Cannabis and Women

It is hard to learn to suffer. Women succeed more often and more nobly than men. Learn from them!

- If The War Goes On, Herman Hesse

 

 

'Another interesting Playboy ad featured a caricature of Queen Victoria sitting on a throne, smoking a joint, with the headline “Last year 300,000 Americans were arrested for smoking an herb that Queen Victoria used regularly for menstrual cramps”, an obscure fact that is well documented.'

 

 - NORML 


The title 'Cannabis and Women' might be misleading, making one think it is like the cliche 'Wine and Women', but this article is about the usage of cannabis by women and the social context in which this happens or does not happen, and not about the pleasure of a man enjoying cannabis and women. Though written from a man's perspective, I aim to be unbiased on the subject, without letting my natural male tendencies influence it.

 

The enslavement of half the world

How has half of humanity come to completely dominate and subjugate the other half?

Some people say that this is how it always was. They say that the male - being of superior physical strength and superior intelligence - has always dominated the female from the time of the cave dwellers. Now, the argument of superior intelligence among males as compared to females is itself so absurd that there is no reason to further dwell on it, as the falsity of it should be most obvious even to the most ignorant of men and women. Let us look at superior physical strength as a basis for this domination of men over women in the world today. If we study the aspect of physical strength, we will see that the male has greater physical strength not just in humans, but, rather, this is the case in most species. However, the male does not dictates terms in every species where it has superior physical strength, it is only among humans that this happens. In many species, the role of the male is only that of semen donator. Once the male has inseminated the female or her eggs, he goes his own way, while the female incubates, delivers and raises the young up to the point in time when the young are able to manage on their own. In the cases where the time taken from birth to being able to independently look after oneself is relatively long, both parents are needed to support, guide and protect the young through the fragile stages of early life. This happens in birds and mammals. Both parents play an equal role in building the home to house the young, seeking and providing food for the young, protecting the young from predators and teaching the young the valuable life skills needed to survive on their own. There is no question of domination or superiority of one sex over the other in any of these situations. In fact, there is perfect understanding and sharing of responsibilities. This is how, I believe, early humans and their ancestors - their primates managed the whole business of bringing up their young. Even as humans moved from being hunter-gatherers to agrarian societies, there was still this equilibrium between the genders, with the women staying closer to home to protect and raise the young, and men venturing out further to seek food and essential materials for the home. This equilibrium among the sexes continued till I think about a few thousand years ago.

What changed, then, among humans that caused the tilting of the balance more in favor of the male and slowly reduced the female to the role of subservience to be controlled and dictated by the male? I believe that the desire to accumulate more, and possess more - much more than what was sufficient for one's needs - to be the at the root of this shift. The establishment of the hierarchy of king-priest-businessman enabled some to use others in order to gain more power, material wealth and possessions than others. Once this was seen to be successful, it was seen that with more power and wealth, a man could not just possess and control land, wealth and communities, one could even possess women. The woman was reduced from being a living being of equal standing with the man, to that of a possession to be acquired and owned by the man who had the money and power. We see the taking of women by force or by money, and the number of women possessed by a man become an additional symbol of higher social and economic status, just like the amount of property or wealth a man possessed. So, the emperor had a thousand wives, and the god had ten thousand. This reduction of a woman into a possession or property was only enabled and strengthened by the male-dominated king-priest-businessman triad. The king set down the laws of conduct in public life, the priest set down the laws of conduct in private life, and the businessman set down the laws of conduct in economic life. In all these spheres, it was decreed that the woman must be subservient to the man. As this power structure went about amassing its wealth, it subjugated vast numbers of persons from numerous egalitarian societies around the world and reduced them to the lowest class in the hierarchy - to be the slaves that enabled the king-priest-businessman to control the world. Women from the conquered societies were taken as possessions by the conquerors. The increased control over material wealth and possessions meant not just that one man now possessed many women against their will, it also meant that even where a man had only one woman he took possession and control over her as a piece of property. The concept that woman is a property - to be owned and used for one's pleasure - gained widespread acceptance within the home wherever the hierarchical power structure was established. The man in the house also very much liked the concept of reducing the woman to a subservient role. Woman is nature. Therefore, we see the shift in attitudes within the home to be in parallel with the shift in attitudes outside the home towards nature. Where once humans lived in nature in a symbiotic manner, they now saw nature as something to be acquired and possessed for one's pleasure. More the wealth and power one had, the more that one sought to gain and possess nature itself. The goddesses of the world were either banished as evil, or forgotten, or were reduced to be the inferiors of the male gods.

The male population of the hierarchical societies loved this gain in power over the female so much that they reinforced it and strengthened it at every opportunity. From the time that a girl was born, she was taught to be subservient to the men in the house. She was fed only after the men had eaten. She was not allowed to make any decisions on her own regarding her life such as her attire, education, career, marriage, bearing children, social life and freedom of movement. All this was made possible by the control of the finances in the house by the male members of the house. If a girl, as a young child, showed signs of independent thinking and rebellion, she was broken in by the males and other female members of the household, much like a wild elephant is broken in using tame elephants. The birth of a girl in a family came to be regarded as a financial catastrophe, while the birth of the boy came to be regarded as a financial windfall. The narrative was built that the woman is a burden that the parents must bear till they can hand her over to her new master - the husband. What this narrative hides is the way that a woman is enslaved and the steps that are taken to ensure that she is enslaved for her entire life. In her parents home, she is deprived of all the ways in which she can become liberated and independent - through physical, mental and financial subjugation until she is ready to be married off. The father of the girl actually pays the new master - the husband - money and property so that he has the means to keep and maintain the slave as his possession for the rest of her life without any chance of her breaking free. The entire effort is to keep the mind of the woman at the maturity level of a child throughout her life. The woman is treated as a child throughout the time in her parents house, and every attempt is made in the husband's house to ensure that she remains mentally a child. Marrying off a very young girl to a much older man - often the age of, or older than the father - in the early days made this very easy. This keeping of the woman mentally immature ensures that the male retains all control over the finances, wealth and property, including the woman. Calling a woman names like 'baby', 'child', etc., in various languages may be seen as an attempt by the patriarchy to keep the woman in a controllable, child-like state. This, to me, is the way that the king-priest-businessman triad ensures that half the world - its women - are subjugated and subservient to the other half of the world, the men.

We see that there are many parallels between the subjugation of women and the subjugation of cannabis. Both are, of course, the embodiment of nature, and hence what we see is the overall subjugation of nature itself being played out at many levels. By looking at the world through the lens of cannabis, we can see that the subjugation of women was a feature of hierarchical societies and not that of egalitarian societies. All the egalitarian societies ended up being the conquered to form the lowest castes and classes. The cannabis that was consumed by the egalitarian societies, thus, became associated as the drug of the lowest classes and castes. The women who consumed cannabis as freely as men in these egalitarian societies came to be known as the women of the lowest classes and castes. They came to be known as prostitutes or loose women that the men from the upper classes and castes could possess and discard at will - the prize of the conqueror.

Among the things that the patriarchal hierarchical power structure fears the most are cannabis and a woman's sexual freedom. They are probably not wrong in thinking that these two factors can overturn their existing hierarchies.

A woman's sexuality is something that cannot be taken away like her freedom of movement, money and possessions. Even if attempts are made to keep a woman in a mentally immature state throughout her life, the natural biological processes mean that her body will mature by itself. Even if a woman has nothing material left, even if she is bound in the strongest chains, she can use her sexuality to find a suitable and willing ally, and become free of the chains of patriarchal hierarchy that bind her. With sexual freedom, a woman can choose who she wants to be with, i.e. she is no longer a possession or property but a thinking individual who can make her own decisions including the way she lives her life. A woman is taught very early that she must not give expression to her sexuality. Her sexuality is something to be closely guarded and only given to the man who will agree to bear the burden of looking after her for the rest of her life. She must not feed the sexual fire through sexual thoughts and actions like masturbation that will strengthen it. She must dress in a certain way, and conduct herself in a certain way, so that there is no scope for her sexuality to be revealed and attract the attention of those who are not her masters. She must keep it as feeble as possible, just sufficient to enable her to have those moments of desire that will give pleasure to her husband, and just enough to enable her to mate and bear children. Anything else done in addition to this will be excessive as it will cause the sexual fire to burn out of control and destroy the world - the patriarchal hierarchical world set up for male domination. The methods used by the patriarchal hierarchy to control a woman's sexuality and keep her from becoming sexually liberated are: rape; physical violence; public shaming; drilling in concepts such as honor and reputation of the family; confinement; deprivation of basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing and hygiene; creating the myth that sexually liberated women are 'loose' immoral women; creating the myth that sexually liberated women become prostitutes; etc. Often, it is male members within the family itself - aided by other women in the family - who break in a woman who shows signs of becoming sexually liberated. If this does not work, there are enough men outside the family - in the surrounding society - who are constantly on the lookout to punish any woman who appears to be stepping out of line. They are the moral police, performing acts of physical and mental violence to tame the woman. Women, who have long been weakened by the patriarchal hierarchy that they have become accustomed to, themselves quite often confess their moral digressions - such as looking at a man with desire or feeling sexually aroused - to their captors who promptly take action to ensure that this is not repeated, thrashing the man sometimes, but most often harming the woman herself, further tightening their control over her, and blaming her for the aberration from the laid out norms. The retribution is more intense if the man happens to belong to a class or caste that is below that of the woman's family in the hierarchical structure of society, since this is perceived to be a threat against the whole structure of hierarchical society. Hence a man from the lower castes and classes or minority religions could even be put to death because a woman from the upper classes and castes looked at him longingly and then capitulated to her fear of losing her current position in society. We see widespread outrage across society when a woman from a class or caste higher up in the hierarchy becomes a victim of sexual violence and crime perpetrated by a man from lower down the hierarchical order. There is hardly any reaction when numerous women from the lower classes and castes are subjected to widespread sexual violence. Why is this? This is essentially the hierarchical patriarchal system reacting to what it perceives to be a threat to the existing social order. A man from the lower classes and castes attempting to possess what the upper classes and castes consider their own property is viewed as a direct threat to the social order, much like a lower class or caste person seizing the land or wealth of an upper class or caste person. It is the same instinct that drives the lynching of a lower caste or class man for marrying an upper class or caste woman. Concepts such as love jihad, etc., are created to ensure that the patriarchal hierarchical social order remains intact.

Hierarchical patriarchal society has created the concept that the ultimate curse or punishment for a woman is to be labeled 'loose' or 'immoral'. The moment a woman is labeled loose or immoral, she then somehow magically becomes a prostitute and a member of the lowest classes and castes. The fact of the matter is that being 'loose' or 'immoral' and being a prostitute are two entirely different things.

To be a 'loose' woman, as the term implies, is to loosen the bonds of male patriarchy and hierarchical society. What is 'loose' or 'immoral' behavior? It is a person who - feeling sexual desire for more than one person - goes ahead and expresses this sexual desire with more than one person. The feeling of sexual desire for more than one person is something beyond the control of any human mind. It is a biological impulse rising from millions of years of evolution where the individual seeks a suitable mate among the numerous options available. Even after the individual has found this suitable mate, the biological impulse does not stop working. It remains alive till the death of the individual. It is one of the most powerful impulses of the human body and mind. It is one of the key drivers of physical and mental well-being and health. To be desirable is to be alive, and every action that the human takes - or any living being for that matter - including the way we behave, the thoughts and actions we pursue, the possessions that we accumulate, the attire that we wear, our physical appearance, etc. All this emphasizes the importance of the individual to himself or herself, as much as it emphasizes it to those around. Some individuals express their sexual drives in actually having sexual intercourse with more than one person. Many others keep it restricted to their secret thoughts and closely guard it to ensure that it is not manifested in external behavior. I do not think there is a single individual in this world in whom this manifestation of the sexual drive - whether as thoughts or actions - does not exist. The only place where you will find such an individual is in the grave. Are only women loose and immoral? It is the most obvious fact that the sexual drive is equally distributed in both men and women. But given the hierarchical patriarchal set up of society, the man is free to be loose and immoral as much as we wants to be whereas a woman is not. Men who are loose and immoral even gain the respect of society, with many regarding them as achievers. As I said earlier, if you have a thousand women, you are an emperor. If you have ten thousand, then you are a god. This hypocrisy of men, in terms of sexual behavior, is so much a part of society that nobody even bats an eyelid when a man boasts of his sexual conquests. The moment a woman shows even the slightest hint of this behavior she will be cut down. Let alone actually having sex with more than one man, even looking at more than one man is considered loose or immoral behavior. There is also the generally held belief that women of the upper classes and castes are not loose or immoral, it is only the lowest classes and castes that are. Loose or immoral behavior is considered a distinguishing characteristic of the lowest classes and castes, and the absence of it a distinguishing characteristic of the upper classes and castes. It is most obvious that you are as likely to find loose immoral woman among the upper classes and castes as among the lower classes and castes, as this is a human trait not a class, caste or gender trait. Different people prefer to express their sexuality differently, and that is all there is to it. The hypocrisy, jealousy and possessiveness of males belonging to patriarchal hierarchical societies when it comes to sexuality is well illustrated in the story of Siva and Visnu with the rishis and their wives in the Cedar Pine forest.

Let us consider prostitution. One of the things said about prostitution is that it is loose and immoral women who become prostitutes. The male - usually from the upper classes and castes - who visits a prostitute for sex would like to fool himself that the woman is a nympho maniac who just cannot get enough. This helps him come to terms with, and counter, the blows from his conscience that says that this is a person who is suffering so much that she has to sell her own body to survive. A life of prostitution is not something that a woman chooses, selecting it with gleeful lust from a widespread platter of available occupations. Most often, the woman is someone who as a child or a young woman has been deceived by some unscrupulous male who promises marriage only to sell her to organized criminals in the sex trade. Quite often, her own family is complicit in the matter, settling for a few meager rupees as the price to be rid of her as a financial burden. Once the woman has been defiled by the man who bought her promising marriage, she is then repeatedly defiled by numerous other men so that all her self-esteem is completely destroyed and she cannot even dream of escaping the clutches of the criminals and facing the world, especially after all the years of social conditioning that she has received about loose women and prostitutes. She then has no other alternative but to surrender to her situation and continue down the path of prostitution, knowing fully well that even if she were to escape and go back to her family, they would reject her stating that she is now a loose, immoral woman, a prostitute, and any association with her would bring dishonor to the family. Thus, a prostitute is goods sold and resold by multiple masters. The rich upper class and upper caste male does not want to ponder over all these finer details, as that would make his stomach churn. He would rather like to fool himself that the prostitute is someone who is creaming for him to do it to her, and she just cannot get enough of it, unlike his wife back home who - after decades of submitting to male domination - has gathered enough courage and maturit - or her feeble sexual fire has been extinguished through decades of suppression or the hormonal changes that come with age - and has decided to close her legs and told him to go fuck himself.  

The banning of intoxicants, especially for women, in the hierarchical patriarchal societies is mainly due to the fact that some of the women that the males from these societies have had sex with - the loose immoral woman and the prostitute - have been found to consume intoxicants. This has led the male to believe that intoxication makes a woman more sexually liberated. This is irrespective of whether the male having sex consumes intoxicants or does not. We see that the more repressive a hierarchical patriarchal society is, the more it bans the use of intoxicants by women. This is so much so that even males from the lower castes and classes in these societies will ban their women from intoxicants because even these men feel the need to oppress their women where female oppression is the all-pervasive mood of the society. When a woman has become older, it is found that she begins using cannabis more. The reasons for this could be many. She may have reached the level of maturity to understand that the whole cannabis restriction on her is something driven by male-dominated society and a part of male suppression of women. She may have become more bold and fearless with advancing age to go against the norms of patriarchal society. She may understand the medical benefits of cannabis for women, especially aging women. It may also be that her masters - the males - do not fear that she will escape their clutches now that she is older, since her sexuality is likely to have diminished with age. She may not care anymore for the hypocrisies of family reputation and loose female behavior when she sees all around her the men flouting all these so-called boundaries with impunity at every opportunity they get. It may be that the males around her have now turned their attention to the younger, more sexually active females, and so she has more breathing space to follow her own impulses. All these factors could explain why women seem to start using cannabis only as they advance in age. Most women from patriarchal hierarchical societies themselves believe that intoxicants have no place in a woman's life. Most choose to avoid intoxicants in order not to draw the ire of their masters. They prefer the few baubles and comforts that they get, in their life of slavery, to freedom of thought and action. Many will silently suffer the constant battering from abusive alcoholic males who do nothing but drink all day just to present the external picture of normalcy to society, and to keep the family's 'reputation' intact. Most believe that the role of a woman in life is to serve the man and satisfy his various desires. Most never grow out of their childlike state into maturity all their life. Most women, battered through life into submission, prefer this to going against the grain, for fear of the pain that this might bring, even though in most cases the pain suffered for reclaiming one's rights and freedom is far lesser than the pain suffered from abject surrender.

How cannabis usage and women were both repressed in 19th century India

Question 30(b) was posed by the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission of 1894-95 to witnesses - "Is it [usage of cannabis] mainly confined to the male sex..?"

