CANNAHEALTH Cannabis and Human Behavior | Page 46

From anxiety and depression to menopause and mood disorders, Cannabis can provide emotional relief for women. As women, our emotional landscape is influenced by a variety of factors, not the least of which are the hormonal impacts that start in puberty, continue through our childbearing years, and evolve during menopause. Research has also found that women experience more stress than men, particularly in the workplace — and the accompanying high levels of cortisol have lasting negative health impacts.

Enter Cannabis

Turns out there’s a kernel of truth at the heart of the cartoonish “mellow stoner” stereotype. Women are turning to cannabinoids to help manage everything from hormonal emotional shifts to mood disorders and chronic anxiety — and they’re finding it safer and more effective than the pharmaceuticals they use to take.

Women, Cannabis, CBD, Emotions and Moods

Leah, 47, is a California horse trainer who uses Cannabis to destress.

“As a person with a history of manic depression, I find that the less stress I have, the more I can control my mood(s),” she wrote in an email.

Leah said Cannabis helps her to get a little distance from — and perspective on — her emotions.

“That way, the depression isn’t quite so crushing, and the manic highs aren’t nearly so frantic,” she said. “I can maintain a pretty good equilibrium.”

The Cannabis plant contains a number of chemical constituents that help to affect mood, explains Dr. Elaine Burns, medical director for the Southwest Medical Marijuana Evaluation Center in Arizona. For example, menopause causes the body to produce less anandamide, a

fatty acid that makes oxytocin-

"Ellementa is a fast-growing international network and resource for women interested in cannabis for health, wellness and caregiving."

By an Ellementa Woman

KNOWLEDGE

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