Whoopi Goldberg advocates medical marijuana for menstrual cramps

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Whoopi Goldberg has lent her support to a bill in her state of New York that would expand medical marijuana there to cover the treatment of menstrual cramps, among other conditions not currently covered. Medical marijuana is legal in the state for just some serious conditions like cancer, Parkinson’s and MS, but this bill would expand it to include the treatment of chronic pain including menstrual pain. The NY Daily News has this, with the detail that Goldberg included a personal statement in a letter to Governor Cuomo asking him to support this bill.

The actress and co-host of “The View” issued a statement Tuesday urging legislators and Gov. Cuomo to get behind a bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) that would expand New York’s tightly controlled medical pot program to cover dysmenorrhea, or menstrual cramps.

“Women have used cannabis for menstrual pain for as long as time, and this pain is real for a lot of us,” Goldberg said in the statement.

“I’m glad to see states like New York starting to get serious about this and when it gets to Gov. Cuomo’s desk we hope he recognizes and champions this conversation, and allows these decisions to be made between patients and their doctor by signing this very important bill Assemblywoman Rosenthal sponsored,” Goldberg continued…

Currently, state law allows medical marijuana to be used to for only a handful of serious illnesses and conditions, including cancer, HIV and AIDS, Lou Gehrig’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, epilepsy, some spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis. In December, the state added chronic pain to the list of conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana.

A bill that would allow medical marijuana to be used for post-traumatic stress disorder was approved by the Assembly earlier this month but is still awaiting a vote in the Senate.

[From NY Daily News]

As someone who suffers from severe menstrual cramps and has lived in non medical marijuana states, where the penalties for smokers are high, it has never occurred to me that pot could help. I currently spent 1-2 days a cycle in bed, although my doctor recently put me on birth control to try to mitigate that. (It’s working somewhat, but there are other issues/side effects associated with that, the details of which I’ll spare you.) So many people are addicted to opiates and pain medication and the statistics show that opiate overdoses dramatically decrease in the states where medical marijuana is available. I hope this bill passes and that medical marijuana is expanded in NY. I would like to see it become available across the whole US, but we’ve suffered so many setbacks recently that I know it’s not likely anytime soon.

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60 Responses to “Whoopi Goldberg advocates medical marijuana for menstrual cramps”

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  1. detritus says:

    It’s a pain reducer, and like any drug comes with risks. When those risks are more associated with the method of administration because it’s illegal, and not the drug itself, maybe it’s time to take another look at things.
    I’m enjoying Whoopi the pot warrior, she’s a much better spokesperson than Etheridge.

    • Sixer says:

      I concur.

      Since I know you’ve an interest, read this earlier:

      http://theconversation.com/cannabis-isnt-the-health-problem-the-tobacco-people-mix-with-it-is-77067

      Some helpful studies about brain development in the comments.

    • detritus says:

      Ooh thank you for sharing Sixer. That was a good one, plain language and good science, i have so many thoughts on this. Firstly, I can’t believe the tobacco mixing. The cellular effects of nicotine and cannabinoids are very different, and nicotine basically negates the cell turnover benefits of cannabinoids. That’s going to be a big difficulty in legalization, mixing basically makes it the same as smoking tobacco in terms of increasing cancer risk and other disease. I’ll try to drum up a solid article on that, the science of how the two work together is fascinating.

      Minor quibble, it’s not just the combusted and aerosolized particulate that causes disease. That is mostly filtered by lungs (largest damage), and very few things cross the blood brain barrier, but THC and other cannabinoids do. Those are what changes the brain chemistry and possibly brain morphology. Vaping reduces the partially combusted materials, the aerosolized particulate, and reduces vapor temperature. Which reduces damage to lungs and throat. It doesn’t reduce the inherent risks or benefits of cannabinoids though.

      • Sixer says:

        UK situation is ludicrous, really. So many people use cannabis here. I’m one of the few who doesn’t, even in my backwater of a village. And yet, almost everyone smokes joints with tobacco. I’m sure it’s because we refuse to legalise, even for medical purposes. When my dad started using for pain on the recommendation of his fellow pensioner friends, I had to educate them all on how to vape. None of them were smokers. We talk about cannabis as a gateway drug – but never a gateway to tobacco. How ridiculous is that?