From the majority of witness responses to the Hemp Commission, we get the impression that it was predominantly males in society who consumed cannabis - especially ganja or charas. The witnesses who gave this evidence were essentially ruling upper class and upper caste males. There was not a single female witness in the Hemp Commission's list of more than a thousand witnesses. One can safely say that the viewpoints thus expressed have an overwhelmingly male bias, in addition to an overwhelming upper class and upper caste bias. Mind you, India in the 19th century was a very male-dominated patriarchal society, much more so than today when it is still quite bad. Practices like sati, dowry, child marriages, widows as outcasts, etc., were extensively followed in society. Even among the lower classes and castes, a woman was expected to treat the man as master. John Lennon's scathing social commentary - "Woman is the nigger of the world...Woman is the slave to the slave" - was very much applicable to 19th century Indian society. Smoking in general, was regarded as a male trait. A woman who smoked was looked upon as someone who was arrogant, disrespectful to males, of a loose character, and someone attempting to infringe on male authority. The majority of the ruling upper classes and castes barely tolerated a lower class or caste man smoking ganja in their presence - considering it a despicable habit and an affront to their own class and caste superiority. How much more intolerable would have been the sight of a woman smoking - even one of their own class or caste - let alone a woman from the lower classes and castes?

The linking of ganja smoking to the prostitutes was one way in which male society tried to ensure that women did not smoke ganja or charas. The Indian Hemp Drugs Commission's report of 1894-95 is replete with evidence by numerous witnesses associating ganja smoking with prostitutes, whom they regarded as the worst class in society.  Babu Madhava Chandra Chatterjee, Brahmin, Pleader, District Court, Dinajpur, says, 'Except prostitutes, females do not use them.'  Mr. A. E. Harward, Officiating Magistrate and Collector, Bogra, says, 'Prostitutes use these drugs, but otherwise the consumption is almost entirely confined to the male sex.' Mr. W. Maxwell, Sub-Divisional Officer, Jhenidah, District Jessore, says, 'It is confined to the male sex and to prostitutes.' Babu Jaga Mohan Bhattacharjya, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector and Personal Assistant to Commissioner, Chittagong, 'But prostitutes in East Bengal do smoke ganja.' Babu Banku Behari Dutt, Excise Deputy Collector, Backergunge, says, 'Ganja is generally consumed by the male sex at or after their youth, but females also, though to a less extent (generally prostitutes of a depraved class and mehtérs) consume this drug.' Babu Rasik Lal Ghose, Court of Wards' Manager, Dinajpur, says, 'They are mainly confined to the male sex, but low class prostitutes also generally smoke ganja.'  Mr. W. C. Fasson, District Superintendent of Police, Bogra, says, 'It is chiefly used by males, but nearly all prostitutes use it.' Mr. R. L. Ward, District Superintendent of Police, Rajshahi, says, 'Females of ill-fame almost all smoke ganja in moderation.'  Mr. W. R. Ricketts, Manager, Nilgiri State, Tributary Mahals, Orissa, says, 'The consumption of these drugs is mainly confined to the male sex and prostitutes.' Surgeon-Major R. Cobb, Civil Surgeon and Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum, Dacca, says, 'The consumption of these drugs is usually practised in company and mainly confined to the male sex, except in the case of prostitutes.' Assistant Surgeon Hari Mohan Sen, Baidya, Chittagong, 'Adult males and prostitutes use ganja and siddhi.' Mohim Chunder Roy, Brahmin, Medical Practitioner, Nator, Rajshahi, says, 'Excepting prostitutes, females rarely make use of any of these drugs'. Trailokya Nath Majumdar, Baidya, Medical Practitioner, Bankipur, says, 'Public women are known in many cases to smoke ganja.' Nimai Charan Das, Vaidya, Medical Practitioner, Chittagong, says, 'It is not confined only to male sex; females also take it. The majority are the prostitutes.' Ram Chander Goopta, Kabiraj, Barisal, Backergunge District, says, 'Among females, prostitutes probably use them.' Babu Kalikisto Sarkar, Kayasth, Talukdar, Kasundi, Jessore, says, 'lower class of prostitutes are in the habit of using these drugs.' Babu Jagat Kishor Acharjea Chauduri, Brahmin, Zamindar, Muktagacha, District Mymensingh, says, 'It is the male sex that usually consume it, and except some public women of the bazar no one of the other sex indulges in ganja.' Babu Sasi Bhusan Roy, Manager, Dubalhati Raj Estate, Rajshahi District, says, 'It is generally smoked by the male sex; but prostitutes of a very low order are sometimes found addicted to this drug.' H. M. Weatherall, Manager, Nawab's Estate, Tippera, says, 'prostitutes also indulge in it.' Babu Aghore Nath Banerji, Vice-Chairman, Serampore Municipality, District Hughli, says, 'Few prostitutes smoke them.' Babu Madhava Chandra Chatterjee, Brahmin, Pleader, District Court, Dinajpur, says, 'Except prostitutes, females do not use them.'  Babu Tara Nath Chuckerbutty, Brahmin, Government Pleader, Faridpur, says, 'Prostitutes now and then use it.' Babu Pares Nath Chatterjee, Brahmin, Pleader, Satkhira, Khulna District, says, 'Women, except prostitutes, and children never use to take any of these drugs.' Babu Ram Nidhi Shaha, Excise Vendor, Mymensingh, says, 'The prostitutes are the only females who consume ganja.' Kamini Kumar Chandra, Kayastha, Bengali, Pleader, Silchar, says, 'It is not confined to the male sex, but females who use it are generally prostitutes.' Mr. B. Robertson, Deputy Commissioner, Nimar, says, 'The use of ganja is mainly confined to the male sex, but women, and especially prostitutes, occasionally consume the drug.' Vinayak Balkrishna Khare, Brahmin, Excise Daroga, Nagpur, says 'Public girls who do not keep the profession of singing occasionally smoke ganja.' Bijraj, Marwari, Wholesale ganja vendor, Kamptee, Nagpur District, says, 'Prostitutes frequently smoke ganja : those who don't sing.' I wonder what this connection between not singing and smoking ganja in a prostitute is all about. Are these people saying that the ones who sing do not have sex, whereas the ones who do not sing have sex? From my understanding, smoking ganja might be as beneficial for singing as it would be for having sex. Mr. W. Almon, Assistant Collector, Abkari Department, Bombay, says, 'Occasionally females may be seen smoking ganja or drinking bhang or garda; but the use of these drugs by females is exceptional. The females that use these drugs are usually prostitutes.' Surgeon-Major G. T. Thomas, Civil Surgeon, Moulmein, says, 'Prostitutes are the only females who indulge in it.'

However, despite the attempts to paint the image that the only women who smoked ganja were the prostitutes and that women rarely if ever consumed cannabis, we find - in the overall evidence to question 30 (b) - the emergence of more and more classes of women who appear to have smoked ganja or consumed cannabis in other forms, thus showing that all the above witnesses were biased and in error.

The use of cannabis by women of the spiritual mendicant classes in 19th century India indicates the more equal status that women enjoyed with men among these classes. The spiritual classes that used cannabis as entheogen were already present in India much before the newer patriarchy driven hierarchical class and caste system established itself and reduced India's original inhabitants to the lower classes and castes. Mr. K. G. Gupta, Commissioner of Excise, Bengal, says, 'The use of these narcotics is confined to the male sex (the exceptions being very few indeed—women who have renounced all worldly ties and also the lowest class of prostitutes), and is most common during middle life.' Babu Ram Charan Bose, Kayasth, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Alipur, 24-Parganas, says, 'I have seen rare instances of the use of ganja and bhang by females of the mendicant class.' Babu Gobind Chandra Basak, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Brahmanbaria, Tippera District, says, 'Low-class women, Baishnabis and unfortunates, also consume ganja.' Maulavi Abdus Samad, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Purulia, Manbhum, says, 'Females have been known to consume ganja, especially Bowri women and female companions of Baisnab mendicants who assume Bhek. Bhang is also taken by female Baisnabs and women of light reputation generally.' Babu Surendranath Mozoomdar, Brahmin, Special Excise Deputy Collector, Monghyr, says, 'Females of Sadhu class consume, but rarely other females; except for medicinal purposes.' Babu A. K. Ray, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Bangaon, Jessore District, says, 'No; ganja is used amongst the bairagies by males and females alike, but in any other classes it is confined to males.' Babu Gobind Chandra Das, Baidya, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Malda, says 'Except prostitutes and Baisnavis, no other females consume ganja.' Assistant Surgeon Devendranath Roy, Brahmin, Teacher of Medical Jurisprudence, Campbell Medical School, Calcutta, says, 'Baisnavas in Lower Bengal, who earn their livelihood by begging and singing songs, both male and female, smoke ganja.' Nemai Churn Chatterji, Brahmin, Bhagalpur, says, 'Excepting female sanyasis (mendicants), I have not seen any female ganja-smoker or bhang-drinker.' Babu Jadunath Kanjilal, Brahmin, Pleader, Judge's Court, Hughli, says, 'Women known as Bhairabis generally smoke ganja or charas.' Bhargow Laxmon Gadgit, Brahmin, Extra Assistant Commissioner, Nagpur, says, 'Males generally use these drugs, but females and children of the mendicant class who follow them sometimes partake of the drug.' Trimbal Rao Sathe, Extra Assistant Commissioner, and Diwan of the Sonepur State, says, 'There are some public women and those of ascetic classes who use these drugs, but their number must be very small.' Syed Mohamed Husain, Extra Assistant Commissioner; Diwan, Khairagarh State, says, 'only some female mendicants, called " abdhootni," do so.' T. Goondiah, Tahsildar, Janjgir, Bilaspur District, says, 'Females never smoke ganja, except among bairagis.' Rev. I. Jacob, Church of England Missionary, Chairman, District Council, etc., Chanda, says, 'Generally, the male sex are addicted to this vice, but the wives of bairagis and gosains also smoke it. It is also to some extent smoked by kaikadines and prostitutes.' Mr. H. M. Winterbotham, Collector of Tanjore, says, 'Some bairagi women smoke ganja.' Rev. H. F. LaFlamme, Canadian Baptist Mission, Yellamanchili, Vizagapatam, says, 'A class of women called matagulu, who correspond to the bairagulu, are said to use it. They live a homeless, wandering life.' Mr. D. Maneckji, Parsi, Merchant and Contractor, Calicut, says, 'The bairagis as a rule use it when they are young, say about 14 to 15 years of age. Males as well as females use the drug mostly in smoking.' Rao Bahadur Narayan Ganesh Deshpande, Brahmin, Deputy Collector, Belgaum, says, 'The bairagis are said to initiate their children at the age of 12 to 14, and women are free, except bairagis of abandoned character.' Khan Bahadur Nanabhoy Cowasji, Parsi, City Police Inspector, Surat, says, 'Some of the females, wives, and other relatives of sadhus and bairagis who wander about the country also smoke ganja. Bhang beverage is sometimes partaken of by females and children, but very seldom.' Uttamram Jeewanram Itchapooria, Audesh, Brahmin, Native Doctor (Vaidya), Bombay and Surat, says, 'Few of the women of sadhus and bawas use ganja.'

It appears that the hierarchical patriarchal societies of 19th century India did not want to have much to do with widows. The widow from the upper classes and castes appears to have been driven away from homes, or compelled to move out - possibly due to the sexual advances she faced from the male members of the family, or the thinking that she brought misfortune to the family. Widows ended up forming communities or sisterhoods - much like the religious classes of nuns - among whom they lived for the rest of their lives. Widows faced - and I think even today still face - widespread stigmatization. They are blamed for the death of the male member of the family, and considered an evil influence along the lines of a witch. They are shunned from family events and religious practices as they are considered to bring bad luck. They fall down the hierarchy from being upper class and upper caste to being lower class and lower caste, much like a player who gets consumed by a snake in the game of snakes and ladders. The widows were called the 'unfortunates'. To cope with the immense grief of their situation brought about by not just the loss of a loved one, but also the harassment from family members and the sudden realization that they are now outcasts, widows in 19th century India appear to have been one of the prominent sections of women who took up cannabis usage to ease their physical and psychological pain and suffering. Being outcasts, and having no further reputation of the family to protect, and no master to control them, these women could freely use cannabis without harassment from any of the other sections of society. Mr. F. H. B. Skrine, Magistrate and Collector of Bhagalpur, says, 'Young widows smoke ganja as a means of killing the passions.' Babu Gobind Chandra Basak, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Brahmanbaria, Tippera District, says, 'Low-class women, Baishnabis and unfortunates, also consume ganja.' Babu Nobin Chandra Kar, Excise Deputy Collector, Bhagalpur, says, 'Females who have become widows when very young have been known to smoke ganja as a means to lead a pure life. Their idea is that by smoking ganja they would overcome their animal passions.' Babu Gour Das Bysack, Retired Deputy Collector, Calcutta, says, 'The first two drugs [ganja and charas] are chiefly confined to males, though occasionally we see low class women and "unfortunates" indulging in the use of the drugs.'

It also appears that as women grew older, they shed their inhibitions towards cannabis, and increasingly took to consuming it more openly. The physical and mental changes that a woman undergoes as she reaches middle age make cannabis a useful aid for advancing age. Mr. R. Giles, Collector, Shikarpur, says 'Women never drink it [bhang] until they are growing old'. The evidence of Khan Bahadur Kadirdad Gul Khan, C.I.E., Deputy Collector, Naushahro Sub-division, further corroborates the evidence of Mr. Giles. Mr. Gul Khan states that 'Bhang is used by females generally after they attain the age of thirty or forty years, but the proportion of female drinkers as compared with male drinkers is very small, say one woman after every five men.' Assistant Surgeon Edward Mackenzie, Manora, Karachi, Sind, says 'To a very considerable extent, both in solitude and in company, equally by both sexes in Sind : in women the elderly, in men the young adults, in the former from acquired habit, in the latter for immoral purposes. I do not think the female sex partake of it to anything like the same extent in other parts of India.' Rev. A. E. Ball, Missionary, Church Missionary Society, Karachi, says 'It is mainly confined to the male sex, though a fair number of the older women drink bhang.'  Babu Abhilas Chandra Mukerjee, Brahmin, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, on deputation as 2nd Inspector of Excise, Bengal, says, 'Ganja-consumption is generally confined to the male sex as well as to old females of the lower classes — Bedias, prostitutes, baishnavis, old fish-women, chandal women, etc.' Babu Rajani Prasad Neogy, Excise Deputy Collector, Mymensingh, says, 'The prostitutes begin to indulge in the drug when they are advanced in years.' M. Kazi Rayaz-ud-din Mahamed, Zamindar, Commilla, Tippera, says, 'Bhang is also taken by old women of Hindu sect, bairagi.' Babu Nobin Chandra Sarkar, Kayasth, Wholesale and retail vendor of ganja and bhang, Barisal, says, 'Ganja is generally used in company by men and sometimes by prostitutes and baistabs, after attaining the age of 20 up to old age.' Bishun Chandra Chattopadhay, Pleader, Dhubri, says, 'Females, old and degraded, are occasionally seen to indulge in ganja-smoking.' Mr. R. Giles, Collector, Shikarpur, says, 'Women never drink it until they are growing old.' Khan Bahadur Kadirdad Khan Gul Khan, C.I.E., Deputy Collector, Naushahro Sub-division, says, 'Bhang is used by females generally after they attain the age of thirty or forty years, but the proportion of female drinkers as compared with male drinkers is very small, say one woman after every five men.'  Rev. A. E. Ball, Missionary, Church Missionary Society, Karachi, says, 'It is mainly confined to the male sex, though a fair number of the older women drink bhang.'

