Women’s Little-known Uses of Marijuana over History

There is more and more talk about the advantages of marijuana treatments in the prevention of some diseases, and US paediatricians have even recognised its efficacy for the treatment of epilepsy in children. But medicinal marijuana has been used for centuries, especially by women.

According to a study published in the "Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics", women have used cannabis as a natural treatment to alleviate serious menstrual pain, dysuria (pain when urinating) and the symptoms of menopause, for many years. As early as the 11th century, women rubbed their breasts with marijuana leaves smeared with fat to prevent pain after childbirth, a method also used in Germany and Austria during the 19th century.

The use of marijuana in the field of obstetrics dates back even further: in Ancient Egypt cannabis was ground and mixed with honey to induce contractions and ease childbirth, a method that has been employed throughout history. 

In the 17th century a German doctor indicated that marijuana could be a remedy for gonorrhoea if cooked in water with nutmeg. And in the United States cannabis was later used to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. 

Cannabis has also served as an aphrodisiac. In 7th-century India it was mixed with milk, water and other spices to create a peculiar marijuana concoction that enhanced tantric sex. In 1930s Russia young brides were advised to use a mix of cannabis and lamb fat to reduce pain on their wedding nights. 

Even if you already knew that marijuana can function as a treatment for migraines, you might be surprised by the fact that it was mixed with herbs to treat this ailment as early as the 9th century.

Although it is now when legislation is being passed everywhere legalising the consumption of marijuana for medicinal purposes, history reveals that these applications are nothing new. Cannabis has been used for years with these same aims. 

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With information from Fusion and Tandfonline