Cannabis and endometriosis: what we know so far

Endometriosis Awareness Month helps shine a light on a painful, poorly understood condition that affects hundreds of millions of women worldwide. Emerging research might explain why many are turning to cannabis to manage their symptoms. 

One in 10 people live with endometriosis in the UK. That’s around 1.5 million women and individuals assigned female at birth.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissues similar to those found in the lining of the uterus grow elsewhere in the body. It can cause severe pelvic pain, gastrointestinal troubles, excessive menstrual flow and other distressing physical and mental issues and if untreated, endometriosis can result in problems with fertility and other serious health complications, particularly if the tissue grows on other organs.

Roughly 10% of reproductive age women and those who were assigned female at birth suffer from endometriosis worldwide, yet it is notoriously difficult to diagnose. Research shows an average 7.5 year gap for women between the onset of symptoms and receiving a firm diagnosis.

While there is no cure for endometriosis, doctors have traditionally used a combination of opioids, steroids and surgery to help patients deal with pain and get rid of unwanted growths. But an evolving body of research highlights the potential of cannabis as an alternative means to both manage endometriosis symptoms and treat harmful lesions. 

How can cannabis help with endometriosis? 

In the most comprehensive study to date examining the effects of cannabis use on endometriosis symptoms, researchers found that cannabis was effective (to varying degrees) in helping manage all symptoms associated with endometriosis, from pelvic pain and stomach issues to depression.

This is not surprising. We now have a wealth of credible research highlighting how cannabis, in a range of different forms (from THC-dominant variants to CBD) and consumption methods (vaping, edibles, topicals etc), is an effective treatment for a variety of medical conditions including pain, insomnia and anxiety, all of which are commonly experienced by people with endometriosis.

Cannabis has a complementary relationship with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), a biological network which plays a pivotal role in overall health and bodily functions. 

A small but exciting area of scientific exploration is how cannabis, with its known anti-inflammatory properties and potential for producing proteins that stimulate programmed cell death (also known as apoptosis) could help reduce abnormal cell growth and shrink lesions without surgical intervention.

Two different studies conducted within the past few years have looked at how THC and CBD respectively impacts rodent models of endometriosis.

The first study found that once daily doses of 2mg/kg THC for 28 days (to the surprise of the authors) inhibited the formation of endometrial cysts. The second study looking at CBD and endometriosis concluded that while there are huge limitations in the research model, “with its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects and favourable safety and tolerability profile, [CBD] might be a candidate for a novel treatment in endometriosis.”

The authors of both studies recommend further examination of the cannabis-endometriosis connection.

The patient perspective: cannabis and endometriosis

In the last few years, Cannabis Health has talked to a number of endometriosis patients who have found comfort in cannabis.

After years of fighting for legal cannabis treatment for endometriosis-related pain, Irish activist Aimee Brown recently received a cannabis prescription under the Irish under the ministerial licence scheme and believes she is the first endometriosis patient to do so. Read more of her story here.

Ellie Wootton, an endometriosis patient who suffered from chronic pain and associated mental health issues, found that the combination of yoga and cannabis was the only thing that seemed to help, and gave her a feeling of power over her own diagnosis. Follow her journey here. 

Amy Bowels suffered from what she believed to be just “bad periods” for most of her life. When she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis and explored cannabis as an option for treating symptoms, she found it to be life changing. Read about her holistic approach to managing endometriosis here. 

After trying almost every pain pill and endometriosis procedure, an Australian endometriosis patient called Megan shared how she might have ended up suicidal if she hadn’t perused medical cannabis as an option for endometriosis management. Find out more about it here. 

During last year’s Endometriosis Awareness Month, Cannabis Health spoke with endometriosis patients and heard how they’ve benefitted from cannabis and other holistic treatments. You can explore their stories here.

• Data reveals rise in patients looking for medical cannabis
• How you can take part in a worldwide survey on cannabis and endometriosis
• Endometriosis Awareness Month: How can CBD help?
• Journal Club: Cannabinoids and endometriosis
• An expert guide to living with endometriosis