We also see that women frequently consumed cannabis as medicine in the 19th century. Women are likely to have consumed cannabis nearly as much as men, because all the benefits that men derived from cannabis women also did. Even though this is understated in all the witness evidence, and also in the overall report - which projects ganja as a primarily male drug, and bhang as occasionally used by women - the medical fact cannot be denied that women suffered many of the same ailments that afflicted men for which cannabis was medicine. Pain, fatigue, anxiety, stress, depression, sleeplessness, indigestion, fevers, infectious diseases, loss of appetite, etc. affect women just as much as men. Not only that, there are gender specific medical conditions for which cannabis is beneficial to women, as revealed by witnesses in response to the Hemp Commission's questions. These include 'many uterine affections', including 'loss of blood from uterus', 'relief in protracted labour pains', 'dysmenorrhœa', 'menorrhagia', 'cramps', 'lohiwa (a disease of women of daily menstruating blood instead of at the menses time)'. The ecbolic, parturifacient, and haemostatic properties of cannabis were especially suited for women. The fact that nearly every house in some places had at least one cannabis plant, and the ease with which cannabis can be consumed as edibles or beverages, shows how integrated it was with the whole household and society, and not just its male members. It is not necessary for a woman to smoke cannabis like men do, she can just as easily combine it with her cooking and consume it, or apply it as oils and butter to her body, thus being discrete because a patriarchal society discriminates against her for cannabis use. As described by the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, elsewhere in its report, Cannabis Indica was one of the most important medicines in the Indian medicine cabinet. In its summary of medical uses of cannabis, the Hemp Commission states that, 'It is probably on account of the supposed hæmostatic effect that powdered charas is used as an application to cuts to check bleeding and induce healing, and possibly the use of the drugs in menorrhagia is based on similar reasoning. In this connection, however, it is interesting to note that Dr. R. L. Dey, a medical officer of the Eastern Bengal State Railway, in 1866 reported the successful treatment of a number of cases of obstinate menorrhagia with tincture of Indian hemp and liquid extract of ergot, although he could obtain no benefit from the use of ergot administered with sulphuric and gallic acids and other hæmostatics. The use of the drug as an ecbolic is also mentioned. According to Stillé and Maisch (National Dispensatory), there is evidence to show that Cannabis appears capable, directly or indirectly, of causing uterine contraction, as in many cases of uterine hæmorrhage, and it is also said to cause contraction in the pregnant uterus with as much energy as ergot, but with less persistent action.' Assistant Surgeon Chooney Lall Dass, Teacher of Medical Jurisprudence and Therapeutics, Medical School, Dacca, states that 'Some women take bhang for chronic bowel complaints.' It is interesting to see here that pregnant women took bhang as medicine, in 19th century India. Mr. C. E. S. Stafford Steele, Officiating Deputy Commissioner, Thar and Parkar District, says 'Respectable women, however, take bhang in moderate quantities, chiefly when pregnant, as a narcotic.' This runs contrary to the current heated debate in the west, where physicians warn pregnant women to stay away from cannabis, and anti-legalization prohibitionists cite the use of cannabis by pregnant women as one of the reasons why cannabis must remain prohibited. Another witness who speaks about bhang use by pregnant women is Dr. S. M. Kaka, Medical Officer of Health, Karachi. He says 'Females in the interesting condition and children are given bhang by their relations to induce sleep.' Mr. W. C. Taylor, Special Deputy Collector, Land Acquisition, East Coast Railway, and Pensioned Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Khurda, Orissa, says, 'Women occasionally take bhang as a cooling and digestive draught.' Babu Ram Charan Bose, Kayasth, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Alipur, 24-Parganas, says, 'Among family women no instances have come to my notice except for medicinal purposes in rare cases.' Assistant Surgeon Chooney Lall Dass, Teacher of Medical Jurisprudence and Therapeutics, Medical School, Dacca, says, 'Some women take bhang for chronic bowel complaints.' Assistant Surgeon Akbar Khan, Teacher, Temple Medical School, Patna, says, 'Females, but very few, perhaps only 5 per cent. use these in some disease.' Raja Peary Mohun Mukerji, C.S.I., Zamindar, Uttarpara, Hughli, says, 'Women suffering from chronic bowel complaints have recourse to the use of bhang or opium when other remedies prove ineffectual.' Mr. J. Thomson, Collector of Chingleput, says, 'The confections of ganja are, however, administered as medicine to females and to children.' Mr. F. H. Barrow, Magistrate and Collector of Bankura, says, 'There are also some women who use it for medicinal purposes only.' Mr. T. L. Jenkins, Magistrate and Collector of Dacca, says, 'Bhang is used by both males and females. The latter take it mostly as a medicine.'

It is not loose morals and dubious character that made prostitutes consume ganja, as the masochistic, patriarchal male ruling and upper classes have sought to portray. Prostitutes took ganja mainly to combat sexually transmitted diseases, relieve pain and fatigue, and to increase their stamina - like much of the other working classes in 19th century India. The ruling upper classes and castes would however like to believe that the prostitute uses cannabis because she just loves sex. Evidence of the benefits of cannabis for the treatment of venereal diseases can be found among the evidence of witnesses. Venereal diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea were some of the biggest threats to the health of the sex worker. Quite often, men who came to them were afflicted with these diseases and spread the diseases to them. It is likely that these men would have been spurned by their wives and lovers, making them venture out to the sex worker to satisfy their sexual desires. This use of cannabis to ward off and treat venereal diseases, I believe, was one of the primary reasons that sex workers used cannabis, besides its benefits as an aphrodisiac, and a tonic to relieve fatigue, and an anodyne to relieve pain. Assistant Surgeon Soorjee Narain Singh, Kayasth, Bankipur, says, 'Siddhi is used in the treatment of diarrhœa, dyspepsia, gonorrhœa and seminal debility, also as a diuretic...(d) Bhang is occasionally used in moderate doses by all classes of Indian people in diarrhœa, dyspepsia, gonorrhœa, and various other diseases.' Babu Abhilas Chandra Mukerjee, Brahmin, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, on deputation as 2nd Inspector of Excise, Bengal, says, 'Young people suffering from venereal diseases learn to consume ganja in order to allay the pain, suffering, and uneasiness attending on the disease...[Occasional excessive users] People suffering from colic, asthma, and other painful diseases, venereal diseases, etc....Moderate habitual consumers sometimes become excessive consumers for drowning sorrow, etc., to allay pain as from leprosy, venereal diseases, etc.' Even though most men who came to the sex workers were from the upper classes and castes - clearly evident from their extensive knowledge of cannabis use by the sex workers - these men were not considered to be doing anything immoral. It was the sex worker who had hardly any other means of survival who was branded immoral and loose by the patriarchal hierarchical society, and her use of cannabis as a sign of her immoral nature and the evil nature of the plant.

The widespread evidence of cannabis usage among the lower classes and castes in 19th century India shows that before the newer migrants to India came with their patriarchal king-priest-businessman hierarchy, the original inhabitants of India enjoyed much more equality between men and women. Once the new arrivals established their class and caste hierarchy, and slotted the indigenous communities into the lowest classes and castes to work as their slaves, the usage of cannabis by women from the indigenous communities became a weapon for men of the upper castes and classes to keep their own women under control, saying that an upper class and caste woman will degrade herself if she adopts the habits of women from the lower classes and castes. Bhang drinking was, of course, considered upper class, it was ganja smoking that was low class, even though bhang is the plant consumed as beverage and ganja is the same plant smoked. Babu Pran Kumar Das, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector and Personal Assistant to the Commissioner of Burdwan, says, 'It is only women of ill-fame and women of the lower classes, such as mehtars, who take it. Bhang is taken even by women, but very little.' Babu Gopal Chunder Mookerjee, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Diamond Harbour, says, 'Both male and female low classes.' Babu Gobind Chandra Basak, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Brahmanbaria, Tippera District, says, 'Low-class women, Baishnabis and unfortunates, also consume ganja.' Ghulam Lillahi, Excise Deputy Collector, Ranchi, District Lohardaga, says, 'Females sometimes take bhang.' Tara Nath Bal, Kayasth, Medical Practitioner, Mymensingh, says, 'Use of each of these drugs is of course mainly confined to the male sex, but there are some village women among the low-class people who contract these evil habits from the male members of the family. Among the higher class of people I know of no member of the fair sex using any of these drugs.' Luckhmy Narain Naik, Mahanyak, Medical Practitioner, Cuttack, says, 'It is chiefly used by the male sex, but occasionally used by women of lower castes and prostitutes.' Piyari Mohan Kaviraj, Vaidya, Native Physician, Calcutta, says, 'Women of the better class never take to the use of these drugs. But I have heard that women of low class, and some low class prostitutes, are addicted to taking these drugs.' Babu Hari Krishna Mazumdar, Baidya, Zamindar, Islampur, District Murshidabad, says, 'Some women of low caste, such as bagdi and bania, and some women of ill fame use it.' M. Kazi Rayaz-ud-din Mahamed, Zamindar, Commilla, Tippera, says, 'Low class women, bairagi among Hindus, also consume ganja.' Syad Abdul Jabbar, Zamindar, Commilla, Tippera, says, 'Women of unchaste character use these drugs. Good housewives generally do not use them.' Surgeon-Major W. A. Quayle, Civil Surgeon, Nimar, says, 'Respectable women very rarely use it. The consumption of the drug among women is confined to prostitutes...also the women of this caste [Marwari] now and again take bhang during the Holi festival.'  A. Katchapeswara Iyer, Brahmin, Stationary Sub-Magistrate, Cuddapah Taluk, says 'Drinking and eating are partaken by low class of females also, while smoking is not.' Chodishetty Venkataratnum, Merchant, Coconada, Godavari District, says, 'In respectable classes, females never use these drugs; but, females of lower orders, such as jugglers, etc., use it. This practice is prevalent in Northern India.' Surgeon-Major H. W. B. Boyd, Superintendent, Colaba Lunatic Asylum, Bombay, says, 'The use of these drugs is mainly confined to male sex ; although it is also used to considerable extent among the lower class of females, such as Chamars and Dheds.' Surgeon-Major K. R. Kirtikar, Civil Surgeon, Thana, and Medical Officer, Thana Depot and District Jail, says, 'Drinking bhang and smoking ganja, so far as I can judge from personal knowledge of the better classes of people, are absolutely confined to the male sex. It would be a gross breach of good manners were such a drink or smoke ever offered to the female sex.' Mr. Tara Dass Banerji, President, District Council, Raipur, says 'Women, except the most degraded, seldom smoke ganja' Mr. L. P. Shirres, Magistrate and Collector of Midnapur, says, 'Ganja and charas are consumed both in solitude and in company by adult males and public and low class women.' Babu Ganendra Nath Pal, Kayasth, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Naogaon, says, 'Some of the women of ill-fame are known to smoke ganja. Those women again belong to the lowest order of the unfortunate class.'

There is more preference to consuming cannabis as a beverage of bhang over smoking it as ganja, especially among women of the upper classes and castes. The reasons are quite obvious. For one thing, the ignorant upper classes and castes considered bhang drinking an upper class/caste practice and ganja smoking a lower class/caste practice, despite the fact that the same cannabis plant was the source for both bhang and ganja. Mr. J. H. Bernard, Officiating Magistrate and Collector, Nadia, says, 'Females take siddhi, but only males take siddhi, charas and ganja.' Civil Hospital Assistant Meer Koomar Ally, Municipal Dispensary, Cuttack, says, 'Bhang or ganja is generally confined to the male sex, but females sometimes use bhang and not ganja.'  Babu Akshay Kumar Maitra, Secretary, Rajshahi Association, Pleader, Judge's Court, Member, Rajshahi District Board, Commissioner, Rampur Boalia Municipality, says, 'Bhang is used indiscriminately by the males as well as by the females, and its use is not looked upon as a social vice, nor does its use expose the votary to any considerable degree of censure.' District Board, Patna, says, 'Females use bhang, but number must be considerably less. Ganja is seldom used by females.' Colonel M. M. Bowie, Commissioner, Nerbudda Division, says, 'Bhang as " thandai" is, I believe, used by females also, but I have never heard that females smoke ganja.' Anandi Pershad, Excise Daroga, Hoshangabad, says, 'Ganja produces a very strong intoxication. The women cannot bear the puffs of its smoking, therefore they do not smoke it. But no doubt they, to a small extent., drink bhang as thandai in Holi festival. But they do not drink it always.' Babu Rughu Nandan Prasadha, Zamindar, Patna, says, 'A few women of the town may be found to indulge in bhang, but probably none in ganja or charas.' Babu Krishna Chandra Rai, Baidya, Government Pensioner and Zamindar, District Dacca, says, 'Amongst the Hindus of all classes, there is a custom in Lower Bengal to use bhang, almost universally, on the evening of the last day of the Durga Puja, i.e., on the Navami day, when prepared bhang powders mixed with sugar are offered to god and goddess Mahadev and Parvati and then used by all. The powder is used in such small quantity that it never produces any intoxication.' Mir Imad Ali, Honorary Magistrate, Damoh, 'Bhang is drunk by women and also by children. Is not thought disgraceful.' Seth Bachraj, Honorary Magistrate, Wardha, says, 'Ganja is generally consumed in private. It is confined to men and to prostitutes among females. Females occasionally drink it [bhang] and also children.' Lall Umed Singh, Zamindar, Bilaspur District, says, 'Female sadhus smoke. Female coolies do not smoke ganja. No respectable women smoke ganja, but now and then they drink bhang. This would be in solitude.' Mr. Tara Dass Banerji, President, District Council, Raipur, says, 'Women, except the most degraded, seldom smoke ganja; a little of "thandai," I am inclined to think, does not come amiss to young married women amongst the Marwaris, provided it does not become known. Such cases are not many, and the practice is never habitual.' Cowashee Meherwanjee Hatty-Daroo, Parsi, Merchant and Abkari Contractor, Seoni-Chapara, says, 'Ganja is generally consumed by the male, and in few cases by the women of bad repute. Bhang is also generally consumed by male and by well-to-do ladies on special occasions and in company.' Mr. H. Kennedy, District Superintendent of Police, Ahmednagar, says, 'Ganja smoking chiefly confined to prostitutes and the lower classes, both in solitude and in company. bhang drinking common to all classes. Marwadi women sometimes drink bhang. Respectable women take neither bhang nor ganja.'  Mr. T. G. Foard, Superintendent of Police, Cambay, says, 'No respectable female members of society smoke ganja or charas. The wives of fakirs sometimes smoke ganja or charas, and also some depraved members of society smoke it...Females of the lower classes only, such as machis, mawchas, maynas, pomlas, dheds, and bhangis drink bhang.' Assistant Surgeon Anna Moreshwar Kunte, J. J. Hospital, Bombay, says, 'Bhang drinking is confined both to the males as well as females.' Rao Bahadur Thakordas Kikabhai, Bania, Assistant Surgeon, Wadhwan Civil Station, Kathiawar, says, 'Ganja is smoked by males as well as females of the lower order...Bhang is indulged in by all classes of people. Both males and females indulge in it, but the latter form the minority.' Hospital Assistant Jamiatram Jeyashunker, Nagar Brahmin, West Hospital, Rajkot, Kattiawar, says, 'Yes, it is mainly confined to male sex in Guzerat than female. But in Sind, and mostly in upper country, bhang is equally used by both sexes when of age.' Desaibhai Kalidas, Brahmin (Khedaval), Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor, Kaira, says, 'Female sometimes take bhang as a drink during the hot season when offered by their male relations, but seldom of their own accord. The majam of bhang is sometimes used by uncared for or vagabond children above the age of ten, and perhaps by females; but that is very rare.' Yeshwant Vaman Dighe, Pleader, Basim, says, 'A few prostitutes take ganja. The practice is not confined to any time of life ; but with regard to bhang, women and children in Upper India partake of it generally, but very rarely in this province, where the males are the principal consumers.'

Smoking was considered improper for a woman of the upper classes/castes while drinking a beverage was acceptable. Besides this, smoking ganja was much more noticeable than drinking bhang, a much needed criteria when women were forced to consume their cannabis in hiding, away from the gaze of the male master. This also shows why it was quite rare to see a woman smoking ganja. Mr. L. Hare, Magistrate and Collector of Muzaffarpur, says, 'On rare occasions females use bhang. In some eastern districts females use ganja.' Mr. F. S. P. Lely, Collector of Surat, says, 'Women are scarcely known to consume either drug ; but five to ten Hindu women in Surat City are known to.' Khan Bahadur Dadabhai Deenshah, Parsi, Huzur Deputy Collector and Magistrate, 1st Class, Kaira, says, 'After very minute enquiries I was able to ascertain that three females smoke ganja in the town of Kaira. One acknowledged to me that she smoked before, but gave it up about four or five years ago. The other two denied that they are ganja smokers.' Gurappa Rachappa, Lengayet, Office of Shetti (Revenue and Police), Dharwar, says, 'Females do not generally consume it. There may be two or three females consuming it in the whole town of Dharwar.' Laldas Laxmonji, Kshatriya, Solicitor's Clerk, Bombay, says, 'In the course of my experience I have seen only about three females smoking ganja and drinking bhang ; and these women were not of good character.' The rarity of seeing a woman smoking ganja is seen in some of the evidence. Durga Nath Chakravarti, Brahmin, in charge of Tangail Dispensary, Mymensingh, says, 'I have seen some ten women to smoke ganja habitually.' Girdhari Lal, Oswal Bania, Merchant and Banker, Seoni-Chapara, says, 'Not more than 5 per cent of ganja smokers are women. — A few women do smoke ganja. They are women of lower classes, the same as would smoke madak. I do not know that they are prostitutes who indulge in this habit.' Onkar Das, Agarwalla Bania, Mahajan, Seoni-Chapara, says, 'Out of every 100 consumers, about 10 per cent. are women.' Husen Khan, Pathan, Abkari Contractor, Seoni-Chapara, says, 'Only about 5 per cent. of the consumers are women, and those are only women of loose character. The women-folk of ganja smoking Gonds do not smoke ganja. It is considered very disreputable in a woman.'

Of course there are persons who contradict the perception that upper class and caste women only drink bhang and do not smoke ganja or charas. This is more evident in the southern states where the absurd distinction between bhang, ganja, and charas did not exist. Most persons in the south viewed all three as one and the same, and used the terms ganja and bhang interchangeably, unlike in the north where the ruling and upper classes had managed to even establish a class and caste hierarchy in the cannabis plant itself - making the leaves or bhang as upper class and caste, and the flowers or ganja and resin or charas as lower class and caste. K. Jagannadham Naidu, Medical Officer, Parlakimedi, Ganjam District, says, 'Prostitutes eat and drink preparations of bhang.' Surgeon-Major W. F. Thomas, Acting District Medical and Sanitary Officer, Chingleput, says, 'Prostitutes also occasionally take bhang for sexual excitement.' Chinny Sreenivasa Rau, Prapanna Komity, L. F. Hospital, Bobbili Vizagapatam District, says, 'Some prostitutes make use of the drink and  confections prepared by ganja.' Rao Bahadur Bhimbhai Kirpa Ram, Brahmin, Huzur Deputy Collector of Surat, says, 'A few prostitutes and low caste women drink bhang.' Khan Bahadur Dossabroy Perstonjee, Parsi, Assistant Surgeon, Parakh Dispensary, Surat, and Honorary Assistant Surgeon to His Excellency the Viceroy, says, 'The consumption of these articles is mainly confined to the male sex, except in the case of bhang, which is used in the form of drink by some low caste females, and generally by prostitutes.' Babu Sasadhar Roy, Brahmin, Pleader and Honorary Magistrate, Rajshahi, says, 'Bhang is sometimes taken also by public women. I certainly think that the practice is very rare in women in this part of the country.' So, it does appear that the view that bhang is an upper class and upper caste drink used by respectable women is restricted mostly to the northern states of India.