        We’re back to Nutt and harm vs benefit plus harm reduction, aren’t we?

        Any further reliable info gratefully received!

      • detritus says:

        Sorry about that, I didn’t have a lot of time yesterday, and I didn’t find anything that wasn’t behind a paywall.
        Do you have access to pubmed or any of the journal databases?

  2. Brittney B. says:

    It’s a miracle treatment, in my experience. I got it illegally when I lived outside CO, because the relief was well worth the risk. Now, I’m grateful on a monthly basis that my agony is so easy to reduce.

    We even have THC tampons here. Serioisly, wonder drug.

    • Melly says:

      THC tampons? That’s amazing and I want to try!!!!!!!!
      I have horrible menstrual cramps and cannabis is the only thing that helps, other than a prescription pain meds but I don’t like taking those. I live in VA where there is no legal cannabis but my doctor will happily give me tons of oxycodone. Pot doesn’t take all the pain away, but it takes care of most of it and puts me in a better mood. A good indica strain or CBD can handle the job real quick.

  3. Nicole Savannah, GA says:

    She has endometriosis too. So sick of this pain, hormones, no sleep. 6 weeks out from my partial hysterectomy so it has to get better. I’m so sick of opiates but can’t smoke at work!

    • Melly says:

      Edibles. It is easy to make cannabutter or canna oil and you can put it in almost anything. When you eat cannabis the “high” is longer which is better for pain management. If you need a good cannabutter recipe, let me know!

      • Nicole Savannah, GA says:

        Melly, I have the cannabutter down. I want to make wax and what about gummies? I’m going to have to make edibles on the regular.

      • Melly says:

        Gummies are really easy and yummy! You just need to make cannabis oil. Don’t use olive oil, use coconut oil – you will get a more potent oil that way. Also, make sure you decarboxylate your flower before mixing it with your oil. Let me know if you want a more detailed recipe.
        If you plan on regularly making cannabis oil/butter, you may want to invest in a Magical Butter Extract Machine. You can buy it online, I know Amazon sells it. My friend bought one and LOVES it. It will save you a lot of time in the long run.

      • Nicole Savannah, GA says:

        If you could give me a recipe that would be awesome. Also, has your friend checked out the firefly2? It’s like convection heating. It’s not cheap, but a friend got it for me after the surgery. Way too expensive, but I love it. Uses flowers, wax, etc.

      • Melly says:

        I’ve used this recipe and it worked really well:
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIo7-s89eQU
        He didn’t decarboxylate the flower, but I highly recommend that you do. Your oil will come out a lot better if you do. There are tons of youtube videos on how to do this. It will make your oil more potent. Basically you break up your flower (I use a food processor) and put it on a baking pan (I cover my pan in tinfoil first) and put it in the oven for about 20 minutes on 250F.
        He also only used a half ounce flower & half cup coconut oil, I usually do a full ounce flower & 1 cup coconut oil.
        If you have any questions, feel free to email me! I love talking cannabis! =)
        mphillig at yahoo

      • Melly says:

        Oh! I prefer using organic coconut oil because I find it comes out stronger and has a longer shelf life, but you can use any oil you want EXCEPT vegetable or seed oil. Whatever oil you choose, splurge on quality organic oil. Trust me, it makes a difference during the extraction process.

      • Nicole Savannah, GA says:

        Yes. I will be emailing soon! Thank you! Gosh, I love this site.

  4. Lolo86lf says:

    When my sister was a teenager she used to have this awful menstrual pain. I felt so bad watching her cry and writhe in pain. That was decades ago and I am not sure if the menstrual cramps of grown women are the same as teenagers but in any case if medical marijuana can ease the pain I am all for it.

    • Zaratustra says:

      So you would advocate that a teenager smoked marihuana?
      Frankly, I would not. Drugs have a different long-term effect on teenagers than on adults. Basically with teenagers they cause irreparable damages. Adults can “repair” the damages.

      I am sorry for your sister. Menstrual cramps are bad. I had them, too. It is about time it were properly researched and properly treated. Painkillers just cure the symptoms but not the cause.

