A recently released study conducted by researchers from three different universities seems to suggest that CBD might be helpful for alleviating some menstrual-related symptoms (MRS). In addition, CBD might also be a valid treatment for general irritability.
It is important to note that CBD and THC are different substances. When people speak about cannabis as a medicine, they are generally referring to marijuana or a medicine containing THC. CBD is a distinct and separate cannabinoid harvested mainly from hemp plants.
CBD is often promoted as beneficial to human health. One can make the case that it is the latest in a long series of health supplements designed to help people achieve better wellbeing. At any rate, the previously mentioned study represents a breakthrough in treating MRS with select cannabinoids.
More About the Study
Researchers say that their study is the first of its kind. Although previous research has looked into cannabis as a possible menstrual symptom intervention, the researchers say no previous studies have focused exclusively on CBD as an MRS treatment.
Researchers enrolled patients between the ages of 18 and 55 who had not previously used cannabis within the prior 30 days. They also excluded participants attempting to become pregnant along with patients diagnosed with significant diseases, common disorders, or mental health conditions.
At the start of the trial, patients were evaluated to determine a baseline for MRS including irritability, depression, stress, anxiety, and other symptoms. They were divided into two groups. The first group was given a 160-milligram dose of CBD twice daily while the second group was given twice the amount. Medications were offered for three consecutive monthly cycles.
In most cases, patients noted improvement in their MRS during the first month. Most also reported consistent improvement over the entire three-month study. The only symptom for which there was no measured improvement was depression.
Study Limitations
Researchers acknowledged that there were some limitations to their study. First off, they reported using “a relatively homogeneous sample that potentially over sampled individuals who suffer from moderate severity of MRS.” The researchers also relied on participants to take and report the correct dose of CBD. In other words, participation was not tightly controlled.
Nonetheless, it is reasonable to assume that most of the participants did as they were asked to do and reported honestly. If that was the case with the majority of them, we can conclude that the study shows promising results.
CBD Is Legal in the U.S.
Assuming the study’s conclusions or ultimately proved correct by future research, there are some pretty big implications here. For example, CBD is legal throughout the U.S. There is no need for consumers to have a special medical cannabis card or other license to purchase and use CBD products. That is not the case with THC and medical cannabis.
A patient in Utah would need a medical cannabis card to purchase THC medications from Cedar City’s Zion Medicinal. The only way to obtain a card is to visit a medical provider who, after diagnosis, agrees to recommend medical cannabis to the patient.
No such recommendations are needed for CBD. If CBD does help patients with MRS feel better during their monthly cycles, it becomes another option. Patients do not necessarily have to choose OTC drugs or expensive prescription medications to find relief. A little CBD oil could do the trick.
The jury is still out on CBD’s effectiveness as an MRS treatment. But as things currently stand, the data looks promising. CBD might ultimately become the MRS treatment of choice should future research verify what this latest study revealed.