Cannabis could help millions living with endometriosis - new study suggests huge affect on pain regulation

A new study has revealed that the ingestion of cannabis might help millions of women to manage their endometriosis pain. Around 1.5 million people have been diagnosed with the debilitating chronic condition in the UK.

Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the uterus lining grows outside the uterus and can cause crippling pain during menstruation and sex, with other symptoms including pelvic pain, infertility and abnormal bloating.

While there is no cure for the condition, surgery can often be used as a tool to dampen the symptoms and pain. However, the new study has revealed that neurons named endocannabinoids, found in cannabis products, can also be used to alleviate pain.

Researchers from Australia and New Zealand have found that ingesting cannabis products containing this neuron may help dampen pain associated with endometriosis. This works by binding endocannabinoids and a bacteria in the gut known as microbiota to receptors in the central nervous system.

Research into the topic has seen some experts refer to endometriosis as an ‘endocannabinoid deficiency’, after more than 140 journal articles linked endocannabinoids levels to endometriosis pain.

The authors of the latest study wrote: "These promising findings highlight the potential therapeutic benefits of CBD and THC for endometriosis-associated pain, warranting the need for human studies."