There are only a very few instances reported of women smoking charas. This is because charas, as a product, was mostly imported from areas adjoining India in the North west and Northeast such as Yarkhand or Nepal. Generally, charas may have been consumed to a much wider extent than reported. Handling cannabis plants meant that the resin was collected and scraped off from the hands and feet after a day's work, producing small amounts of charas that even women consumed as edibles or through smoking. The stories abound in India of grandmothers and great grandmothers of the current generations placing in their mouths a small black ball of charas, which they called 'karuppu', and sucking on its juices. In one of the rare reported instances, Babu Mahendra Chandra Mitra, Kayasth, Pleader, Honorary Magistrate, and Municipal Chairman, Naihati, 24-Parganas, says, 'Charas is the favourite form of the drug indulged in chiefly by the women of the town and the men who resort to their places, particularly the younger men.' Babu Jadunath Kanjilal, Brahmin, Pleader, Judge's Court, Hughli, says, 'Women known as Bhairabis generally smoke ganja or charas.' Syed Mohamed Husain, Extra Assistant Commissioner; Diwan, Khairagarh State, says, 'Charas is not in use in these provinces, but in Oudh it is smoked in company in the shops kept by the women called " Sakins." Charas is also smoked by low class prostitutes.' Anandi Pershad, Excise Daroga, Hoshangabad, says, 'Charas is not smoked in the provinces. But in Oudh, and specially in Lucknow, women also smoke it. There they are known by the name of Sakin, that is, the providers of tobacco and charas.' S. Sadik Ali Sherali, Deputy Collector and First Class Magistrate, Frontier District of Upper Sind, says, 'The use of charas is confined to male sex, but many prostitutes and women of ill-repute also use it.' Surgeon-Major W. A. Corkery, Civil Surgeon, Sukkur, says, 'Respectable women sometimes drink bhang, but not charas or ganja. Prostitutes, besides drinking bhang, smoke charas.' Khan Bahadur Dr Sheikh Elahi Bux, Government Pensioner and Honorary Magistrate, Ajmere, says, 'But females, except the wives of sadhus and sakins, never smoke ganja or charas.'

The association of cannabis with loose morals among women can be seen from some of the evidence provided by witnesses. It may, of course, well be that most of these witnesses who use the term 'loose morals' are refering to prostitutes, and not women of their upper classes and castes sleeping with many men. Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel Russick Lall Dutt, Officiating Civil Surgeon, 24-Parganas, says, 'Men use the drugs, and not infrequently women of loose morals.' Braham Deo Narain Misra, Vaid, Arrah, says, 'There may be women of loose character who may be in the habit of using these drugs.' Rao Bahadur Ramchandra Rajaram Mule, Deshastha Brahmin, Administrator of Jath, in Southern Mahratta Country, says, 'Women of low character are met with who smoke ganja generally in solitude.' Narayan Rao Bhikhaji Jogalekar, Brahmin, Pensioned Deputy Collector ; now Karbhari of the Aundh Stale, says, 'The use is mostly confined to the male sex, prostitutes, and women of loose character.' Yashvant Nilkanth, Patana Prabhu, Superintendent, Office of Survey Commissioner, and Director of Land Records and Agriculture, Bombay, says, 'The use of these drugs is chiefly confined to the male sex, only a few women, always those of loose character, using ganja and behang.' Babu Suresh Chundra Bal, Baidya, Special Excise Deputy Collector, Howrah, says, 'Women of ill fame in rare instances resort to these drugs.' Babu Sir Chunder Soor, Satgope, 1st Assistant Supervisor of Ganja Cultivation, Naogaon, Rajshahi, says, 'It is mainly confined to the male sex; but women of ill-fame of the lowest classes use it too.'

There are also statements made by witnesses that seem to suggest that cannabis is used to sedate young girls and commit sexual crimes. Dr. O. W. Jones, Civil Surgeon, Basim, says, 'But there is a confection called majum, which is made up of ganja, sugar, ghee, and other condiments. This confection is sometimes given to children ; but chiefly to girls about attaining maturity with the object of producing intoxication before using such girls for immoral purposes. Majum is largely consumed by all classes who take part in the Muharram festival.' When the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission examined this matter closely, the Commission found that there were far more dangerous substances freely available - such as opium, datura, alcohol, etc. - that could be used to better effect, if the aim was to sedate a girl for sexual misconduct. Singling out cannabis for this could not be justified. The Commission states that, 'As to cases, it is far easier to get many established cases of such stupefaction by dhatura alone than to get one where hemp drugs were clearly the narcotic employed. There are two special instances of this kind of use of hemp drugs mentioned by some witnesses, viz., thefts of ornaments from prostitutes intoxicated with bhang, and thefts of ornaments from children stupefied by majum sweetmeats. These, however, do not appear to be common. It is difficult to get instances of any such use of these drugs. The evidence in support of the view that they are so used is largely hearsay and based on mere rumour. On the whole, it is very improbable that the drugs are much used in this way; for dhatura, a much more potent drug, is more easily available and more easily administered.' Today, there is no need even to use the dangerous toxic dhatura. There are numerous synthetic prescription medications freely available, over the counter, that can be used to sedate a woman and commit sexual crimes. Not only are these drugs tasteless, odourless and easily soluble in water, unlike ganja the taste and smell of which can be easily detected and the need to take elaborate steps to make its compounds soluble in a beverage or confectionary, these synthetic pharmaceutical drugs cost a few hundred rupees unlike ganja which now costs more than a lakh of rupees for a kilogram, if you are able to access it, that is. You would need a substantial amount of ganja to stupefy a person into senselessness and that too is not guaranteed unless the person is a first time user with a constitution that enables easy stupefaction. Besides synthetic pharmaceutical drugs, there is the freely available legal drug alcohol - that women increasingly prefer to consume over the evil ganja - that has been widely implicated in sexual crimes.

Earlier, in response to the questions 20, 24 and 27 posed by the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission - regarding the classes of people who consumed cannabis - the responses almost entirely listed only prostitutes as women who smoked ganja. The additional categories of women who now find mention,  through responses to question 30(b), convinces me that there were, in fact, many more women who consumed ganja, bhang and charas than was reported or claimed by the ruling and upper classes. For one thing, given the social stigma associated with women smokers in public, it is very likely that women may have consumed ganja through other methods. Eating ganja was, and still is, a very discrete method of consuming ganja without detection. It is comical to see how many people think that the only way to consume ganja is by smoking it. In the 19th century India - prior to the tightening of ganja regulation and prohibition - many houses had ganja plants growing in their compounds. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for a woman to pluck some ganja flowers and chew it, or add it to her cooking, or make a beverage out of it, or create an oil or paste to apply on her body. In fact, all these are the preferred methods of ganja and charas consumption by women in the world, today, in places where ganja has been legalized. Cannabis-infused food, beverages and wellness products are the most popular ways in which women averse to smoking it, consume ganja and charas today.

Only a few witnesses seem to say that cannabis is used by both men and women, without any particular distinction between the two genders. Mr. R. H. Renny, Deputy Commissioner of Singbhum, says, 'Ganja and bhang are partaken of by both males and females.' Madhab L. Das, Kayasth, Private Practitioner, Calcutta, says, 'Females also very freely take to these drugs.' Syad Abdul Jabbar, Zamindar, Commilla, Tippera, says, 'Without any distinction to sex, male and female use ganja or bhang.' Rev. Prem Chand, Missionary, B. M. S., Gaya, says, 'I have seen men and women take bhang and smoke ganja.' A. Krishnamacharulu, Tahsildar, Bapatla, Kistna District, says, 'Women also use it just like men.' R. C. Rama Iyengor, Brahmin, Village Magistrate, Berangy, Mudanapulee Taluk, Cuddapah District, says, 'I am told that even females use it.' Colonel H. S. Elton, Commandant, 16th Regiment, Madras Infantry, Bellary, says, 'Man and women (in Jabalpur many women take it).' Surgeon-Major W. G. King, Acting Sanitary Commissioner, Nadias, says, 'In large populations, but few will be found who indulge to an extent to secure the full effects. These resort to ganja dens, where both men and women are found.' Surgeon-Major K. C. Sanjana, Parsi, District Surgeon, Tinnevelly, says, 'Male and female both take it.' Surgeon-Major  S. C. Sarkies, District Surgeon, Nellore, says, 'Women are not entirely free from the habit.' Dr. Arthus Wells, Medical Officer, Chicacole, Ganjam District, says, 'Females and even children are known to consume some preparations, such as halwa, etc.' Hospital Assistant I. Parthasarathy Chetty, Penukonda, Anantapur District, says, 'As for bhang it cannot be said so, for males, females and children are found using it (bhang) under the popular name of ramarasam.'  K. Subbarayadu Puntalu, Brahmin, Chairman of the Adoni Municipal Council, Bellary District, says, 'Both males and females drink bhang.' Hon'ble A. Sabapathy Moodelliar, Rai Bahadur, Merchant, Bellary, says, 'Females and children also smoke ganja, but not to a large extent in this presidency.' Hospital Assistant Shaik Surfraz Hakim, Nasik, says, 'Ganja and bhang are also used by female sex.' Rao Bahadur Lakshmansing Matthraji, Police Inspector, Hyderabad, Sind, says, 'Persons of all ages, young or old men or women.' Assistant Surgeon, Edward Mackenzie, Manora, Karachi, Sind, says, 'To a very considerable extent, both in solitude and in company, equally by both sexes in Sind: in women the elderly, in men the young adults, in the former from acquired habit, in the latter for immoral purposes. I do not think the female sex partake of it to anything like the same extent in other parts of India.' Surgeon-Captain E. W. Reilly, Civil Surgeon and Superintendent, Central Jail, Akola, says, 'Bhang is also usually drunk in company. Both sexes are accustomed to its use.' Mr. G. Bennett, Abkari Inspector, Ajmere, says, 'Drugs are used, both private and public, by both sexes throughout life.' Muhammad Yusuf, Hospital Assistant, New Chaman, says, 'They say that in Sukkur, Rori, Multan, and Dera Ghazi Khan bhang is used by women as well as by men'. Babu Akshay Kumar Maitra, Secretary, Rajshahi Association, Pleader, Judge's Court, Member, Rajshahi District Board, Commissioner, Rampur Boalia Municipality, says "Bhang is used indiscriminately by the males as well as by the females, and its use is not looked upon as a social vice, nor does its use expose the votary to any considerable degree of censure." Mr. Tara Dass Banerji, President, District Council, Raipur, says 'a little of "thandai," I am inclined to think, does not come amiss to young married women amongst the Marwaris, provided it does not become known.' Mr. F. Levy, Acting Deputy Commissioner, Salt and Abkari, Southern Division, says 'The general opinion seems to be that it is consumed in company, and as a rule by adults only of both sexes.' Surgeon-Major W. G. King, Acting Sanitary Commissioner, Nadia, says 'In large populations, but few will be found who indulge to an extent to secure the full effects. These resort to ganja dens, where both men and women are found.' Surgeon-Captain D. Prain, Curator of the Herbarium, and Librarian, Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, states 'The use of ganja is confined, I am told, mainly to the male sex, and is fairly general among grown men. The use of bhang is so much concealed, even when the use is moderate, that I cannot give an opinion as to whether it is used by women in Bengal.' Rao Bahadur Alumal Trikamdas Bhojwani, Deputy Educational Inspector, Karachi, says 'Bhang is in the  main drunk by the male sex; but women, too, in the hotter parts of the district have taken to the drinking of bhang as a cooling draught.' Surgeon-Major R. B. Roe, Civil Surgeon, Amraoti, says 'Consumption is mostly practised in company ; it is mainly confined to the male sex ; but women of low character as well as Sunthins or Hindu nuns do use the drug.'

We can see the start of the spread of the menace of opium - the preferred drug of the upper classes and castes introduced by the British to replace cannabis - even among women in some of the evidence. Opium started to take hold in places where British administration and control was maximum in the 19th century, and the regulation of cannabis was at its highest. These included places like Bengal, Burma, and Gujarat. Revd. W. B. Phillips, Missionary, London Missionary Society, Calcutta, says, 'Some women smoke ganja, but not nearly so many as take opium.' Raja Peary Mohun Mukerji, C.S.I., Zamindar, Uttarpara, Hughli, says, 'Women suffering from chronic bowel complaints have recourse to the use of bhang or opium when other remedies prove ineffectual.' Rai Bahadur Raj Sarvadhikari, Secretary, British Indian Association, Calcutta, seems to have copied the evidence of Raja Peary Mohun Mukerji when he says 'Women suffering from chronic bowel complaints have recourse to the use of bhang or opium when other remedies prove ineffectual.'

One can see attempts to malign the women of religions other than one's own in some of the witness evidence. One of the ways in which the British managed to get widespread support from the Indian upper classes and castes for its attempts to prohibit cannabis was by playing the religious card in addition to the class and caste cards. The perceptions created then - such as among Hindus that mostly Muslims use cannabis, or among Muslims that mostly Hindus use cannabis - can still be seen today. The unstated card that was played - which nobody wants to talk about - is that the Shaivites largely consumed cannabis while the Vaishnavites largely did not. Prohibiting cannabis was one way for the Vaishnavites and other hierarchical patriarchal religions to get the Shaivites more in line with their own religious practices - a subtle religious conversion practiced on a national level that became possible with the support that the hierarchical religions got from the British. Subadar Major Mahammad Murtuza, 1st Madras Pioneers, Trichinopoly, says, 'Hindu prostitutes also use it.' Nannu Mian B. Shaikh, Municipal Secretary, Surat, says "In Sind drinking of bhang is confined to both males and females, and in the ten days of Muharram pots of bhang sweetened with sugar or jagri are kept in the bazar for use by the masses of all ages, males and females, except Hindus who have their own bhang pots." Babu Beprodas Banerjee, Brahman, Pleader, Newspaper Editor, and Chairman, Baraset Municipality, says, 'Very few women smoke ganja; those that do are invariably prostitutes...Bhang is not much used by females, though some respectable women, specially Muhammadan, do take it.' R. N. Mudholkar, L.M.S., Private Medical Practitioner, Amraoti, says, 'Many Muhammadan prostitutes and other low caste women can be found smoking ganja.'

Besides using cannabis as a way to create caste, class, gender, and religious schisms, we see that it was being used to create a north-south divide. There were people from the south who viewed those from the north as lower down in the social order, and there were those in the north who viewed those from the south as lower down in the social order. At the root of all this was of course the hierarchical patrairchal system of king-priest-businessman who ruled over the rest - the slaves. Appala Narassiah Chetty, Vaisya, Merchant, Berhampore, says, 'Women are said to eat it at Puri in Orissa, but they do not do so in this district.' Hospital Assistant M. Iyaswamy Pillay, Saint Thomas' Mount, Madras, says, 'As a rule the male members are predominant; but in a country like Bengal, I had known several instances where both the females and children resort to the practice, more especially of the bhang variety.'

It is interesting to note that when it comes to widows and women spiritual mendicants, the entheogenic qualities of cannabis are given by males as the reason for its usage, whereas when prostitutes use cannabis, its aphrodiasical qualities are given by men as the reason. This, in a way shows the hypocritical nature of male upper class and caste thinking, selectively bringing out the qualities of cannabis that suited them according to context. The fact of the matter is that cannabis possesses all three qualities - entheogenic, aphrodiasical and medicinal. It is very beneficial for any women irrespective of which of these qualities she intended to use cannabis for. The way that men of the hierarchical patriarchal classes club together low class women, prostitutes, women spiritual mendicants, and women of loose morals as a single group when it comes to cannabis usage without examining closely the differences between each of these groups shows how much thought these upper class and caste hypocrites have given to the subject. It is almost as if they say prostitutes, female spiritual mendicants, low class and caste women, women of loose morals are all one and the same thing. But then, Siva - the god of ganja - is also the refuge of the abandoned, the despised, the outcasts and the suffering who have nowhere else to go. We see a parallel between this classification and the way that the upper classes and castes today lump everything - other than the synthetic pharmaceutical medications, alcohol and tobacco that they themselves use - as 'drugs', and the way in which they cannot differentiate between cannabis, opium, cocaine and crystal meth but instead think that cannabis is as harmful, if not more harmful than, these other drugs. 

