant varieties, such as Jack Herer or Zeta
during the day. Myrcene, Limonene, and Caryophyllene varieties, such as OG
Kush, for pain and inflammation.
High-potency CBD creams should be effective for slowing the
rate of unwanted hair growth.
This information was taken from the book we highly recommend;
Cannabis Pharmacy - The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana
by: Michael Backes, Andrew Weil, M.D., and Jack D. McCue, M.D.,
Does CBD Oil Work for Menopause Symptoms? - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322078.php
Can You Manage The Symptoms of Menopause with Cannabis?
Regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion by cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids (CBs) exert untoward effects on reproduction by reducing LH secretion and suppressing gonadal function. Recent evidence suggests these effects are due primarily to hypothalamic dysfunction; however, the mechanism is obscure. Using immortalized hypothalamic GnRH neurons, we find these cells produce and secrete at least two different endocannabinoids. After release, 2-arachidonyl monoacylglycerol and anandamide are rapidly transported into GnRH neurons and are degraded to other lipids by fatty-acid amide hydrolase. The immortalized GnRH neurons also possess CB1 and CB2 receptors that are coupled to Gi/Go proteins whose activation leads to inhibition of GnRH secretion. In perifusion experiments, CBs block pulsatile release of GnRH. When a CB receptor agonist is delivered into the third ventricle of adult female mice, estrous cycles are prolonged by at least 2 d. Although in situ hybridization experiments suggest either that GnRH neurons in vivo do not possess CB1 receptors or that they are very low, transcripts are localized in close proximity to these neurons. Inasmuch as GnRH neurons in vivo possess G protein receptors that are coupled to phospholipase C and increased intracellular Ca2+, these same neurons should also be able to synthesize endocannabinoids. These lipids, in turn, could bind to CB receptors on neighboring cells, and perhaps GnRH neurons, to exert feedback control over GnRH function. This network could serve as a novel mechanism for regulating GnRH secretion where reproductive functions as diverse as the onset of puberty, timing of ovulation, duration of lactational infertility, and initiation/persistence of menopause may be affected.
Cannabinoid receptors and the regulation of bone mass
Our recent studies in mice and humans suggest an important role for the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of skeletal remodelling and the consequent implications on bone mass and biomechanical function. Although the CB1 cannabinoid receptor has been identified in sympathetic terminals innervating the skeleton, its role in controlling bone turnover remains to be elucidated. The CB2 cannabinoid receptor is expressed in bone cells. Its bone anabolic action, including some of the mechanisms involved, has been reported in some detail, and is also inferred from the human genetic studies. These studies portray polymorphisms in CNR2, the gene encoding CB2, as important genetic risk factors for osteoporosis. Taken together, the reports on cannabinoid receptors in mice and humans pave the way for the development of (i) cannabinoid drugs to combat osteoporosis, and (ii) diagnostic measures to identify osteoporosis-susceptible polymorphisms in CNR2.