      • Lulu says:

        I smoked weed heavily through my teens , and if I could go back knowing what I do now about the effects it has helped contribute to my mental health issues , I would smack it out of my hand , and then smack myself silly.

      • Lolo86lf says:

        I thought medical marijuana can be administered with food or something as opposed to smoking it, which I do not advocate.

      • TeamAwesome says:

        This speaks to the issue of so many “female problems”: no idea what causes it so here, let me throw medicine at you. Polycystic ovarian syndrome? Dunno, here’s some birth control. Irregular periods? Dunno, here’s some birth control. Cramps so bad you can’t stand up? All in your head, but just in case, want some birth control? We need to fund research on the effects of marijuana and we need to fund more research of women’s health. Neither of these things have any hope of happening during the reign of Emperor Bigly.

      • detritus says:

        @ Z, sort of.
        Adults do not recover more easily, its actually the reverse, youth recover much more easily from that type of physical damage.

        The issue is that cells and physical pathway growth can be impacted by drug use. Adults are done growing, their brains have mostly lost their plasticity, and are not changed the same way growing brains are when exposed to outside chemicals. This is especially of concern when dealing with drugs that can cross the blood brain barrier.

        So no, the concern is not that youth cannot recover from assaults, its that they are growing and changing, and outside influence can impact that growth.

        Pain is another type of stimulus than can impact brains and physical growth. So only a doctor, in consult with the patient, should be making the determination of what drug and what administration is appropriate. For many sufferers of severe disease the risks are worth the benefits, as cannabinoids are not the only drug used medically in youth that cross the blood brain barrier.

        @Lolo, yes it is available in pill/edible/oil forms. Topical oil can also be used for certain pains.

    • Brittney B. says:

      I never got cramps as a teenager or college student, but in my mid-20’s they arrived, so painful I couldn’t sit still or stop vomiting. Then I got an IUD, and terrible pain turned into hellish torture, like someone was physically inside my body and wringing out my internal organs as hard as they could.

      Weed takes the pain away almost instantly. It infuriates me that everyone with ovaries can’t access it.

      • Nicole Savannah, GA says:

        Same here. I’m 33, want kids, but this has been going on since I was 11. So I had to get a partial hysterectomy. Endometriosis everywhere. On my bowels, pelvis, in and on the uterus. I have to keep my job!

  5. Zaratustra says:

    I do totally support medical marihuana in cases where it is the best medical and perhaps the only option. But I loathe marihuana being used to treat every little pain and every little bad day-bad mood situation (emphasis here is on “little”, for example aching muscles after too much sport). Marihuana does make you high. Most common painkillers don’t. I don’t want to live in a country where lots of people are high because they smoke “medical” marihuana for “medical” reasons. There are reasons why you aren’t allowed to drive under the influence of certain substances. Can people who are high participate in traffic without causing accidents? Even people who walk across the street can cause an accident when they step in the line of an approaching car and that driver hits the breakes with all he has and perhaps might cause a rear-end collision. There are good reasons why you are supposed to be not-high in traffic. There are reasons why you are -technically- supposed to be sober when signing a contract.

    • Nicole Savannah, GA says:

      Painkillers that aren’t opiates, right? I’m sick of being on government heroine for chronic pain and a disease with no cure. So, I do agree. Not every little thing. But, the pain I have daily MUST have relief.

    • slowsnow says:

      @Zaratustra (love your alias)

      That’s my problem with it too (+strange tics). I don’t want to be high and any little thing I take, be it alcohol or marijuana, sets me off to lalalalaland.
      And I noticed that people who advocate it have a sort of investment in it that I find almost on the verge of typical addiction obsession. Not saying it’s the case of everyone. It makes me think of my fellow countrymen (Portugal) when they go on long monologues about wine. I’m always suspicious – there is, of course the OBVIOUS side-effect of being mildly or stupidly drunk.

      On the other hand, in the UK, everyone smokes – everyone, especially the kids. I think it’s time to legalize it on order to keep an eye on it, regulate it, study it and come to some serious conclusions as to at what age, when, how and if one should consume it. Portugal decriminalised drugs and there was an almost immediate decrease in consumption: the forbidden fruit etc.