So, from the evidence in the 19th century Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report, we see that not only was cannabis vilified, but the classes that used it as well. A cannabis-using woman was called all possible names - prostitute, loose character, low class, low caste, and so on. Cannabis usage, and the forms of cannabis used, became the basis for strengthening the hierarchical patriarchal societies, and for tightening control over women and oppressing them. Both cannabis and women were maligned to a great extent by the upper class and upper caste men who provided the evidence to the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission as witnesses. While the truth of the matter was that cannabis was a medicinal, intoxicating, entheogenic herb that was widely used by all genders, classes, castes, and religions because of its vast benefits, the widespread propaganda of the hierarchical patriarchal system made the association with cannabis and the women who used it a shameful, sinful, despicable, immoral act. Through this, the king-priest-businessman triad managed to gather enough support to prohibit cannabis. In the process, they tightened their grip on the classes of women in society that up to this point they had struggled to exert influence and control over - the women of the lower classes and castes, the female spiritual mendicants, the sex workers, the widows, and women of a more free spirit who questioned the male patriarchal hierarchical system...Thanks to the commendable British practice of documenting everything that they did in detail - in the name of civilizational progress and scientific inquiry - we have this in-depth report of the crime of cannabis prohibition and the suppression of women in the hierarchical patriarchal society of 19th century India. What we see here is also what happened in every other society where cannabis was gradually prohibited and women were repressed on the basis of cannabis usage. There is probably hardly any documentation of this crime anywhere else along these lines, and in so much detail. But rest assured, that what we saw here was also what happened everywhere else that cannabis was prohibited, and the hold of the male over the female was strengthened in human society.

Now let us look at what is happening today, in places where cannabis has started to become legalized through persistant grassroots resistance and activism. Women in these place may or may not be aware of the background of all this, but they are part of a revolution to free women, along with the cannabis plant, the likes of which the world has never seen before.

The usage of cannabis by women in legalized societies today

Mirroring what we saw in 19th century India, we see more and more women in the modern world opting for cannabis as edibles or beverages rather than as a smokable product. The factors that I listed above - for why women in 19th century India prefered non-smokable methods of consuming cannabis -  may also explain why modern women are showing this preference, that is: aversion to smoking, in general; a desire to be discrete due to it being percieved as improper for a woman; the perception that smoking is more harmful than eating or drinking it; the non-importance of immediate experience of the effects of cannabis among women more than men; and the general tendency to be more creative in the way that women experience cannabis, etc. New Frontier Data reports that, 'Recent data suggests an intriguing shift in the preferences of cannabis consumers, particularly among women. In 2023, there was a noticeable uptick in the percentage of individuals favoring non-smokable cannabis products, rising from 17% to 21%. Delving deeper, it becomes evident that this trend is more pronounced among women, with 29% expressing a preference for non-flower products compared to only 15% of men. These statistics paint a compelling picture for dispensaries seeking to attract female customers. It suggests that there’s a growing market for non-flower cannabis products among women, indicating a potential shift away from traditional smoking methods. Dispensaries keen on catering to this demographic could benefit from expanding their product offerings to include a diverse array of non-smokable options such as edibles, tinctures, and topicals. Understanding and capitalizing on this trend could be instrumental in not only diversifying a dispensary’s customer base but also in enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. By offering a wide selection of non-flower cannabis products, dispensaries could effectively meet the evolving preferences of female consumers, positioning themselves as inclusive and forward-thinking establishments within the industry.'

Wellness is an area in which women are forerunners in cannabis usage. The general tendency to use topicals, creams, soaps and cosmentics for their wellness, and the discovery that cannabis is one of the best medicines for wellness, especially of the skin, is driving this area of cannabis adaption by women. New Frontier Data reports that, 'In a recent survey, we explored the experiences of female cannabis consumers, seeking insights into their utilization of cannabis for addressing specific women's health conditions and symptoms. The findings vividly illustrate how women are embracing cannabis as a holistic strategy to enhance their overall well-being. Notably, an impressive 96% of women employing cannabis for women's health concerns attest to its effectiveness, with 40% describing it as very effective. This data underscores the increasing acceptance and efficacy of cannabis as a holistic solution for women's health and wellness.'

The sexual experience of a woman is among the least concerns of a man who treats a woman as his possession. Quite often, the anxieties and stresses that a woman faces, besides the taboo that exists around sex for a woman - including that she must not show any pleasure from the act - created by the patriarchal societies, and the hormonal changes she undergoes during her menstrual cycles and as she ages, means that the sexual act can be quite torturous for a woman. The aphrodisiacal qualities of cannabis have been documented to some extent in the past, in the 19th century Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report, but there the male bias of the witnesses made it appear that only prostitutes used cannabis as an aphrodisiac, thus further vilifing both cannabis and the women who used them. Modern science is increasingly showing the sexual benefits of cannabis for a woman. Marijuana Moment reports that 'While researchers are still trying to tease out the precise relationship between cannabis and sex, a growing body of evidence indicates the connection itself is very real. The latest study, which asked women who use marijuana about their sexual experiences, found that more frequent cannabis use was associated with heightened arousal, stronger orgasms and greater sexual satisfaction in general. “Our results demonstrate that increasing frequency of cannabis use is associated with improved sexual function and is associated with increased satisfaction, orgasm, and sexual desire,” says the new study, published last week in the journal Sexual Medicine.'

The use of cannabis for painful and irregular menstruation, and for excessive bleeding during menstruation was already evident among women in 19th century India, as stated above. It is said that Queen Victoria herself used cannabis regularly for these purposes. That however did not stop Britain from prohibiting cannabis in India, and then along with its descendents in the US, banning it in the rest of the world. This is obviously because the men from patriarchal British and American societies prefered opium, cocaine and alcohol to cannabis for their sex and made more money from the trade of these products. The health of their women was not something that they thought about very often, it appears. NORML reports 'Another interesting Playboy ad featured a caricature of Queen Victoria sitting on a throne, smoking a joint, with the headline “Last year 300,000 Americans were arrested for smoking an herb that Queen Victoria used regularly for menstrual cramps”, an obscure fact that is well documented.' NORML reports that, 'A team of investigators affiliated with the San Francisco VA Medical Center examined patterns of self-reported cannabis use for menopause symptoms in a sample of 232 female veterans (mean age 56 years). They reported: “Current or ever use of cannabis for menopause symptom management was reported by 27 percent of all participants, while an additional 10 percent expressed interest in future use. In contrast, only 19 percent reported traditional forms of menopause symptom management, including menopausal hormone therapy.”  Cannabis use was most commonly reported among women experiencing hot flashes and night sweats. Some respondents also complained of experiencing insomnia.' Science Direct reports the ancient usage of cannabis to treat menstrual problems in women when it states that 'Results: The botanical remains were accurately identified as cannabis. More than 120 thousand fruits were found, which represents the largest amount of cannabis fruit remains that have been statistically analysed from any cemetery in the world thus far. The cannabis fruits are suspected to have been used for medical purposes in a secular context and were most likely used to stop severe bleeding of the uterus and treat lumbago and/or arthralgia. Conclusions: The cannabis fruit remains reported here likely represent the first physical evidence of medicinal cannabis use for the treatment of metrorrhagia, severe lumbago, and/or arthralgia. This study emphasizes the importance of the evidence of the diseases suffered by the occupants of the tomb in determining the medicinal use of cannabis in a secular context and contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the ancient history of medicinal cannabis.'

Pain is one of the key conditions that both men and women use cannabis to treat. The primary pain management medication - harmful and addictive opioids - is slowly being replaced with cannabis by women as well. Springer Publications reports that, 'Results: Of the 1,000 patients consented, 757 (76%) participated at one or more of the study time points. At six and 12 months, 230 (30.4%) and 104 (13.7%) of participants were followed up, respectively. Most participants were female (62%), Caucasian (91%), and sought cannabis for pain relief (88%). Time was a significant factor associated with improvement in pain intensity (P < 0.001), pain-related interference scores (P < 0.001), QoL (P < 0.001), and general health symptoms (P < 0.001). Female sex was significantly associated with worse outcomes than male sex including pain intensity (P < 0.001) and pain-related interference (P < 0.001). The proportion of individuals who reported using opioids decreased by half, from 40.8% at baseline to 23.9% at 12 months.' Liebert Publications reports that 'Results: In our analytical sample (N = 995), women who reported ever using cannabis were more willing to use cannabis to treat a gynecological condition compared with never users (91.6% vs. 64.6%, p < 0.01). Women willing to use cannabis for gynecological conditions were most interested in using cannabis for treating gynecological pain (61.2% of never users vs. 90.0% of ever users; p < 0.001) compared with procedural pain (38.2% vs. 79.0%, respectively; p < 0.001) or other conditions (38.0% vs. 79.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, willingness to use cannabis for a gynecological condition was associated only with a history of ever using cannabis and views that cannabis should be legal in some capacity and not by age, race, or education. Conclusions: The majority of women would consider using cannabis to treat gynecological conditions. Overall, respondents who had a history of cannabis use were more likely to report willingness to use cannabis for all gynecological conditions, but a large proportion of those who reported never using cannabis were also willing to use it.' Sage Publications reports that 'Chronic pelvic pain in women is common and frequently difficult to treat. Chronic pelvic pain often develops in the setting of endometriosis, interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, and vulvodynia. Cannabinoids are a promising treatment modality for non-cancer chronic pain, but have not been studied in women with chronic pelvic pain nor in specific chronic pelvic pain conditions. This review focuses on the interaction of the endocannabinoid system with the menstrual cycles, with endometriotic lesions, and within the bladder. Furthermore, it provides a brief overview of existing literature of the effects of endocannabinoids on chronic pain generally, with a focus on neuropathic pain. Finally, it discusses limited data available regarding the use of cannabinoids in women with chronic pelvic pain conditions. In the opinion of the authors, cannabinoids are a reasonable treatment modality for refractory chronic pelvic pain, especially if a neuropathic component is suspected. Practitioners should expect a modest effect on pain levels with an acceptable safety profile.' NORML reports that 'A significant percentage of women suffering from myofascial pelvic pain (MPP) acknowledge using cannabis and/or cannabis-products as a way to effectively mitigate their symptoms, according to data published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. Canadian investigators surveyed 135 female patients with MPP, 57 percent of whom acknowledged using cannabis. Among marijuana consumers, 79 percent said that they used cannabis products to treat their pelvic pain. Nearly eighty percent of those respondents said that they began using cannabis because conventional treatments were ineffective. Nearly half of consumers said that they used cannabis daily, and more than half did so via inhalation. “On a scale of zero (totally ineffective) to 10 (totally effective), 69 percent of users rated the effectiveness of cannabis as 7 or higher at relieving pelvic pain,” authors reported. Among non-users, 64 percent said that they “would be willing” to try cannabis as an option to treat pelvic pain'

Some of the other medical conditions that women are using cannabis for are anxiety, stress and insomnia. The Journal of Cannabis Research reports that 'Results: The sample (N = 387) consisted of 61.2% females, mostly between 25 and 54 years old (72.2%) and primarily based in the UK (77.4%). The top 4 reasons for using CBD were self-perceived anxiety (42.6%), sleep problems (42.5%), stress (37%), and general health and wellbeing (37%). Fifty-four per cent reported using less than 50 mg CBD daily, and 72.6% used CBD sublingually. Adjusted logistic models show females had lower odds than males of using CBD for general health and wellbeing [OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.30–0.72] and post-workout muscle-soreness [OR 0.46, 95%CI 0.24–0.91] but had higher odds of using CBD for self-perceived anxiety [OR 1.60, 95% CI 0.02–2.49] and insomnia [OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.13–3.11]. Older individuals had lower odds of using CBD for general health and wellbeing, stress, post-workout sore muscles, anxiety, skin conditions, focusing, and sleep but had higher odds of using CBD for pain. Respondents reported that CBD use was effective for stress, sleep problems, and anxiety in those who used the drug for those conditions.'

The fact that the consumption of cannabis increases with age, as already evidenced in the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission's report of 1894-95 is in line with the findings from U.S. states where cannabis has been legalized recreationally and/or medically. In these places, the fastest growing demographic of cannabis users are the elderly, including women, who find various benefits from cannabis usage. Cannabis consumption provides the elderly with pain relief, better sleep, a more active life, improved digestion, reduced nausea, etc,. The elderly are increasingly switching over to cannabis, after years of expensive, harmful synthetic pharmaceutical drugs, besides alcohol and tobacco, with numerous dangerous side effects. Recent research helps us better understand why older women benefit from cannabis, and gives us one more reason why more women start using cannabis as they get older, especially to counter the hormonal changes of menopause. Science Direct reports that 'The present results indicate that CBD leads to a functional recovery accompanied by the Akt/GSK3ß survival pathway’s activation, supporting its potential as a treatment for estrogen decline-induced deterioration of neural functioning and maintenance.' NORML reports that 'Investigators with the University of Alberta surveyed nearly 1,500 middle-aged Canadian women about their use of cannabis. Marijuana is legal for both medical and recreational purposes in Canada. One-third of those surveyed acknowledged having used cannabis products within the past month. Among current users, 75 percent defined their use as medicinal and most said that cannabis successfully mitigated their menopause-related issues, including irritability, muscle and joint aches, and sleep disturbances. “Our study confirmed that a large percentage of midlife women are using cannabis for symptoms that overlap with menopause, especially those women who reported more symptoms,” the study’s lead author said in a statement. “In addition, many of these women are claiming to get relief for their symptoms through the use of cannabis.” '

In 19th century India, we saw a number of instances where women were using cannabis as medicine to treat 'bowel complaints'. This appears to have been one of the primary uses of cannabis as medicine for women at that time. The benefits of cannabis for digestion and excretion have been spoken about extensively in its medical uses. Numerous recent studies have also added further weight to the benefits of cannabis on the digestive system, irrespective of gender. An example of a study dealing with the gastro-intestinal benefits of cannabis is the report by NORML, stating, 'Study participants reported that their use of cannabis was effective at mitigating endometriosis-related pain and gastrointestinal issues. Respondents also reported improvements in mood following marijuana consumption. “With emerging evidence internationally demonstrating that women are utilizing illicit cannabis as a self-management strategy for the pain and the associated symptoms of endometriosis, this paper demonstrates that Canadian women are also utilizing legally obtained and quality-assured products to manage endometriosis symptoms across domains such as pelvic pain, gastrointestinal symptoms and mood,” authors concluded. “Clinical trials investigating the tolerability and effectiveness of cannabis for endometriosis pain and associated symptoms are urgently required.”'

The benefits of cannabis for treating cancer and for minimizing the effects of conventional cancer treatment are widely documented. This includes breast cancer. The International Journal of Radiation Oncology reports that 'Conclusion: Almost half of all participants reported using cannabis during adjuvant or palliative radiation to relieve breast cancer symptoms or treatment side effects, most commonly: pain, insomnia, anxiety, stress, nausea/vomiting, and anorexia. Patients undergoing palliative radiation were more likely to use cannabis to relieve chronic pain compared to patients undergoing adjuvant radiation. Both oral and inhalational methods of cannabis delivery were commonly utilized, regardless of stage. Although preliminary research shows that cannabis helps to relieve pain, nausea, insomnia and anxiety, safety studies are needed regarding the use of inhalational cannabis products during breast radiation, given the known risk of pulmonary toxicity from cigarette smoking during breast radiation.'

A pregnant woman assumes special significance for patriarchal societies, especially if it is known that she is carrying a male child. I suspect that if it is known that the in utero child is a girl, the concerns that family members have about it and the mother are not that high. The effect of cannabis on a pregnant mother, and subsequently on the child to be born, are very often falsely played up to create a whole set of myths. Almost as vociferous as the argument that legalized cannabis will destroy the youth is the argument that a pregnant woman using cannabis will damage the unborn child. Women who use cannabis during pregnancy are liable for criminal prosecution in many places. This is a modern development, running counter to the prescription of cannabis as medicine for pregnant women in 19th century India, as we saw above.  

Among the myths and fear monging that the upper classes and castes indulge in, with regard to cannabis usage by women, is that in pregnant women it will damage the unborn child. Autism in a child in the mother's womb because of the mother's cannabis usage during pregancy is one of the myths created in the modern world.  NORML reports that, 'Children exposed to cannabis in utero possess no elevated risk of suffering from autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to data published in the journal Autism Research. Researchers affiliated with Emory University, John Hopkins, and Harvard assessed the relationship between prenatal cannabis exposure and ASD in a sample of 11,570 children. Investigators reported no link between cannabis exposure and ASD after controlling for relevant covariates, particularly tobacco consumption. They concluded, “In a large sample and measuring ASD traits continuously, there was no evidence that prenatal cannabis exposure increases the risk for ASD. … Although no associations were found with ASD outcomes, prenatal cannabis exposure may still be associated with other facets of child development and behavior that were outside of the scope of this study, such as attention and cognition.”' NCBI reports that 'Results: An examination of the total number of statistical comparisons (n = 1,001) between groups of participants that were exposed to cannabis prenatally and non-exposed controls revealed that those exposed performed differently on a minority of cognitive outcomes (worse on 0.5 percent and better in <1 percent). The clinical significance of these findings appears to be limited because cognitive performance scores of cannabis-exposed groups overwhelmingly fell within the normal range when compared against normative data adjusted for age and education. Conclusions: The current evidence does not suggest that prenatal cannabis exposure alone is associated with clinically significant cognitive functioning impairments.' TandOffline reports that 'Results: Of 466 women, initial marijuana usage in pregnancy confirmed by urine drug test increased after legalization from 6 to 11% (p = .05). Factors associated with marijuana usage included younger age, white or black race, single marital status, psychiatric disorders, intimate partner violence and concomitant tobacco and alcohol use. 73% of users in this study had cessation of marijuana use with subsequent negative UDT. There was no statistical difference in rates of preterm birth, small for gestational age, NICU admission, or Apgar scores, when adjusted for other risk factors. Conclusion: Rates of marijuana usage in pregnant women who underwent universal drug screening increased after legalization. There were no differences in neonatal outcomes between users and non-users.'

