Medical marijuana’s increasing popularity and legality are opening up opportunities for research into its uses. Recently, a team in Spain has been successful in using THC to treat endometriosis pain — the inflammation of the tissue that has grown outside of the uterus on a woman’s ovaries, bowels, or pelvis.
The trial was successful in mice and the researchers found THC could even be effective at reducing internal cysts associated with the disorder.
Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women between the ages of 15 and 49, yet treatment options for the condition are limited, ranging from over the counter painkillers to more extreme options such as hysterectomy. THC could be a revolutionary and non-invasive new method for treating this common disease.
The trial is still in early phases, but researchers have partnered with the Gynecology Service of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain to expand the research to human subjects. Some women will certainly choose not to use medical marijuana, but expanding treatment options for women in need is always good news!
