Everyone’s endocannabinoid system is different, and therefore everyone responds to weed differently. However in general, men and women also have different responses to the cannabis plant. In fact, according to recent research, estrogen might make you more sensitive to the effects of cannabis.
A study from Washington State University found that women are most receptive to the effects of THC when their estrogen has peaked and is on the descent, which happens about a day or two before ovulation.
“What we’re finding with THC is that you get a very clear spike in drug sensitivity right when the females are ovulating, right when their estrogen levels have peaked and are coming down,” says lead researcher Rebecca Craft.
So because women are more susceptible to the effects of cannabis, they might also reap the benefits of cannabis’ pain relieving effects more so than men do. Using rodent models, the researchers found that females experienced 30 percent more pain relief than males. The researchers also found that the female rats developed a tolerance to cannabis more quickly than the males.
Other research has shown that women also tend to experience an increased libido from cannabis more so than men do. If a heterosexual couple is going to use cannabis to enhance sex, it’s best for the man to stop smoking about half an hour beforehand and for the women to keep on smoking. However, increased libido only works for moderate amounts of cannabis. If the dose is too high, the consumer might get too tired.
However, women’s higher receptivity to cannabis also means the withdrawal might be more intense following a hiatus on using the plant. According to a study from 2010, women tend to experience more physiological drawbacks when they quit smoking cannabis, such as insomnia or appetite loss.
That doesn’t mean, however, that women are more susceptible to munchies than men are. According to the study from Washington State University, increased appetite is a side effect of cannabis more likely to be found in men than in women.
Of course the kind of weed you’re smoking and the amount has a lot to do with how it will affect you, especially in regard to things like appetite, pain relief, insomnia, or libido. Nonetheless, if you’ve been in a male/female 420-friendly relationship, you may have noticed differences in the way you and your partner consume. Now you know the difference in your estrogen levels has something to do with it.
