Women Are Inserting Cannabis-Filled Pills Into Their Vaginas 'To Prevent Period Pain'
Women Are Inserting Cannabis-Filled Pills Into Their Vaginas 'To Prevent Period Pain'
Natasha Hinde— The Huffington Post UK
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Forget ibuprofen or hot water bottles, women in America are inserting cannabis-filled suppositories into their vaginas in a quest to banish period pain.
The tampon-like products, called Foria Relief, are made from cocoa butter with 240mg of added tetrahydrocannabinol (known as THC) and 40mg of cannabidiol (CBD).
The aim is to block period pain and suppress inflammation. And no, it doesn't make you high.
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The pain relief suppositories cost roughly £30 ($44) for a box of four and are currently only available to buy in American states where marijuana is legal, such as California and Colorado.
Women are encouraged to lie on their back with a pillow under their bottom. They then insert the suppository into the vagina and the cannabinoids get to work on soothing the nerve endings of the uterus, cervix and muscle tissue.
The founder of the product Mathew Gerson, said: "This plant medicine has a long, cross-cultural history of use as a natural aide in easing symptoms associated with menstruation.
"The pelvic region contains more cannabinoid receptors than any other part of the body except for the brain. So delivering these actives in a suppository format is a natural choice."
Of course, for women suffering period pain in the UK, it may be a while before weed suppositories are available.
Discussing her concerns about such a product, Dr Helen Webberley, the dedicated GP for Oxford Online Pharmacy, said: "In the USA all medicines, whatever route they are administered - orally as tablets, via the skin as patches or gels or as a pessary, through the vagina - have to be passed by the FDA.
"This capsule has not even been studied yet and it hasn't been passed by the FDA. The assumption is that, as cannabis can cause muscle relaxation, it may help to ease period pains."
She added: "Any medication needs to be fully evaluated for its risks and benefits before it can be classified as being safe for use. I would be very worried about women using this product before it has been fully evaluated."
What It's Like Inside A Legal Weed Shop
It all feels very strange.(01 of14)
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The photo at the top of this story is a little misleading -- that was during a party on 4/19, when there was a line out the door for $10 grams and gigantic joints whose price tags were cut to $4.20.
THIS is how many of the state's bud cafes look on the outside. It's a little unnerving when you first arrive. Green Lady Marijuana, for instance, shares its building with a tire shop, and it's all next to a state patrol office.
It's not seedy inside, by any means, but walking in for the first time makes some new customers feel a little guilty -- like walking into a porn shop on a main street.
"It was definitely weird the first time, heck, I can't even tell my daughter I was here," said one 53-year-old customer, who only gave her name as Donna. "I feel more at ease than when I used to get marijuana illegally, but there's still that little adrenaline rush when you walk out of a store with a bag of pot cookies and a joint." (credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
There's a waiting room.(02 of14)
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This is where they vet customers. Employee Jasmine Hargrove, 25, told The Huffington Post that it would be a problem to let everyone else in at once.
"We like to give a more personal experience with your bud-tender -- some people are just now learning what they want," she said. "Plus there is security, because we do deal with a very in-demand product and we deal with a lot of cash."
You show a security guard your ID -- you have to be 21 to buy weed in Washington state -- and you sit in this waiting room for about 5 minutes.
That's when you learn that people from all walks are buying sticky icky. Everyone from your high school friends to the suit-and-tie business man is in that waiting room. (credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
And then, there's marijuana...(03 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
Lots...(04 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
And lots...(05 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
Of sweet...(06 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
Marijuana!(07 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
(Pizza not included)(08 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
Sativa, or indica?(09 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
Or, if you like edibles...(10 of14)
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There are truffles and cookies, chocolates and popcorn. But no Funyuns, man. Not YET. (credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
(11 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
(12 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
THERE'S EVEN WEED SODA, AND POT COFFEE(13 of14)
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(credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)
Sorry, we got a little excited.(14 of14)
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There's a minor catch to the whole ordeal -- the price. You're likely paying a premium at $15-20 a gram, but customers said they'd rather have it readily available and legal than pay a few bucks less.
Would you go into a legal weed shop in your area? (credit:Andy Campbell / Huffington Post)