Another myth is that cannabis is harmful for mothers of newborn babies. This is possible driven by visions of mothers of newborn babies smoking cannabis and neglecting their duties of breast feeding their child. What is probably worse is the vision of the new mother breast feeding a man, who is not the husband, after smoking a joint. Scientific findings however do not indicate adverse effects of cannabis legalization on mothers of new born babies. Science Direct reports that 'Abstract: We studied the effect of marijuana liberalization policies on perinatal health with a multiperiod difference-in-differences estimator that exploited variation in effective dates of medical marijuana laws (MML) and recreational marijuana laws (RML). We found that the proportion of maternal hospitalizations with marijuana use disorder increased by 23% (0.3 percentage points) in the first three years after RML implementation, with larger effects in states authorizing commercial sales of marijuana. This growth was accompanied by a 7% (0.4 percentage points) decline in tobacco use disorder hospitalizations, yielding a net zero effect over all substance use disorder hospitalizations. RMLs were not associated with statistically significant changes in newborn health. MMLs had no statistically significant effect on maternal substance use disorder hospitalizations nor on newborn health and fairly small effects could be ruled out. In absolute numbers, our findings implied modest or no adverse effects of marijuana liberalization policies on the array of perinatal outcomes considered.'

Then there is the myth that the baby will get high from the breast milk of a mother who has consumed cannabis. There is no scientific evidence to indicate that if such a thing did happen, it would be harmful for the baby. It was found in 19th century India that one of the primary reasons why cannabis was used as medicine for young children was to enable them to sleep better.

In a number of western countries, one of the cruelest practices against a woman is the taking away of her child by child welfare services when it was found that she has used cannabis. The concept of child welfare services taking custody of a child is based on the principle that the mother is no longer capable of looking after the child due to psychological or physical problems, or addiction to dangerous substances, or displaying criminal tendencies, etc. Pregant mothers are liable for criminal prosecution in many places if it is found that she has consumed cannabis during pregnancy. Cannabis usage being a reason for taking away the child from the mother is based on the myths that cannabis is addictive and harmful, that it causes insanity, and that it incites crime. These myths were already disproved in 19th century India, but the anti-cannabis propaganda machine only amplified it to bring about cannabis prohibition. As more and more western nations that have child welfare services now realize that there is no scientific basis for bias against the mother of a child for her cannabis usage, we see gradual reforms happening in these areas. How much damage has already been done, and how much damage continues in places where authorities practice this evil is anybody's guess. NORML reports that, in Arizona, 'State officials will no longer take punitive actions against people who consume medical cannabis during their pregnancies. The decision, announced by the Arizona Department of Child Safety last week, comes nearly one year after the state Supreme Court declined to reverse a lower court decision determining that the physician-authorized use of medical cannabis by a pregnant woman does not legally constitute neglect under state law. Following the court’s decision, lawyers for the Child Safety Agency acknowledged that they do not possess the legal authority to investigate cases involving prenatal cannabis exposure unless there are explicit allegations of child neglect. The new DCS policy takes effect in January.' The Baltimore Banner also reports reforms in this area in Maryland, stating that ''Under new law, state can’t take kids away solely for parental cannabis use. Advocates say it’s a step in the right direction, but more work is needed. Nine percent of all newborns exposed to a substance were removed from their parents in 2020, compared to 6% in 2022.'

Domestic violence against women has been found to have a strong correlation with the use of alcohol by the male and, in some cases, by both the male and female. Despite the overwhelming evidence implicating alcohol, most women believe that cannabis causes a person to fly into a mania of rage - either through its use or through its deprivation. This false belief is fueled by decades of propaganda that cannabis fuels reefer madness and alcohol is a benign drug that it is fashionable to have, especially since the upper classes and castes can be always seen with it. What most women fail to understand is that cannabis legalization reduces the amount of alcohol that a person consumes. This reduction in amount could be the difference between life and death - both for the male consumer in terms of his health, and for the female victim of alcohol driven domestic violence. Reporting on the effect that cannabis legalization has had in the intensity of domestic violence, Sage Publications reports that 'Studies on the effect of marijuana on domestic violence often suffer from endogeneity issues. To examine the effect of marijuana decriminalization and medical marijuana legalization on serious domestic assaults, we conducted a difference-in-differences analysis on a panel dataset on NIBRS-reported assaults in 24 states over the 12 years between 2005 and 2016. Assaults disaggregated according to situation and extent of injury were employed as dependent variables. We found that while the total number of assaults did not change, decriminalization reduced domestic assaults involving serious injuries by 18%. From a harm reduction perspective, these results suggest that while the extensive margin of violence did not change, the intensive margin measured by the seriousness of assaults were substantially affected by decriminalization. This result may be partially explained by reductions in offender alcohol intoxication and weapon-involved assault.' Not only does domestic violence harm the woman physically, it damages her much more psychologically, leading to depression, anxiety, loss of self-esteem and self-harm behavior including addiction to harmful substances. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in its World Drug Report 2020, says, 'The association between domestic violence, including male perpetrated intimate partner violence against women, and psychoactive substance use has been investigated extensively. While it is not possible to ascertain a causal relationship between these phenomena, evidence shows that women who were injured by a male intimate partner are two to three times more likely to abuse alcohol and to have used cocaine than those who were not injured.'

When domestic violence incidents against women are reported, the victims often find themselves facing further harassment from the male dominated law enforcement and judiciary who are among the primary upholders of patriarchy and the prohibiton of cannabis in society. Marijuana Moment reports of an instance where a victim of domestic violence in Virginia was sentenced to jail by the judge for testifying under the influence of cannabis. And this is in a US state where cannabis was legalized for adult recreational use. It reports that “In 2020, Virginia ended the practice of jailing individuals for using cannabis, and in 2021 made such use explicitly legal for those age 21 and older,” said Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML, the state chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws. “Yet, these changes in code do not facilitate an immediate end to the stigmatization faced by those who choose to consume cannabis, many of whom will continue to be singled out for discrimination by those still wedded to longstanding stereotypes.”' Nobody is bothered if a person, including the judge, is under the influence of alcohol in court, but cannabis is not acceptable in the existing social order. Elaborating further on the incident, The Washington Post reports that 'The same kind of peremptory behavior was on display when the judge stopped Ms. Orndoff as she was being cross-examined and then jumped to the conclusion that her jittery demeanor on the stand was because she was intoxicated. She acknowledged, under questioning from the judge, that she had smoked marijuana, which is legal in Virginia, earlier that day, but it seems not to have occurred to Judge Fisher that Ms. Orndoff was simply nervous about having to testify about abuse in front of the man who previously had been convicted of hurting her and now was accused of punching her in the face. Police and prosecutors who dealt with Ms. Orndoff did not observe any signs of intoxication and would have said so, but the judge denied them any hearing. A mistrial was declared in the domestic assault case, and Ms. Orndoff served two days of a 10-day sentence before her lawyers were able to get her released on bond. In a statement, Ms. Orndoff said she had “learned that it does no good to report domestic abuse because the system and the courts appear to have no real interest in protecting victims and punishing abusers. The judge has sent me a clear message.”'  

The illegal trade of drugs itself has grown to the humongous proportions that we see today due to cannabis prohibition. Cannabis prohibition has spawned huge worldwide demand for drugs, and easy to manufacture and difficult to detect harmful synthetic drugs have taken the place of cannabis. Among the key drivers for countries like Canada and Germany to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use is to reduce the black market for drugs. One of the characteristics of the illegal trade of drugs is that women are very often employed by the criminal gangs to transfer the drugs from one place to another, due to the higher probability of them escaping detection. Many women who smuggle the drugs do so under coercion, or because a male member of their family convinces them, besides the lure of money. In addition to being coerced to carry out drug trafficking by the dug cartels, women who are caught by the authorities face an additional hell in prison where they are kept away from their families, especially children, for long periods of time. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, says 'Women in prison may also have a long history of abuse and mental health issues. For example, women charged with drug-related offences often suffer from substance use disorders, psychiatric disorders and a history of physical and sexual abuse. Also, research shows that many women arrested for drug-related offences, in particular drug trafficking, have been victims of trafficking in persons or sex trafficking and forced to carry drugs. However, while in prison, few women are provided with the healthcare services necessary to address their drug use disorders, other co-morbidities or reproductive health issues. In addition, women prisoners may suffer particular emotional and mental health consequences resulting from the disruption of family ties, as they are more likely to be incarcerated a greater distance from home than are men, which has a particularly harmful impact on mothers and their prospects of resettlement.' Things only turn worse for them when they are released from prison in many cases. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020 continues, 'Upon release, women face stigma in the community because of their drug use and incarceration, resulting in an even greater challenge for them to access the health-care and social services that they need, such as housing and employment services. They may therefore end up in a situation of social isolation and social exclusion, leaving them to continue living in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage and inequality. In particular, incarcerated women re-entering the community also need to navigate between both the relationships that put them at risk for either drug use or criminality and the relationships that they will rely on for support after their release. This is complicated by the fact that the only relationships that they may have could have been those contributing, in the first place, to their problems, including drug use, mental health issues or criminality.'

 

The illegality of cannabis makes women vulnerable to crime against them. A women, who wishes to access cannabis, has hardly any means to do so. She needs to make contact with peddlers from the black market for drugs to procure her cannabis. The peddlers typically belong to a network that includes criminals, politicians and law enforcement working hand in hand. She is likely to be blackmailed, and could face extortion and sexual crimes as a result of the illegality of cannabis. There are many instances where a woman - often a tourist - makes contact with a drug peddler, or an unscrupulous person, who rapes and even murders her after luring her to lonely places on the behest of getting her cannabis. As with the elderly, women are among the most affected by the illegal status of cannabis. Ironically, along with the elderly, we see that women are among the most vociferous opponents of cannabis legalization. They are among the demographics that have been fooled the most by the anti-cannabis propaganda created by the patriarchal hierarchical societies of the world. Women, in most places, do not mind their spouses, sons and fathers drinking alcohol, or smoking tobacco, or abusing prescription pharmaceutical drugs, even as this leads to addiction, domestic violence and often death of the male individual. They will vehemently oppose the usage of cannabis - one of the safest, medicinal and non-addictive intoxicants - even as they see the men in their families, and sometimes even the womem - spiral down a path that leads to painful death and poverty. The argument used to keep cannabis prohibited is that it will harm the young, thus pulling the strings of maternal instincts that do not see logic or reason. The young manage to get their cannabis from the black market anyway, since they are more bold, connected and agile. Another reason for the young to try cannabis is precisely because it is a prohibited substance, which adds further appeal to the youth as they rebel against parental control in their growing years. By keeping cannabis prohibited, it is the elderly and women who are unable to access cannabis. Another primary reason for Canada and Germany to legalize cannabis, besides shrinking the black market for it and other drugs, was to protect the youth from criminal gangs. It has been found in Washington and Colorado, and a number of other states where cannabis has been legalized for adult recreational use, teenage use has shown declining trends.

Just like women are more likely to try various methods of cannabis administration - including edibles, beverages, creams, oils, topicals, soaps, etc. - than men who typically favor smoking it, we see that women are more likely to use cannabis to treat a wider range of ailments and diseases than men. It is found that they are also more likely than men to independently try cannabis as medicine without the support or recommendation of a physician . The underlying stigma associated with cannabis usage by women may be at the root of this, but it also shows the possible higher intelligence and creativity of a woman who recognizes that a natural herb - tried and tested for thousands of years - is less likely to be harmful to her than an inadequately tested human-made synthetic compound emerging from the lab. This also, I believe, emerges from a heightened survival instinct in the female of the species who has to protect her young as well, as compared to the higher risk taking behavior of the male. NORML reports that 'Investigators with DePaul University in Chicago and John Hopkins University in Baltimore surveyed 361 patients registered with Illinois’ state-sponsored medical marijuana access program. Researchers reported that women acknowledged using cannabis to address a greater variety of medical conditions than did men, and that they were also more likely to report having either reduced or ceased their use of prescription medicines following enrollment in the program. Female respondents were also less likely than male respondents to report having their decision to use medical cannabis supported by either their primary care provider or by a physician specialist. They concluded: “The results from our cross-sectional study describe a number of gender-associated patterns within the use and outcomes of MC [medical cannabis] among patients with chronic conditions. Women appear to be more likely than men to use MC for a range of symptoms (specifically, pain, anxiety, inflammation, and nausea), to have increased use of cannabis since qualifying for MC, and to subsequently have reduced or completely discontinued their prescription medications. In addition, the women in our sample reported marginally lower levels of support from their primary care provider, and significantly less support from specialist physicians than the men in our sample, and significantly more of them received certification for their state MC card from MC practices.”' Science Direct reports that 'Measurements and Main Results: Our sample included 1382 women with =1 CPP diagnosis: 26.0% with endometriosis, 4.2% with vulvodynia, 14.0% with IC/UCPP, and 84.4% with IBS. Participants were classified by CBD use: current (n=477, 34.5%), past (n=404, 29.2%), or never (n=501, 36.3%). Of those who discontinued CBD, 61.6% did so because it did not improve symptoms. Participants who used CBD most commonly did so for pain (96.4%), sleep (48.8%) and anxiety (46.1%), with 80.9% reporting that CBD improved their pain. Side effects were minimal, with patients reporting an average of 1.0±1.3 side effects. The majority of participants (75.9%) reported substituting CBD for pain medications, including NSAIDs (45.3%), opioids (39.8%), gabapentinoids (27.7%), and benzodiazepines (19.3%). Compared to those who did not report pain improvement (n=91, 19.1%), those who reported improved pain had a higher proportion of substituting CBD for pain medications (p=0.003), reported greater improvements in other symptom domains (sleep, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and overall health, all p=0.001). Conclusion: Among women with FM and co-morbid CPP, over 60% reported past or current use of CBD. About half of participants who ever used CBD for pain reported improved pain, and many substitute CBD for pain medications including opioids and benzodiazepines.' The huge difference in overdose deaths between men and women from synthetic legal and illegal drugs, as well as alcohol and tobacco, show that women are wiser when it comes to choosing what is good for them and what is harmful. EUDA, formerly, EMCDDA reported some time back that 'Drug-related deaths predominantly affect men: there are 35.8 deaths per million men aged 15-64 years, which is almost four times the number of drug-related deaths among women (9.3 deaths per million women aged 15-64 years). In 2017, the highest overdose mortality rate was seen in men, with 57 deaths per million men aged 35-39 years.'

The diversity in cannabis usage among women is also evident in the way that they buy their cannabis from retail outlets. MJBizDaily reported in 2021 that 'Women still make up a minority of adult-use marijuana purchasers – 33.6% in February – but that’s increased almost a full percentage point from 2020. While that trend might not be a dramatic shift in the gender makeup of retail marijuana sales, it could have a lasting effect because men and women shop differently for cannabis products. For example, female buyers are more likely to purchase products other than flower when compared to their male counterparts.'

