Why Marijuana Affects Women and Men Differently
According to an article from Reuters, one in seven people in America had used marijuana in 2017. That is due to more states legalizing marijuana, which then resulted in more visits to weed shops. In fact, there are more than 9,000 active licenses for marijuana business in 2017. Did you know that the U.S. alone accounts for 90% of the global marijuana market?
With more people using marijuana come more studies on its effects on people. Some studies particularly look at the difference in the effects of marijuana between men and women.
How Cannabis Affects Men
According to available data, 75% of weed smokers are men. It has also been determined that men are more likely to develop a dependence on cannabis compared to women. Keep in mind though that marijuana addiction does not occur often.
Pain relief is where there is a significant difference in the effect of cannabis between men and women. A significant study on this matter was done by Ziva Cooper, who is an associate professor of clinical neurobiology at Columbia University.
The study involved regular weed smokers, both men, and women. The participants are asked to put their hands in cold water and report how much pain they felt. They were asked to submerge it in the cold water for as long as they can. That way, researchers can determine their pain tolerance. The result of the study confirmed that men tend to experience greater pain relief from cannabis than women.
Another study also shows that men were more likely to report experiencing an altered sense of time when high. Men were also more likely to report an increase in musicality as well as experiencing more enthusiasm when high.
When a man who regularly uses cannabis, decides to stop going to a weed shop and stops using cannabis, he may experience withdrawal. According to the same study, he will experience withdrawal differently from a woman. Men in withdrawal were more likely to experience sleep disturbances and vivid dreams compared to women. Hence, men in withdrawal spend less time sleeping. They also experience less time in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep than women in withdrawal.
An interesting fact is that men are more likely to spend more in a weed shop than women. That’s is because men prefer to use dap and vape while women prefer topicals and edibles.
How Cannabis Affects Women
As marijuana becomes legal in more states, more women have frequented a weed shop to use cannabis. While there are still more men using cannabis than women, the gap is becoming thinner as more women smoke cannabis. But as mentioned earlier, cannabis affects men differently from women.
The same study done by Cooper has an interesting note on pain tolerance. It states that when women are exposed to THC more frequently, they develop a tolerance for it quicker than men. That means that they would need a higher dose of THC to achieve the same pain-relieving effect as men. The research tends to derive that women may experience stronger adverse effects than men.
Studies have also found a connection between sex hormones and how the endocannabinoid system functions. In women, the high levels of estrogen restrict the endocannabinoid system’s ability to react to THC.
An increase in appetite is a commonly perceived effect of cannabis consumption. However, a study found out that women are more likely to report a decrease in appetite when high.
Men and women think differently, and this also transcends to their reason why they go to a weed shop. Women tend to use cannabis for “functional reasons.” As such, they are most likely to consume marijuana due to anxiety and physical illnesses. Women also tend to be consistent and are more in control of the cannabis products they consume.
When it comes to withdrawal, women are more likely to report nausea and anxiety when they stop using cannabis.
What You Have to Remember When It Comes to Cannabis Use for Men and Women
While there may be studies already being done to determine the effects of cannabis on men and women, there is a need for more research. In fact, some of the studies were done on animals and have not yet been tested on humans. Now is the time to investigate this further, especially with more states legalizing marijuana.
Moreover, it is also advantageous to see more women using cannabis. That would allow women to balance out the pros and cons of using medical cannabis.
Cannabis may affect anyone differently, and it can also be used in different ways. What’s crucial to keep in mind is to only get your cannabis from a licensed weed shop. That way, you can ensure the quality of your cannabis and experience its full effect.