Experts today called for education and increased awareness around gender disparities in access to medical cannabis at Cannabis Europa 2026 in London.
Recurring themes included a lack of intersectional personalized care and misunderstandings around the impact of medical cannabis on the menstrual cycle and menopause, underscored by limited research funding.
Sarah Sinclair, former Editor of Cannabis Health in London, said: “Women are increasingly turning to cannabis-based medicines, often years after feeling dismissed, underdiagnosed, and underserved by conventional healthcare systems.
“But at the same time, they face a unique set of barriers when accessing medical cannabis, from persistent stigma and limited clinical research, to healthcare systems that still largely treat the male body as the default.”
The panel agreed the medical cannabis industry must move to cater for women’s needs through variable dosage forms and inclusion in product design.
Dr Grace Blest-Hopley, Chief Scientific Officer at NWPharma Tech, noted the ENDOCAN-1 clinical trial from the University of Edinburgh analyzing CBD’s impact on endometriosis pain.
She also highlighted a study by Dr Natasha Mason at the University of Maastricht examining how women respond to cannabis across the menstrual cycle.
Dr Blest-Hopley said: “We really need to open our eyes to the idea that there is this whole other variable going on in women, and research it properly.”