Where cannabis has been legalized today, women are embracing cannabis as a business in many ways. This includes many celebrities who are also using the opportunity to remove the stigma around cannabis usage by women, besides embracing a sustainable and profitable business. Many of these women are trailblazers and pathbreaking pioneers who had to face immense opposition from all quarters to become who they did. Leafly reports that 'This was the first of three arrests for Rathbun, who continued defying the law by baking thousands of buttery cannabis brownies until just before she died on April 10, 1999. While headlines at the time painted “Brownie Mary” as a sweet and sassy grandma giving away pot-infused confections to the sick and dying, the real Rathbun was so much more.' Bloomberg reports that 'Stewart, 79, currently serves as chief creative officer for Marquee Brands LLC, an investment firm that owns her brand name and other consumer companies, including sportswear retailer Dakine. She also remains on the board of Sequential Brands Group Inc., which licenses apparel and home-goods brands and sold the Martha Stewart brand to Marquee as part of a US$175 million deal last year. Canopy says there’s still plenty of potential for CBD growth, estimating that while around 86 per cent of Americans have heard of the product, only 18 per cent have tried it. Stewart’s household name, meanwhile, should help attract female consumers in the age range of 46 to 65.' Many pioneers in this field are women who are juggling their various roles of homemaker, businesswoman, activist and influencer. Leafly reports that 'Besides running a business, navigating her kindergartener’s virtual learning assignments, and potty training a toddler, Anthony moderates a judgment-free refuge for her 23k Instagram followers who agree with her mantra: Moms who smoke weed are not bad moms. What started in 2017 as a casual Instagram account where Anthony openly embraced motherhood and cannabis has now blossomed into a safe haven for like-minded moms. The goal behind Blunt Blowin’ Mama is to normalize weed while letting other cannabis-consuming moms know they’re not alone. Anthony does this by tapping into her journalism and social media skills to amplify stories and experiences from parents who consume cannabis and experts who discuss the plant and debunk misconceptions. Central to the discussion is the importance of embracing diversity within the cannabis community.' The newly emerging cannabis industry in places that have legalized present multiple opportunities for women in cannabis as a business. MJBizDaily reports that 'One of the most positive developments in the cannabis industry over the last several months is bigger and better career opportunities available for women. Historically, the young legal cannabis industry has been male dominated, particularly in the C-suite. The good news is this trend is changing rapidly. And one of the areas in which we’re seeing that change is in funding resources for female founders.' Leafly reports, profiling another female cannabis pioneer who is looking at cannabis policy and social justice, 'Joy Hollingsworth isn’t new to cannabis. She’s part of a Black American legacy that’s sprouted from the Pacific Northwest. Joy has deep connections to Washington state, including a successful family cannabis business and an intricate knowledge of Washington cannabis law. We spoke to Joy about family, social equity, and obstacles the cannabis industry still needs to overcome. Listen to the conversation in it’s entirety, or continue reading for excerpts from the chat.' Town and Country Magazine reports that 'Abby Rockefeller, the septuagenarian daughter of the late David and Peggy Rockefeller, sent her farm manager, thirtysomething Ben Dobson, to negotiate a price. She and Dobson are now co-­founders of Hudson Carbon and Hudson Hemp, two startups with a joint mission to: research and promote regenerative organic agriculture and carbon sequestration; farm hemp; perform complex botanical extractions; and, along the way, make and sell an exquisite line of CBD-infused wellness products called Treaty. Old Mud Creek’s “depleted, dead” soil, as they call it, was exactly what the two were after.' Many successful cannabis businesswomen are sharing their formulae for success and their best practices to enable others to find an easier path. MJBizDaily reports that 'In this episode of Seed to CEO, Lisa shares: how she identified the need for a marketing association and how what she did can be used as a model for other professional groups; how her event-driven cannabis group adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic; how to strategically scale an organization such as the CMA even as new markets are still getting off the ground; why marketing really matters in cannabis.' In another report, MJBizDaily says, 'After her brother was arrested and given a 10-year sentence for cannabis possession, Wanda James knew she had a mission. She opened her first Colorado dispensary with her husband in 2009 to help advance social justice and provide medicine to those in need. Today, James and her husband own and operate Simply Pure – “America’s most political dispensary” – in Denver.' Leafly reports that 'Founded in 2017 by Kali Wilder (CEO), Sirita Wright (CMO), and Safon Floyd (CCO), EstroHaze is a media outlet and community hub for minorities and multicultural women who have interest in the business and lifestyle of the cannabis industry. Floyd told me, “It’s a place to learn everything cannabis: how to get in and start your own cannabis business, how to use cannabis to enhance your lifestyle, how boomers can maximize and capitalize on cannabis, how you can invest in cannabis—it’s everything how-to.” EstroHaze is one of the bridges for minorities to get involved in the “Green Rush.”' There appears to be more gender parity in cannabis businesses. Endorphin reports, 'What many people don’t know about the budding cannabis industry is that 6% more women hold leadership roles in legal cannabis businesses than in traditional businesses in the US. Yes, that’s right. The huge repertoire of products that are being created in the legal cannabis field is influenced by women decision makers more than other marketplaces. It is not an easy industry though. Successful entrepreneurs in the legal cannabis space have to navigate the ever-changing legal restrictions and overcome major challenges, like not being able to have a bank account type of challenges.' MJBizDaily reports in 2019 that 'In 2017, women held 27% of the executive-level roles in the marijuana industry, according to a survey conducted by Marijuana Business Daily. That figure was down from 2015, when 36% of firms responding to an MJBizDaily poll reported having females in leadership roles. That leadership disparity makes the goals set by the 22 women listed below even more worth watching. As these women pursue their ambitions and business plans, they’re finding ways to lift other women as they climb. From the launch of multimillion-dollar venture capital funds crafted to back women-founded firms to new business accelerators aimed at mentoring women entrepreneurs, these leading ladies of cannabis are blazing new trails in ways that are leaving a lasting mark on the industry.' In most parts of the world, including India, women struggle to secure jobs in a hugely male dominated world. Cannabis as a business presents multiple opportunities for women to earn livelihoods and be successful in an industry that is all about sustainable economics. Of course, one of the problems that the newly emerging cannabis industry needs to guard against is the repeating of the same mistakes that have resulted in other businesses being highly skewed in favor of men, be it in the number of persons employed, the wages or the gender disparity at higher levels of the organizational hierarchy. In 2021, MJBizDaily reported that 'Gender equity across the cannabis industry is still lacking – especially in ownership and executive positions. And it’s a problem that appears to be getting worse. MJBizDaily recently completed its third annual survey of female and minority participation at all levels of employment in the marijuana and hemp industries and uncovered statistics that show the cannabis sector at all levels of the THC spectrum is falling short.'

More research is focusing these days on the effects of cannabis on women in particular. It appears to me, though, that some of the government sponsored research is aiming to dig into possible harmful effects of cannabis on women, rather than to better understand the health benefits, and to use any negative findings to keep cannabis prohibited. This is much like the decades of government research done in the past to uncover negative facts about cannabis in order to justify cannabis prohibition. All research to find negative outcomes of cannabis usage over the last century or so have more or less proved futile, but that will not stop the patriarcal hierarchical authorities from trying to dig up some negative consequences of cannabis usage by women, especially pregnant women, to justify banning it. Nothing strikes at the heart of society as much as the percieved threat to an in utero child (especially a male child) from cannabis usage. Never mind the millions of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, synthetic pharmaceutical drugs, chemical additives and preservatives in food and beverages, petrochemicals, plastics, alcohol and tobacco that have widely documented adverse effects on pregnant women. If research can find one negative effect of cannabis usage on pregnant women, then that can be used to justify continued cannabis prohibition and the ever increasing use of all the there billions of harmful chemical compounds that humans routinely produce, use and make vast amounts of money from. Marijuana Moment reports that, 'In a notice set to be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, FDA’s Office of Women’s Health announced the event, emphasizing that as interest in CBD and other derivatives of marijuana and hemp continues to grow, there’s a need to explore the science of these cannabinoids in the context of gender and sex. That’s particularly true when it comes to cannabis use among pregnant women, the agency said. “Researchers, educators, clinicians, and patients may benefit from attending this multidisciplinary scientific conference on CBD and other cannabinoids,” FDA said. “Presentations will address patient and healthcare provider perspectives on CBD and other cannabinoid use, sex differences in the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids, use of CBD and other cannabinoids in pregnancy, and government agency perspectives on CBD research and evaluation.”'

Given the false perception created over time that cannabis is overwhelmingly a drug of the male, most products created have focused on the male. The focus on the other half of the world, the female, is only starting to emerge in recent times. New Frontier Data reports that 'Pending any compelling evidence about biological differences in the functionality and effectiveness of cannabinoids between men and women, CBD usage between the genders has been demonstrated to differ significantly in the marketplace. Gender is a major determinant of adoption behavior, with men being significantly more likely to become routine consumers than are women. Nearly half (46%) of male CBD consumers use it at least once a week, compared to 36% of women — underscoring the importance of CBD brands’ addressing the significance of gender in shaping product demand. Significantly, 30% of women were more likely to try CBD only once or twice before discontinuing use, compared to 19% of men, suggesting that CBD brands have thus far been less well-aligned to the needs and preferences of women. Discrepancies in consumer behaviors between men and women in the CBD sector are significant, and brands catering to a specific gender would accordingly do well to understand the differences.'

The war against cannabis is not just a war against the people of color, minorities, indigenous communities, lower classes and lower castes. It is also a war against women. In the case of women, if they belong to the oppressed communities then they have a twin blade of discrimination to content with. Leafly reports that 'Black and Native women suffer disproportionately from inflated arrest rates due to the war on drugs. Women in prison often lose sovereignty over their bodies and many struggle to receive all their rights back when they emerge. Help end the racist drug war that affects people of color more than white people.' NORML reports on the higher proportions of Black and Hispanic women who have been arrested for cannabis use during pregnancy, stating that, 'Data assessing the relationship between in utero cannabis exposure and various neonatal outcomes, such as birth weight, is inconsistent. However, longitudinal data indicates that cannabis exposure is rarely independently linked with adverse neurodevelopmental consequences, finding, “Although there is a theoretical potential for cannabis to interfere with neurodevelopment, human data drawn from four prospective cohorts have not identified any long-term or long lasting meaningful differences between children exposed in utero to cannabis and those not.” Nonetheless, in some states, such as in Oklahoma and Alabama, mothers have been arrested and criminally prosecuted for the use of cannabis during their pregnancy. In total, 24 states and the District of Columbia consider substance use during pregnancy to be child abuse under civil child-welfare statutes, and three consider it grounds for civil commitment, according to data provided by the Guttmacher Policy Review.'

In conclusion

What is the impact of all this domination over the woman by the man, and suppression, over hundreds of years ? Even though most people would like to deny it, the cost of this lopsided state of things among humans is quite devastating. One only needs to look at the state of nature today to see the impact. From the moment that nature was reduced to something to be owned, possessed and exploited for the pleasure of the male, it started its downward slide. As Jim Morrison says in When The Music's Over, 'What have they done to the earth? What have they done to our fair sister? Ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit her,. Stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn and tied her with fences and dragged her down...' The diminished presence of the female in all human activity has led to the decay and degeneration of the earth, human society and all life...It has led to wars, conflicts, and catastrophes of increasing magnitude. It is at the root of human induced climate change. When a woman has been repressed and subjugated all her life, there will come a point when she says enough is enough, and she will fight back. It might be something as simple as not allowing you to have sex with her, but that one act is enough to bring the whole male-driven hierarchical patriarchal society come crashing down. No sex drive, no lust for life...Life then becomes a grey desolate meaningless enterprise where one waits eagerly for death or looks for something to kill. As Dr. Hook sang in Michelangelo, 'You all remember Atilla The Hun, Don't think he thought that war was fun. But whether the battle was lost or won, He'd just look out at the bodies that were rotting in the sun, And say "It's just what I do when I can't get no pussy, It's just what I do when I can't get no pussy, It's just what I do when I can't get no pussy, And I don't get no pussy at all."' What most people fail to understand is that it is the element of love that makes sex pleasurable. This is the case whether one has sex only with one partner throughout one's life, or if one has sex with multiple persons in the course of one's life - i.e. whether one is loose or tight. To batter a woman physically and psychologically all day, and then expect her to recieve you with warm overflowing juices in the night is to live in delusion. For a woman to want a man, she has to ultimately love him, even if it be for a few minutes. To think that one can get this love through money, force and domination is to live in a fool's paradise...Sex without love is as meaningless as trying to cultivate a field without water. You cannot treat a woman as a possession and think that you can enjoy sex forever. Paying her money, and buying her baubles might work for some time, as long as she is fooled into thinking that you love her. But when she realizes that you are only treating her like a piece of property, then love ends...You may continue it to try and establish your ownership over her...but she has already become free of you in her mind...

The use of cannabis as an etheogen by women in the past meant that many spiritual women held positions of respect and reverence in society. This was the time when female goddesses enjoyed as much following as male gods, a time when society was more equal between men and women. This was before the religions dominated by male gods came along and established their king-priest-businessman patriarchal hierarchal society and reduced women to the status of slaves and mere possessions. Leafly reports that 'There was a time when those who could tap into otherworldly energies were precious to rulers and royalty, and village peasants equally prized a local seer to resolve their everyday matters. Mystics throughout the ages have been any gender, but typically men took up organized religion while women were pushed to religion’s outer fringe: the occult. Rightly or wrongly, today’s fortune tellers, clairvoyants, and psychics are the heirs of a long female-led tradition. And, for many women of history at least, this tradition used the mind-bending powers of cannabis to access the supernatural.' Leafly reports in another article that 'Many women today use cannabis medically, and many more just love a good high, which in ancient times was one and the same says Ellen Komp, author of Tokin’ Women: A 4000-Year Herstory of Women and Marijuana and deputy director of cannabis advocacy group, California NORML. “What has come down in recorded history as healing was done in a more ritualistic fashion, tied to spiritual practices where a shaman or shamaness partook of the cannabis or dispensed it to her patients.” While history has often left women’s stories out, surviving legends of some goddesses and influential women reveal cannabis as central to their powers—at least in theory.' Much like the ancient societies in India, in ancient societies in other parts of the world  men and women enjoyed more equal status. This was before the patriarchal king-priest-businessman hierarchy established itself. Once again, in these ancient societies we see the usage of cannabis by both men and women as an indicator of gender equality in society. Leafly reports that 'Ancient Scythia was not a singular nation, but a collective of nomadic tribes who shared similar languages and culture. Dozens of nationalities now lay claim to the lands these fearsome men and women once roamed, warred, and smoked their cannabis. In effect, the soul of the Amazon could be in more of us than we realize.'

With cannabis, a woman can strengthen her mind till it becomes strong enough to see the chains that bind it and the way out of the maze. Cannabis enables one to recognize the equality and divinity of all things in the world. It enables one to see oneself as all of nature, and all of nature as oneself. It enables one to see that there is no superiority in any part of nature over any other part of nature. It enables one to see that the hierarchy that has been built up to create the delusion that one gets closer to god as one goes higher up in the patriarchal hierarchy is false, and that god is everywhere including within oneself. In fact, the prime benefit of cannabis as an entheogen is that it enables one to see that one is not separate from god. The linking of cannabis to prostitutes and women of the lower classes and castes was one surefire way for the men of the upper classes and castes to ensure that the women belonging to their classes and castes did not take up cannabis usage in a big way and, thus, loosen the hold that these men had over their women. Cannabis usage makes a person content and peaceful, and increases the connection between the user and nature, irrespective of gender. This is anathema to the hierarchical patriarchal society that thrives on creating inequality and the lust for wealth and material possessions. The discontent with what one has is the energy that drives the existence of the hierarchical order of king-priest-businessman, with every discontented person trying to climb up the hierarchy and in the process becoming enslaved and working for those above them in the hierarchy. It is a ponzi scheme where large numbers of deluded persons contribute with all they have to strengthen the hierarchy. To the ones who sit on top of the ponzi scheme, cannabis represents a most dangerous threat to their structure, and they will try all possible devious methods to keep it prohibited and out of the hands of those who form the lowest classes and castes, and the women, because it is from the oppression of these classes that the ones higher up the order draw their power. 

 

The persons who promoted, supported and spread the prohibition of the cannabis plant and the propaganda surrounding it, also did not miss the opportunity to create the negative association between the plant and women. One of the things to be feared about the plant, they said, was that it made you crazy. The thing to be feared about women consuming the plant was that they would lose their morals, become sexually liberated and befriend all the persons you did not want them to befriend. i.e. the Blacks, Chinese, Mexicans and the Indians, basically the minorities, lower classes and slaves. This message, with racial and gender discrimination at its heart, strikes two birds with one stone, curbing the freedom of the lower classes and controlling the increasingly liberal woman.In most societies around the world, where patriarchy and male chauvinism thrive even today, the message was easily sold. Men all over the world supported, and actively demanded, the prohibition of the cannabis plant to keep their women and the minorities under control. Women who continued to associate with the plant, despite tremendous societal pressures, were often labelled as witches and loose women. The curbs were so effective that even today, the majority of women cannabis consumers world wide will not openly admit to their love for the plant. Seeing a woman lighting up a joint is beyond unbearable for many men, the kind that don't like to see a woman step out of the house or dress the way she likes. 

 

Slowly but surely, the emerging legalization of the cannabis plant for recreational and medicinal use and the decreasing social stigma associated with it, is seeing women start to once again embrace the plant more and more. This is still not nearly as much as men by far. Women of all age groups, all walks of life and all cultural origins are starting to consume the plant once again and speak about it openly as well. Leafly reports an instance, reflecting the changing attitudes of women towards cannabis, 'I smoked weed for the first time a decade ago, when I was a 21-year-old college student. My then-boyfriend and I hotboxed my pickup truck one evening, and I proceeded to eat an entire can of Pringles. I’ve had a relationship with cannabis ever since. Like most long-term relationships, we’ve had our ups and downs over the years, but I’m not sure I’d be here if it weren’t for the plant’s healing and soothing powers.'  In the business world, many women are leading cannabis companies and gender equity i.e. the ratio of women to men is said to be much higher in the cannabis industry than in many other industries. In the US political world, women lawmakers supporting cannabis are nearly as much as men. Women celebrities worldwide are speaking out in support of the plant, talking about its medicinal value for women, its potential in the wellness industry as well as its industrial applications that can bring about environmental sustainability.  Some of the leading cannabis researchers in the world's top universities are women. This augurs very well for the much needed re-balance of the world between the yin and the yang and the male and the female. Re-balancing the world with more feminine energies is one of the best chances for saving the world and going a long way in nurturing it longer. A healthy, natural bond between women and cannabis will go a very long way in ensuring this.

 

If you see a woman, in your house or anywhere else, consuming cannabis - drinking it or eating it as bhang, or smoking it as ganja or charas, or using it as a topical, or cream, or oil, or in whatever way she chooses - that does not make her a prostitute, or a low class or low caste woman, or a woman with loose morals. It means that probably she has more intelligence than you, and she has the mental strength and courage to choose what is right despite all the masochism. She is using cannabis for her spirituality and for her physical and mental health. If you see a woman in your house using cannabis, it means that there is still hope for this world, and it should be a matter of great pride for you, not shame and dishonour. If you have neighbors who try to put her down for her cannabis usage, you should tell them that it is time for them to shed their discriminatory and masochistic patriarchal behavior, and to accept the woman as nature and cannabis as nature, and the woman as equal, if not superior, which could well be the case...

 

Related articles

The following set of articles related to the subject are taken from various media. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article.

'Children exposed to cannabis in utero possess no elevated risk of suffering from autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to data published in the journal Autism Research.

Researchers affiliated with Emory University, John Hopkins, and Harvard assessed the relationship between prenatal cannabis exposure and ASD in a sample of 11,570 children.

Investigators reported no link between cannabis exposure and ASD after controlling for relevant covariates, particularly tobacco consumption.

