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Women’s Health Moves Up the Agenda at Medical Cannabis Symposia
Women’s health will be front and centre at the Cannabis Health Symposia in Frankfurt and London this autumn.
Women’s health will be front and centre at the Cannabis Health Symposia in Frankfurt and London this autumn, as part of a two-day programme of clinical education and professional development for healthcare professionals.
Sessions are set to explore how hormonal factors may influence cannabinoid treatment, what emerging research from clinical trials is showing, and where evidence gaps remain, reflecting a growing interest in the potential role of medical cannabis in women’s health conditions such as endometriosis, menopause, PMDD and chronic pelvic pain.
Both Frankfurt and London form part of Cannabis Health’s 2026 symposium series, bringing together clinicians, researchers, industry professionals and patient advocates to examine emerging evidence and its implications for clinical practice.
Cannabis Symposium Frankfurt
Endometriosis and beyond
At Cannabis Health Symposium Frankfurt on 4 November, Dr Shabnam Sarshar, Women’s Health & Cannabinoid Therapeutics Advisor at The Recalibration, and Sylvia Mechsner, physician and gynaecologist at Charité University Hospital, will present the first session — Endometriosis and Beyond: Medical Cannabis in Women’s Health — focusing on the chronic inflammatory condition which affects an estimated two million women in Germany.
Cannabis use among this population is already taking place ahead of the clinical evidence. The session will examine findings from a survey of more than 900 German-speaking patients with endometriosis led by the Endometriosis Research Center at Charité. Cannabis was rated as the most effective self-management strategy, with respondents reporting particular improvements in sleep and menstrual pain, and around nine in 10 reporting a reduction in their use of conventional painkillers.
Chronic pain and insomnia are among the most common indications for medical cannabis prescription, and both are more prevalent in women, with fibromyalgia alone representing an addressable German market of roughly €72 million.
Sarshar and Mechsner will also explore current understanding of the endocannabinoid system in endometriosis-related pain and where cannabinoid medicines might potentially sit within a wider approach to treatment.
Cannabis Symposium London
Unmet clinical needs and emerging research
On 26 November, women’s health will receive a dedicated hour-long block at the Cannabis Health Symposium in London.
Sessions will explore emerging research into how biological sex, reproductive hormones and hormonal fluctuations may interact with the endocannabinoid system and influence the pharmacological effects of cannabis-based medicines, as well as examining early evidence from clinical trials on endometriosis.
This will be followed by a panel exploring how medical cannabis could address unmet needs in menopause, endometriosis, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), chronic pelvic pain and related conditions.
The panel will examine the strength and limitations of the existing evidence, experiences emerging from clinical practice and the research needed to determine where cannabis-based medicines may have an appropriate role.
The discussion follows a wider focus on cannabis and the gender health gap. At Cannabis Europa earlier this year, experts highlighted the historical under-representation of women in medical research and the resulting gaps in understanding how sex and hormonal differences can influence treatment.
Secure your place
The Cannabis Health Symposium Frankfurt takes place at Mainhaus on 4 November 2026. Find out more
The Cannabis Health Symposium London takes place at Conway Hall on 26 November 2026. Book your tickets
Both programmes remain subject to change.
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