Women who use cannabis to relieve period pain face multiple deterrents including financial constraints, concern over peer judgment, and the potential consequences of driving with cannabis in their system, according to research presented at the Australian Symposium of Medical Cannabis.
NICM research fellow Justin Sinclair shared findings from a survey of 371 women with endometriosis at the conference. The study found that 13 per cent (48) of respondents had used illegal cannabis to manage their symptoms.
Endometriosis develops when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterine cavity, causing significant pain in those affected.
Among the women who used cannabis, it provided the strongest pain management among 15 different approaches examined, receiving a rating of 7.6 out of 10. The substance also delivered other therapeutic benefits: 60 per cent reported reduced anxiety and nausea, 68 per cent experienced improvement in depression, 83 per cent enjoyed better sleep, and 56 per cent cut their prescription medication use by more than half.
Adverse effects were infrequent, with only 10.2% of users reporting downsides such as drowsiness, anxiety, or elevated heart rate.
“One of the key points raised by women when asked about using cannabis is the stigma still attached to it, particularly for certain family members. Judgement by medical professionals was another point identified by the survey group.”
Despite cannabis showing promise as a treatment, women expressed serious concerns about social judgment from family members and healthcare providers, as well as the risk of losing driving privileges if apprehended by authorities. The financial burden stood out as another significant barrier. Users paid an average of A$100 monthly for illegal cannabis, substantially exceeding the cost of government-approved therapies designed for endometriosis management.
Legal cannabis products for pain management came with a substantially higher price tag: between $200 and $350 per month, Sinclair noted. He added: "So in a population already negatively impacted across domains such as work and finances, this could still be a potentially very significant obstacle to access."
Social stigma emerged as a major factor preventing access to cannabis.
Sinclair elaborated: "One of the key points raised by women when asked about using cannabis is the stigma still attached to it, particularly for certain family members. Judgement by medical professionals was another point identified by the survey group."
Though driving-related legal consequences emerged as the most frequently mentioned concern, the majority of surveyed women remained willing to experiment with illegal cannabis despite understanding the potential for license suspension.
Smoking represented the preferred consumption method for half of those surveyed. Sinclair commented: "That's definitely something we want to move women away from by bringing them under the legally prescribed cannabis products, which are standardized and have good quality assurance."
Sinclair acknowledged the survey's limitations—the small group of cannabis users and the self-reported nature of the data—but noted that parallel research in New Zealand undergoing peer review showed consistent results.
The New Zealand study involved 2,125 women surveyed across three months, with 213 (10 per cent) reporting cannabis use for endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Among these users, 95 per cent employed it for pain and sleep relief, 80 per cent reported strengthened ability to manage their condition, and 78 per cent observed decreased nausea and vomiting.