How Your Menstrual Cycle Impacts Your Cannabis Experience
Recent analysis has shown that for many people, cannabis use feels “less potent” when they are on their period. Why might this be?
For many menstruating people, we often find that our “flow” has been shrouded in mystery throughout our lives. From conversations with other menstruating people, as well as my own personal experience, I know that many of us can feel like we have lost connection and a deeper understanding of our divine flow.
Similarly, understanding how cannabis works in our bodies is also something that, for many, has been shrouded in mystery. Even now, with a continually growing body of cannabis research, there are still some open questions about how cannabis affects us - particularly when it comes to women and menstruating people.
Within this article, I will explore how these two phenomena, menstruation and cannabis consumption, intersect with one another. I will touch on some key concepts to keep in mind as you manage your cycle and engage with cannabis throughout the month!
Hormone Changes & Cannabis Tolerance
How do our hormones change throughout the month, and how does this influence our cannabis experience? Let’s explore.
Many people report that when they are on their period, their tolerance to cannabis goes up. For example, they will smoke the same 1 gram joint like they normally do, and yet they won’t get as high. Why would this be?
Like many other internal systems and bodily processes, our periods are dictated by a cycle of hormones. Every 28 days, we begin a new hormone cycle. When we are bleeding or menstruating, our estrogen levels are reduced; whereas, approximately 14 days later, our estrogen levels increase during the ovulation phase. For more information about the hormone changes throughout your cycle, check out this informative video by Glamour: Your Cycle in 2 Minutes.
Well, it turns out that our monthly hormonal changes can make cannabis more or less potent depending on our time of the month.
In an interview with Refinery 29, Dr. Rachel Knox, cannabis educator and practitioner, explains how estrogen changes throughout the month can impact our cannabis experience. Estrogen is a hormone that plays a role in how THC is processed or “broken down” within the body.
Dr. Knox highlights that when estrogen is low (during the time that we are bleeding), our tolerance to cannabis increases, and we might feel less high than usual after imbibing.
Similarly, during moments in the cycle where estrogen is increased (during ovulation, when the egg is released into the uterus), we might find ourselves getting even more high from our regular dose. When your estrogen levels are higher, the number of CB1 receptors, where THC docks, actually fluctuates in the brain. This reduces the amount of cannabis you need to achieve intoxication.
Keep this estrogen cycle in mind as you consume, because you may decide to adjust your regimen based on your body's needs and momentary reactions.
This might look like taking more cannabis during your period, to both address symptoms and overcome the higher tolerance. But this also might look like taking in less cannabis during the ovulation phase, knowing that you are likely to get more impaired from cannabis during that time. Cycle accordingly!
Note about hormonal birth control: Estrogen and other hormone changes throughout the month may be less significant if a person is taking hormonal birth control, such as the pill or an IUD. Hormonal birth controls are designed to interrupt the natural hormonal cycle of menstruation in order to prevent pregnancy.
If you are on hormonal birth control, your estrogen cycles may not fluctuate as significantly throughout the month. Similarly, your tolerance to cannabis is less likely to be impacted by estrogen cycles if you are on one of these medications.
Impacts to Anandamide During Menstruation
Another layer to this conversation is the impact to anandamide levels throughout the menstrual cycle. Anandamide, also known as “the bliss molecule”, is an endocannabinoid molecule that is naturally created in the human body and has been correlated with happiness, glee, and reduced stress levels.
Anandamide levels, it turns out, fluctuate during a person’s menstrual cycle. And, just like with cannabis tolerance, estrogen levels have a significant impact on anandamide.
Estrogen makes it harder for an enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), to complete its function - which is to break down anandamide. When we have more estrogen flowing, it blocks this breakdown process and lets anandamide do its thing, including the reduction of symptoms like anxiety and depression.
But, what do we do in instances when estrogen is low, ie: during menstruation, and FAAH action is more likely to impact our anandamide levels? During these times, you can take in CBD to help balance anandamide levels. Research studies have recently highlighted that CBD inhibits FAAH, which results in increased anandamide levels.
If you’re feeling a little less gleeful during your period, know that one of the factors may be reduced anandamide within your body. Consider incorporating some CBD into your routine to slow that FAAH activity down and preserve your body’s natural bliss!
Balancing Your Own Experience
Because both menstruation and consuming cannabis are highly individualized, there are many factors when it comes to the discussion of how cannabis use affects menstruation and vice versa. What one menstruating cannabis user might experience during their period will likely differ from the next person’s experience.
That said, I hope that this article gives you some fundamental information about menstruation, hormones, and the endocannabinoid system to consider during your own cycle.
If you do use cannabis to ease your period symptoms, seek cultivars or cannabinoid ratios that can be used to treat your specific symptoms. To read more about how cannabis can be used to treat menstrual symptoms, including PMS, mood swings, and pain, check Veriheal’s article on this here: Using Cannabis to Combat the Symptoms of PMS
Higher Learning
Want to learn more about the endocannabinoid system and how it modulates hormones and interacts with the endocrine system? I have a great resource to pass on!
Check out this podcast episode from Seed Your Success Podcast, “How the Endocannabinoid System Keeps Female Hormones in Ebb and Flow Versus Push and Pull”.
Enjoy! Wishing you all the balance in the world.
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