    • slowsnow says:

      @Zaratustra
      Also, there are a lot of prescribed drugs that do not allow you to drive and sign contracts. Things just need to be regulated.
      In greek, if I am not mistaken, “pharmacon” means both “poison” and “medecine”: it all depends on how much and when you take it.

    • Brittney B. says:

      Not all weed makes you high. I have weed products right here in my drawer that have absolutely no THC in them.

      But not all vegetables and grains are grown in ways that kill insects and rodents, either. And reducing the suffering behind our food sources isn’t an “all or nothing” scenario either (“‘may as well kill pigs intentionally, if rats are gonna die unintentionally anyway”), so I wouldn’t expect you to know about the nuances of medical marijuana either.

      (For those confused, I’m referencing more than one post by this commenter.)

  6. Zaratustra says:

    The Netherlands did somewhat legalise marihuana. You can smoke it in so-called coffee shops. There are a lot of problems with these coffee shops. For example they installed laws so that only Dutch citizens can legally buy cannabis in these coffee shops. That was done because people would legally buy marihuana there and then carry it into other countries. Also the amount of marihuana you can buy was reduced. Because some people smoked so much marihuana that they were lying in the streets.
    Then there were coffee shops next to schools and that was a problem because pupils would turn up high. (Yep, school is boring sometimes).

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands

  7. feebee says:

    Of course it should be an option. That’s all they’re calling for. Don’t quite understand the hard line against it, especially given the overprescription and growing addiction to “regular” painkillers.

  8. Sydney says:

    As some one with severe cramps I would take anything for the pain.
    As someone studying to becoming a pharmacist I know there is potential in this drug to do great things and help a lot of people but people also abuse it too just like every other drug.
    While many people think that is not the same as Ice and cocaine it still alters the mind that has no use in medical treatment, when people smoke it their reaction times are slower, people drive while smoking and have caused accidents.
    We need to think about the repercussions of smoking (whether you mix it with tobacco or not) we need to know what it does to the brain and lungs from smoking it.
    Just like scientist did with opioids they extracted the ‘good stuff’ to make morphine we need to do the same for pot.
    We just need more research to make it to a safer drug for everyone to use and to minimise all the adverse drug reactions.

    • Nicole Savannah, GA says:

      Thanks, Sydney. Was a pharmacy tech, like you more than docs!

      • Nicole Savannah, GA says:

        Sydney,
        I do know many pharmacists that use it for medical reasons.

    • SchnauzerFluff says:

      They absolutely do. THC vs CBD. The strains to treat epilepsy in children are no THC. I use CBD oil to treat anxiety and pain. I do bong rips (THC) when I want to get spacey and play video games. The two are not even remotely comparable. My husband manages a legal medical grow and we have access to a wide variety of strains and products. In no way are you required to smoke if you have access to medical or recreational dispensaries. Edibles, vaping, oils etc.
      Please get more information if you plan to play the “professional” card and call out the medical marijuana industry.

      • jenn says:

        Thank you for this, SchnauzerFluff. Although I take and appreciate Sydney’s point—many beneficial drugs do carry the potential for abuse—we need to get serious and differentiate between THC and CBD when discussing “pot.” My local medical dispensary already makes it abundantly clear which strains of blossom are higher in CBD than THC, and they additionally offer plenty CBD edibles and oils for folks like me, who have no interest in “getting high” or “abusing marijuana.”

        This isn’t to say I’m “anti-THC”—as you said, it’s a great way to veg and chill out, and it works as intended for some people—but, for people like me, for whom THC is thoroughly unpleasant (to put it mildly), there IS “pure” CBD. It’s costly as hell, but there is no “high,” only relief from serious health issues. People with these health issues are not smoking “marijuana cigarettes” and then joy-riding down the highway. To suggest that they ARE is to inadvertently harm the folks who rely on medical cannibinoids to lead healthy, productive lives. I can’t even tell you the number of nervous, ill elderly I see at my local dispensary—it’s more than half of the customers I see there—and I can SEE that they don’t want to be looked at or noticed, so pervasive is the stigma surrounding even *medicinal* marijuana.

