The battle of the sexes is as old as time. And we’re not talking about equality or human rights, but rather about a healthy competition of men vs. women. Whether it’s tennis, cooking, or even competitive eating, both genders have a deep hunger to prove they’re better, faster, and stronger.
But what happens when it comes to cannabis? Is there a clear winner where marijuana is concerned? Who craves cannabis more: men or women? New information suggests that females may be winning the cannabis battle of the sexes when it comes to marijuana cravings. A recent study from the Center for Brain-Health at the University of Texas has found that women who regularly use marijuana can end up craving the drug a lot more than men. The study examined cravings or desires to consume cannabis when exposed to a specific situation for both males and females. The point was to find differences in neural (physical) and subjective (behavioral) craving responses. While neural activity doesn’t exhibit any differences between genders, “female users exhibit more intense subjective craving than male users”. This means that women have a more behavioral approach to cannabis cravings.
The study, published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence by Shikha Prashad, Ph.D., and Francesca Filbey, Ph.D., also found an interesting fact: ovarian hormones may modulate this response and may be related to different levels of estrogen. Meaning that women who were currently in their menstrual cycle presented higher cravings than those who weren’t menstruating. Although more data is needed here, this is definitely a logical approach, since most women have increased cravings during their period due to hormonal increase. However, as we mentioned before, more investigation is needed in this area to reach any sort of conclusion.
Men vs. Women Consumption Habits
That being said, who consumes more marijuana? And more importantly, why? According to a report from the Cannabis Consumers Coalition (CCC), women are dominating the marijuana consumption market: 53% of users were women vs. 42% being men. The ladies are here for the taking, and they’re not taking no for an answer. However, the overall situations where cannabis is consumed may be vastly different:
“I think that men and women use cannabis for different reasons mostly, and as such prefer to use it more or less in different situations. A woman is more likely to smoke in a social activity, where a man may smoke alone.”
Dr.Giuseppe Aragona, General Practitioner & Family Doctor at Prescription Doctor
Women tend to consume marijuana in a social setting, while men tend to smoke both in social settings or alone. Consuming marijuana alone may also be part of why marijuana affects men and women differently.
Differences in Effects
To understand the difference in cravings, we need to first dive a little bit into the main differences in effects between men and women.
“Research on cannabis use and its effects is growing; emerging evidence suggests sex- and gender-related differences in cannabis use and health effects. For example:
- Men are more likely to use cannabis.
- There are sex differences in the metabolism of cannabis, due to differences in muscle mass and fat distribution.
- Females transition from initiation to regular use faster than males (similar to other substances).
- Men who use cannabis are more likely to report dependence or severe dependence on cannabis than women.
- Male and female users report differences in forms of ingestion, effects, and withdrawal symptoms.
- The evidence regarding cannabis use and mental health is mixed; some studies report that depressive symptoms are greater among males, while other studies report an association with depression and anxiety only for females.
- Cannabis use has been associated with decreased pain sensitivity in men, but not in women.”
Dr. Chris Norris, Physiotherapist and neurologist, Founder & Editor of SleepStandards.com
Men tend to be more relaxed when it comes to cannabis consumption. And according to Dr. Giuseppe Aragona, they are “more likely to eat more and have a decrease in sexual behavior”, as well as reducing risk behavior by calming them down. For women, it’s the other way around: “they have increased anxiety and depression, and an increased sexual behavior.”
“Many women report enhanced sensations and confidence after using cannabis. As a side effect, it appears that girls are more likely to suffer temporary visual alterations and memory impairments after using cannabis than boys. Furthermore, there is a vast difference in cannabis withdrawal symptoms between men and women. Women report more symptoms and a higher overall level of discomfort than men, suffering from typical symptoms such as irritability, restlessness, and gastrointestinal discomfort.”
Dr. Chris Norris, Physiotherapist, neurologist, Founder & Editor of SleepStandards.com
This can come down to muscle mass, metabolism, and fat distribution. Just like alcohol can have faster and harsher effects on women, marijuana can play a similar role. Since female muscle mass tends to be smaller, the effect may be greater than that of its male counterpart. What can happen though, is that women may become more dependent on marijuana, faster. This means that they may crave the drug a lot more than men.
Conclusion
“It seems that men don’t need cannabis tolerance breaks as often as women do, and they might experience less pronounced withdrawal symptoms than women. “
Dr. Chris Norris, Physiotherapist, neurologist, Founder & Editor of SleepStandards.com
So why is this battle of the sexes important? Aside from the fact that more women are consuming cannabis today, it may be relevant for health reasons. Although women generally consume cannabis at a later age than men, they progress more quickly through the milestones of marijuana addiction, having to enter programs at a younger age. Another issue to consider is that women are twice as likely as men to develop depression, anxiety, or panic disorders, all of which can be affected by excessive marijuana consumption. And to top it off, like we already mentioned, women “report greater withdrawal symptoms and higher negative impact of withdrawal”. So the effects may be greater, making it easier to get hooked and harder to drop the habit if you’re a woman.
The key point here is balance. Marijuana isn’t evil, its effects are normally mild, and neither can you fatally overdose on it. However, if women are craving cannabis more than men in an unhealthy way, then perhaps they should focus on consuming CBD instead of THC, which will bring forth all the relaxing benefits of cannabis without the psychoactive effects. Cannabis can be a great ally to leading a healthy, relaxed life – it’s all about balance and what makes you happy!
So yes, when it comes to men vs. women in marijuana, the ladies may be the bigger cravers. But they’re also the ones that need to watch their consumption habits a little bit closer to achieve a positive experience. It’s all about health, competition or no.
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