        Still though, as dispensaries become more and more commonplace, I am heartened to learn about new products that could well demystify or destigmatize medical marijuana among the folks who really need it but are scared of it. My favorite item right now is the “hmbldt” pen, a vaporizer that automatically “buzzes” when you’ve inhaled a single low dose of oil. There is an almost-100% CBD hmbldt for anxiety; I personally use a low-THC/high CBD hmbldt rated for inflammatory pain relief. And good lord, you would never use it “recreationally”! It’s $100 for 200 doses, where you might take up to 3 doses in an hour for pain relief. Let’s be clear: Folks who use this are not “rollin’ blunts” and calling it “treatment.”

        I appreciate Sydney’s point about “separating” marijuana into its “good parts” and “bad parts”—although, comparing it to “just like we did with morphine” seems like a false equivalency—but, yes, we’ve already “done” this when it comes to “pure CBD oil.” But to compare morphine to CBD? Morphine is awful. I cared for both my ill, elderly parents at the end of their lives and, despite the fact that I’d noted on every form that my mother has a bad reaction to morphine, I was consistently horrified and baffled by doctors’ insistence on putting her on a perpetual drip anyway. (And, as I stated downthread, my mother almost died from a Fentanyl overdose—a nurse had stuck too many patches to her body without first remembering to remove the old ones. Another ambulance trip!) Opiates aren’t JUST abused; they’re overprescribed, carelessly and without first consulting the guardian’s wishes. It makes me absolutely livid.

        Sorry if I sound very emotional about this. I just really feel that we ought to use caution and care, not only when we talk about medicinal-marijuana patients like they’re joyriding teens, but also when we minimize and underplay the effects of other opioids. I certainly would never wish the stuff I’ve seen and experienced with my parents on somebody else.

  9. Zaratustra says:

    Looking at the rules for coffee shops in the Netherlands you can tell what the problems were:

    No advertising
    No hard drug sales on the premises
    No sales to anyone under the age of 18
    No sale of quantities greater than five grams
    No public disturbances

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffeeshop_(Netherlands)

    In other words as long as coffee shops don’t advertise nor allow more criminal dealings of hard drugs on their premises and as long as they sell only small quantities and as long as their customers don’t disturb the neighbourhood they can operate their business. And of course all customers have to be over 18.

    • jenn says:

      I believe that medicinal marijuana use is limited only to folks 21 years of age and older here in California. I just googled the (California-only?) hmbldt vape pen, and there was an “age gate” on the website.

  10. MinnFinn says:

    For same cases (not all cases) of killer cramps like mine 20 years ago (2 days in bed, only getting up to vomit), excess production of prostaglandins is the problem.

    I suffered for 3 years until I read research in a women’s magazine that showed ibuprofen inhibits prostaglandin production. If prostaglandins are your problem, start ibuprofen 24-48 hours before you expect your period and continue taking it for the first few days.

    It’s important to take ibuprofen and not asprin or tylenol because those don’t inhibit prostaglandin production as effectively.

    So that was 20 years ago. I don’t know what the latest research says about prostaglandins, cramps and ibuprofen as an effective inhibitor.

    • slowsnow says:

      It has been proved that Ibuprofen precipitates the risk of a heart attack and shouldn’t be taken for more than 3 or 5 days in a row (I can’t remember which one). So I guess that taking it once a month might not be a good idea? Which sucks because I have terrible migraines during my period + cramps and Ibuprofen helps.

      • MinnFinn says:

        Each person should discuss the risks with their doctor.

        I took it for typically 3 days in a row. The risk was worth it for me because lost productivity and without it I was so effing miserable.

  11. TheOtherMaria says:

    I would gladly eat a pot brownie rather than Aleve or Ibuprofen….

    As someone who literally feels ovulation (which is painful for me) and then deals with killer back pain pre period on top of two lumbar surgeries, I’d much rather consume a plant than pills….

    • QQ says:

      This is where I’m at too feeling ovulation, cramping hard from there on out , and honestly pain meds from day 10-13 onwards is hell on my stomach, Pot To me has work better, also ACV in water, I’m doing that a LOT and this far i’ve noticed a wee bit of an easier time

  12. AlisonRyan says:

    I just recently used marijuana to treat my cramps. It works! I also ate 6 chocolate chip cookies…nothing is perfect. 🙂

  13. BobaFelty says:

    I have debilitating cramps and heavy bleeding due to PCOS. Over the counter pain meds maybe reduce the pain by 10%, no matter how many pills I pop. Birth control helped with the bleeding, but the pain remained pretty high. I’ve passed out from the pain due to a cyst rupturing a couple of times, and missed many days of school and work.

    Moved to a state with legal marijuana and decided to try it for the first time in my 30s. I purchased the edibles that are ‘CBD’, meaning they have the pain relief without the mental high. It has been a true life saver for me. I pop an edible when I feel the period starting, and take 1 a day for maybe 2-3 days during the period. The edibles are the size of a small tootsie roll. Almost zero pain and I no longer miss work.

  14. Kristin says:

    This woman is clearly a saint.

  15. Tanya says:

    I’m all for it.

  16. I have severe dysmenorrhea too-my whole life. I get everything, back pain, headaches, bowel issues and horrendous crippling cramps. I had a dr recommend pot to me 20 years ago when it was not even legal, but I never tried it. (As an ex-smoker, -I don’t like smoking things ) But once it became legal in CA I finally tried edibles out of desperation and they are a miracle!!! I have tried EVERYTHING EVERYTHING. The pill, pain killers, exercise, heating pads etc etc. etc. But here I can get these small mints-seriously they are just like altoids-in a tin and everything. I take one 5mg (2 if super uncomfortable) and they take care of the pain, help me sleep and just make the discomfort go away. A TRUE MIRACLE.

    • jenn says:

      I have those mints!!!!!! I LOVE those mints! I take the CBD ones.

      I left a really long, medical-jargonny comment right after you (it’s trapped in moderation purgatory for now), but yeah—moving back to California was kind of a godsend for me. I don’t love California, but I’ve told my husband I’m not sure I’d be willing to move again, at least not until medical marijuana is legal in other states.

      I love how easy it is to get a license here—”You’re on Zoloft? Great, here’s your weed card”—but, also, how *serious* the dispensaries are. They are so professional, and the folks who work in dispensaries are super-knowledgeable and really seem to care. Even when I’ve made use of “delivery services” (yet another godsend for a person with serious social anxiety!), the drivers have been super serious and check ID and all that stuff. I know they HAVE to be beyond reproach, but I think it’s great anyway.

      • What are the ones called with CBD? I am not sure if they are the ones I am taking and I would love to try them.

        And yes! I feel the same way. My husband is european and talks about retiring there but I say I can’t do without the medical marijuana and trader joe’s! (I also use the mints for anxiety sometimes and they are a freaking godsend!)
        I can’t wait to read your other medical jargony reply, though, you may not see this as it will be in purgatory too!

      • jenn says:

        Laurel: I’m thinking of these! https://greenly.me/product/breez-cinnamon-cbd-mints-tin-200mg-cbd-200mg-thc-cannabis-marijuana-delivery-los-angeles/ They’re available through our local Eaze delivery service, is how I ended up with them. They’re pretty perfect for you, too! There is ONE review for them on this site, and it’s someone with pain, migraines, and IBS—so you with dysmenorrhea, basically. If you’re taking mints, I think you might be on a slightly different version of this mint?

        I understand!! My husband is from—sigh—*Philadelphia*, and I cannot imagine moving to the East Coast without medical marijuana. :/ Obviously there are OTHER benefits to moving away to Europe at this time (wink wink I’m referring to moving away from our president), and we’re actually talking seriously about moving to Denmark…. but yeah. I dunno. It’s tough to move out of California, all things considered. So I dunno.

  17. jenn says:

    A couple fine folks mentioned this upthread, but there are TWO different components to “marijuana,” generally speaking—THC *and* CBD. It’s sure expensive (!), but you CAN ingest *only* CBD (usually as a “pure” oil), so that you can experience its pain-mitigating benefits without actually getting high, and also without experiencing the dullness or “foggy” side effects of painkillers (or, for that matter, their other dangers).

    CBD is still being studied, but it seemingly has an effect on the neuroimmunological axis: In clinical trials involving children, it’s been proven an effective treatment for epilepsy. Dysmenorrhea (including the pain of PCOS and endometriosis) occurs on the broader HPA (or “hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal”) axis. The HPA axis controls what is called the “immunoendocrine circuit,” and its function is to control the body’s immunological response. This is why just the tiniest bit of hormonal/endocrinological unrest—the tiniest alteration to the immunoendocrine circuit—can trigger sudden-onset autoimmune disease and inflammatory responses in the body. For instance, people with endometriosis often have a predisposition to Celiac Disease, but we still don’t quite understand the correlation/causality with that. Makes sense, though: if the body is treating gluten or other proteins as an allergen or “invader,” there’s an inflammatory response, and now your uterine lining is growing up in your armpit or wherever. (Then, too, there is the matter of hypercortisolism/Cushing’s Disease, which is usually caused by an ectopic hormone-secreting tumor, either on the pituitary or adrenal gland. It leads to outlandish weight gain, hypertension, and eventual death, mimicking other autoimmune illnesses all the while. It’s very tough to “catch” and treat, especially if the disease is cyclical.)

    What I’m saying is, endocrinological health is such a fragile, tenuous thing. It’s not unheard-of for a person who has experienced persistent, chronic uterine pain, to suddenly develop IBS, weird food allergies, inflammatory joint pain, thyroid issues, or Lupus. They’re all part-and-parcel of the same domino effect, and it’s really difficult to pinpoint where the breakdown has occurred when the entire system is going haywire.

    Here is a medical-journal article on cannibinoids’ usefulness and efficacy in treating other inflammatory diseases, included multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828614/

    Americans are really, really sick, and it’s hard to say what is causing all these chronic diseases. But, put simply, prescription opioids are not a viable long-term treatment for pain. (My late mother almost accidentally overdosed, when she was in her 70s, on Fentanyl—a nurse put too many Fentanyl patches on her body—and that is why I carry a torch for CBD as a better long-term pain-management solution. We have lost too many people, including celebrities who were visionary artists, to dangerous prescription painkiller cocktails.)

    If you suffer from autoimmune disease, degenerative disease, chronic/inflammatory pain, and/or certain neurological issues, I implore you to talk to your doctor and see what the laws are in your particular municipality regarding CBD oil and edibles. Your local jurisprudence may have legal options for you. Don’t lose hope!

  18. Steph says:

    Celebitchy talk to your doctor about a mirana iud and get back those two days in bed every month. I did and have never looked back.

    • jenn says:

      It’s not an option for folks with serious risk of stroke though :/ but everyone I know with an IUD really loves theirs!!

      • They don’t work well for those of us with ultra-sensitivity to hormones, dammit. I wanted one SO badly, but my dr, knowing my sensitivity, put me on a pill with the same hormone levels of the IUD and it made me so ill that it was clear I couldn’t do it.

  19. kimbers says:

    Cbd is different than thc. Cbd has helped me after surgery instead of pain meds. Dont do pain meds like Vicodin and opiods. Cbd helps without a high

  20. Anna says:

    I wish it was easier to get CBD strains in australia. I have never been able to find any. Our weed is FULL of THC. So much that for someone with severe anxiety like me gets paranoid from smoking it. So I need to take valium + weed to deal with severe pain and anxiety issues. Anti-depressants don’t work. I also do my best to exercise and meditate but with our GOGOGO culture here in australia and unaffordable housing market, it’s hard to breathe. The ugliest, smallest affordable house where I live is around $1,500,000 MINIMUM, I am stressed because I can’t afford to ever have a family due to the high cost of living even though I earn $80k a year. I get botox to deal with severe tmj pain and headaches. Wish Australia wasn’t so backwards. We don’t even have gay marriage here. Disgusting.

    I wish more people would advocate for medical marijuana but most people aren’t willing to put their jobs on the line with our crappy economy. I don’t blame them. Thank you Whoopi.

  21. Cherryl says:

    Does that actually work aganst menstrual cramps?