They concluded, “In a large sample and measuring ASD traits continuously, there was no evidence that prenatal cannabis exposure increases the risk for ASD. … Although no associations were found with ASD outcomes, prenatal cannabis exposure may still be associated with other facets of child development and behavior that were outside of the scope of this study, such as attention and cognition.”

https://norml.org/news/2024/07/18/prenatal-cannabis-exposure-not-associated-with-elevated-risk-of-autism/


'Recent data suggests an intriguing shift in the preferences of cannabis consumers, particularly among women. In 2023, there was a noticeable uptick in the percentage of individuals favoring non-smokable cannabis products, rising from 17% to 21%. Delving deeper, it becomes evident that this trend is more pronounced among women, with 29% expressing a preference for non-flower products compared to only 15% of men.

These statistics paint a compelling picture for dispensaries seeking to attract female customers. It suggests that there’s a growing market for non-flower cannabis products among women, indicating a potential shift away from traditional smoking methods. Dispensaries keen on catering to this demographic could benefit from expanding their product offerings to include a diverse array of non-smokable options such as edibles, tinctures, and topicals.

Understanding and capitalizing on this trend could be instrumental in not only diversifying a dispensary’s customer base but also in enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. By offering a wide selection of non-flower cannabis products, dispensaries could effectively meet the evolving preferences of female consumers, positioning themselves as inclusive and forward-thinking establishments within the industry.'

https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/beyond-the-bud-the-rise-of-nonflower-cannabis/


'In a recent survey, we explored the experiences of female cannabis consumers, seeking insights into their utilization of cannabis for addressing specific women's health conditions and symptoms. The findings vividly illustrate how women are embracing cannabis as a holistic strategy to enhance their overall well-being. Notably, an impressive 96% of women employing cannabis for women's health concerns attest to its effectiveness, with 40% describing it as very effective. This data underscores the increasing acceptance and efficacy of cannabis as a holistic solution for women's health and wellness.'

https://info.newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-and-womens-health


'State officials will no longer take punitive actions against people who consume medical cannabis during their pregnancies.

The decision, announced by the Arizona Department of Child Safety last week, comes nearly one year after the state Supreme Court declined to reverse a lower court decision determining that the physician-authorized use of medical cannabis by a pregnant woman does not legally constitute neglect under state law.

Following the court’s decision, lawyers for the Child Safety Agency acknowledged that they do not possess the legal authority to investigate cases involving prenatal cannabis exposure unless there are explicit allegations of child neglect.

The new DCS policy takes effect in January.'

https://norml.org/news/2023/12/21/arizona-officials-will-no-longer-pursue-most-cases-involving-prenatal-cannabis-exposure/

'Under new law, state can’t take kids away solely for parental cannabis use. Advocates say it’s a step in the right direction, but more work is needed. Nine percent of all newborns exposed to a substance were removed from their parents in 2020, compared to 6% in 2022.'

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/family/maryland-cannabis-child-protective-services-parents-foster-care-25UC5W2CWFDGHARCS6TWGGPCQQ/


'The association between domestic violence, including male perpetrated intimate partner violence against women, and psychoactive substance use has been investigated extensively. While it is not possible to ascertain a causal relationship between these phenomena, evidence shows that women who were injured by a male intimate partner are two to three times more likely to abuse alcohol and to have used cocaine than those who were not injured' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020,

https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_6.pdf


'Women in prison may also have a long history of abuse and mental health issues. For example, women charged with drug-related offences often suffer from substance use disorders, psychiatric disorders and a history of physical and sexual abuse. Also, research shows that many women arrested for drug-related offences, in particular drug trafficking, have been victims of trafficking in persons or sex trafficking and forced to carry drugs. However, while in prison, few women are provided with the healthcare services necessary to address their drug use disorders, other co-morbidities or reproductive health issues. In addition, women prisoners may suffer particular emotional and mental health consequences resulting from the disruption of family ties, as they are more likely to be incarcerated a greater distance from home than are men, which has a particularly harmful impact on mothers and their prospects of resettlement'  - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020,

https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_6.pdf


'Upon release, women face stigma in the community because of their drug use and incarceration, resulting in an even greater challenge for them to access the health-care and social services that they need, such as housing and employment services. They may therefore end up in a situation of social isolation and social exclusion, leaving them to continue living in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage and inequality. In particular, incarcerated women re-entering the community also need to navigate between both the relationships that put them at risk for either drug use or criminality and the relationships that they will rely on for support after their release. This is complicated by the fact that the only relationships that they may have could have been those contributing, in the first place, to their problems, including drug use, mental health issues or criminality' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020,

https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_6.pdf


'While researchers are still trying to tease out the precise relationship between cannabis and sex, a growing body of evidence indicates the connection itself is very real. The latest study, which asked women who use marijuana about their sexual experiences, found that more frequent cannabis use was associated with heightened arousal, stronger orgasms and greater sexual satisfaction in general.

“Our results demonstrate that increasing frequency of cannabis use is associated with improved sexual function and is associated with increased satisfaction, orgasm, and sexual desire,” says the new study, published last week in the journal Sexual Medicine.'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/women-who-use-marijuana-more-often-have-better-sex-study-says/


'Another interesting Playboy ad featured a caricature of Queen Victoria sitting on a throne, smoking a joint, with the headline “Last year 300,000 Americans were arrested for smoking an herb that Queen Victoria used regularly for menstrual cramps”, an obscure fact that is well documented.'

https://norml.org/blog/2020/08/13/a-founder-looks-at-50-you-bet-i-did-and-i-enjoyed-it/


'There was a time when those who could tap into otherworldly energies were precious to rulers and royalty, and village peasants equally prized a local seer to resolve their everyday matters. Mystics throughout the ages have been any gender, but typically men took up organized religion while women were pushed to religion’s outer fringe: the occult.

Rightly or wrongly, today’s fortune tellers, clairvoyants, and psychics are the heirs of a long female-led tradition. And, for many women of history at least, this tradition used the mind-bending powers of cannabis to access the supernatural.

Here are just a few women of renown who got high and channeled the divine.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/women-in-history-cannabis-mysticism


'Stewart, 79, currently serves as chief creative officer for Marquee Brands LLC, an investment firm that owns her brand name and other consumer companies, including sportswear retailer Dakine. She also remains on the board of Sequential Brands Group Inc., which licenses apparel and home-goods brands and sold the Martha Stewart brand to Marquee as part of a US$175 million deal last year.

Canopy says there’s still plenty of potential for CBD growth, estimating that while around 86 per cent of Americans have heard of the product, only 18 per cent have tried it. Stewart’s household name, meanwhile, should help attract female consumers in the age range of 46 to 65.'

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/martha-stewart-branded-cbd-gummies-arrive-in-crowded-market-1.1491747


'In a notice set to be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, FDA’s Office of Women’s Health announced the event, emphasizing that as interest in CBD and other derivatives of marijuana and hemp continues to grow, there’s a need to explore the science of these cannabinoids in the context of gender and sex. That’s particularly true when it comes to cannabis use among pregnant women, the agency said.

“Researchers, educators, clinicians, and patients may benefit from attending this multidisciplinary scientific conference on CBD and other cannabinoids,” FDA said. “Presentations will address patient and healthcare provider perspectives on CBD and other cannabinoid use, sex differences in the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids, use of CBD and other cannabinoids in pregnancy, and government agency perspectives on CBD research and evaluation.”'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/fda-explains-effects-of-cbd-and-marijuana-compounds-based-on-sex-and-gender-differences/


'A team of investigators affiliated with the San Francisco VA Medical Center examined patterns of self-reported cannabis use for menopause symptoms in a sample of 232 female veterans (mean age 56 years).

They reported: “Current or ever use of cannabis for menopause symptom management was reported by 27 percent of all participants, while an additional 10 percent expressed interest in future use.

In contrast, only 19 percent reported traditional forms of menopause symptom management, including menopausal hormone therapy.”

Cannabis use was most commonly reported among women experiencing hot flashes and night sweats. Some respondents also complained of experiencing insomnia.'

https://norml.org/blog/2020/09/29/study-nearly-thirty-percent-of-women-report-having-used-cannabis-for-menopause-symptoms/


'Studies on the effect of marijuana on domestic violence often suffer from endogeneity issues. To examine the effect of marijuana decriminalization and medical marijuana legalization on serious domestic assaults, we conducted a difference-in-differences analysis on a panel dataset on NIBRS-reported assaults in 24 states over the 12 years between 2005 and 2016. Assaults disaggregated according to situation and extent of injury were employed as dependent variables. We found that while the total number of assaults did not change, decriminalization reduced domestic assaults involving serious injuries by 18%. From a harm reduction perspective, these results suggest that while the extensive margin of violence did not change, the intensive margin measured by the seriousness of assaults were substantially affected by decriminalization. This result may be partially explained by reductions in offender alcohol intoxication and weapon-involved assault.'

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0886260520961876


'Investigators with DePaul University in Chicago and John Hopkins University in Baltimore surveyed 361 patients registered with Illinois’ state-sponsored medical marijuana access program. Researchers reported that women acknowledged using cannabis to address a greater variety of medical conditions than did men, and that they were also more likely to report having either reduced or ceased their use of prescription medicines following enrollment in the program. Female respondents were also less likely than male respondents to report having their decision to use medical cannabis supported by either their primary care provider or by a physician specialist.

They concluded: “The results from our cross-sectional study describe a number of gender-associated patterns within the use and outcomes of MC [medical cannabis] among patients with chronic conditions. Women appear to be more likely than men to use MC for a range of symptoms (specifically, pain, anxiety, inflammation, and nausea), to have increased use of cannabis since qualifying for MC, and to subsequently have reduced or completely discontinued their prescription medications. In addition, the women in our sample reported marginally lower levels of support from their primary care provider, and significantly less support from specialist physicians than the men in our sample, and significantly more of them received certification for their state MC card from MC practices.”'

https://norml.org/news/2020/10/29/survey-data-women-more-likely-than-men-to-report-decreasing-prescription-medications-following-initiation-of-cannabis-therapy


'Pending any compelling evidence about biological differences in the functionality and effectiveness of cannabinoids between men and women, CBD usage between the genders has been demonstrated to differ significantly in the marketplace. Gender is a major determinant of adoption behavior, with men being significantly more likely to become routine consumers than are women. Nearly half (46%) of male CBD consumers use it at least once a week, compared to 36% of women — underscoring the importance of CBD brands’ addressing the significance of gender in shaping product demand. Significantly, 30% of women were more likely to try CBD only once or twice before discontinuing use, compared to 19% of men, suggesting that CBD brands have thus far been less well-aligned to the needs and preferences of women. Discrepancies in consumer behaviors between men and women in the CBD sector are significant, and brands catering to a specific gender would accordingly do well to understand the differences.'

https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/fda-investigating-sex-gender-differences-in-cannabinoids/


'Results
Of the 1,000 patients consented, 757 (76%) participated at one or more of the study time points.

At six and 12 months, 230 (30.4%) and 104 (13.7%) of participants were followed up, respectively.

Most participants were female (62%), Caucasian (91%), and sought cannabis for pain relief (88%). Time was a significant factor associated with improvement in pain intensity (P < 0.001), pain-related interference scores (P < 0.001), QoL (P < 0.001), and general health symptoms (P < 0.001). Female sex was significantly associated with worse outcomes than male sex including pain intensity (P < 0.001) and pain-related interference (P < 0.001). The proportion of individuals who reported using opioids decreased by half, from 40.8% at baseline to 23.9% at 12 months.'

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12630-020-01903-1


'Results
The sample (N = 387) consisted of 61.2% females, mostly between 25 and 54 years old (72.2%) and primarily based in the UK (77.4%). The top 4 reasons for using CBD were self-perceived anxiety (42.6%), sleep problems (42.5%), stress (37%), and general health and wellbeing (37%). Fifty-four per cent reported using less than 50 mg CBD daily, and 72.6% used CBD sublingually. Adjusted logistic models show females had lower odds than males of using CBD for general health and wellbeing [OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.30–0.72] and post-workout muscle-soreness [OR 0.46, 95%CI 0.24–0.91] but had higher odds of using CBD for self-perceived anxiety [OR 1.60, 95% CI 0.02–2.49] and insomnia [OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.13–3.11]. Older individuals had lower odds of using CBD for general health and wellbeing, stress, post-workout sore muscles, anxiety, skin conditions, focusing, and sleep but had higher odds of using CBD for pain. Respondents reported that CBD use was effective for stress, sleep problems, and anxiety in those who used the drug for those conditions.'

https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-021-00061-5


'Results: In our analytical sample (N = 995), women who reported ever using cannabis were more willing to use cannabis to treat a gynecological condition compared with never users (91.6% vs. 64.6%, p < 0.01). Women willing to use cannabis for gynecological conditions were most interested in using cannabis for treating gynecological pain (61.2% of never users vs. 90.0% of ever users; p < 0.001) compared with procedural pain (38.2% vs. 79.0%, respectively; p < 0.001) or other conditions (38.0% vs. 79.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, willingness to use cannabis for a gynecological condition was associated only with a history of ever using cannabis and views that cannabis should be legal in some capacity and not by age, race, or education.

Conclusions: The majority of women would consider using cannabis to treat gynecological conditions. Overall, respondents who had a history of cannabis use were more likely to report willingness to use cannabis for all gynecological conditions, but a large proportion of those who reported never using cannabis were also willing to use it.'

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jwh.2020.8491


'Ancient Scythia was not a singular nation, but a collective of nomadic tribes who shared similar languages and culture. Dozens of nationalities now lay claim to the lands these fearsome men and women once roamed, warred, and smoked their cannabis. In effect, the soul of the Amazon could be in more of us than we realize.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/scythian-amazons-ancient-warrior-women-cannabis-part-of-everyday-life


'Black and Native women suffer disproportionately from inflated arrest rates due to the war on drugs. Women in prison often lose sovereignty over their bodies and many struggle to receive all their rights back when they emerge. Help end the racist drug war that affects people of color more than white people.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/how-to-show-up-for-women-and-minorities-in-cannabis


'Many women today use cannabis medically, and many more just love a good high, which in ancient times was one and the same says Ellen Komp, author of Tokin’ Women: A 4000-Year Herstory of Women and Marijuana and deputy director of cannabis advocacy group, California NORML. “What has come down in recorded history as healing was done in a more ritualistic fashion, tied to spiritual practices where a shaman or shamaness partook of the cannabis or dispensed it to her patients.”

While history has often left women’s stories out, surviving legends of some goddesses and influential women reveal cannabis as central to their powers—at least in theory. Here are some of the biggest names that have carried over maps and millennia'

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/ancient-cannabis-queens-weed-loving-women


'Women still make up a minority of adult-use marijuana purchasers – 33.6% in February – but that’s increased almost a full percentage point from 2020.

While that trend might not be a dramatic shift in the gender makeup of retail marijuana sales, it could have a lasting effect because men and women shop differently for cannabis products. For example, female buyers are more likely to purchase products other than flower when compared to their male counterparts.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/more-women-are-buying-marijuana-that-may-change-product-demand/


'Results
The botanical remains were accurately identified as cannabis. More than 120 thousand fruits were found, which represents the largest amount of cannabis fruit remains that have been statistically analysed from any cemetery in the world thus far. The cannabis fruits are suspected to have been used for medical purposes in a secular context and were most likely used to stop severe bleeding of the uterus and treat lumbago and/or arthralgia.

Conclusions
The cannabis fruit remains reported here likely represent the first physical evidence of medicinal cannabis use for the treatment of metrorrhagia, severe lumbago, and/or arthralgia. This study emphasizes the importance of the evidence of the diseases suffered by the occupants of the tomb in determining the medicinal use of cannabis in a secular context and contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the ancient history of medicinal cannabis.'

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037887412100341X?via%3Dihub


'Besides running a business, navigating her kindergartener’s virtual learning assignments, and potty training a toddler, Anthony moderates a judgment-free refuge for her 23k Instagram followers who agree with her mantra: Moms who smoke weed are not bad moms.

What started in 2017 as a casual Instagram account where Anthony openly embraced motherhood and cannabis has now blossomed into a safe haven for like-minded moms.

The goal behind Blunt Blowin’ Mama is to normalize weed while letting other cannabis-consuming moms know they’re not alone. Anthony does this by tapping into her journalism and social media skills to amplify stories and experiences from parents who consume cannabis and experts who discuss the plant and debunk misconceptions. Central to the discussion is the importance of embracing diversity within the cannabis community.'

https://www.leafly.com/learn/social-justice/lumen/shonitria-anthony


'One of the most positive developments in the cannabis industry over the last several months is bigger and better career opportunities available for women.

Historically, the young legal cannabis industry has been male dominated, particularly in the C-suite. The good news is this trend is changing rapidly.

And one of the areas in which we’re seeing that change is in funding resources for female founders.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/how-women-led-cannabis-startups-can-find-funding/


'Joy Hollingsworth isn’t new to cannabis. She’s part of a Black American legacy that’s sprouted from the Pacific Northwest. Joy has deep connections to Washington state, including a successful family cannabis business and an intricate knowledge of Washington cannabis law.

We spoke to Joy about family, social equity, and obstacles the cannabis industry still needs to overcome. Listen to the conversation in it’s entirety, or continue reading for excerpts from the chat. '

https://www.leafly.com/learn/social-justice/lumen/joy-hollingsworth


'Abby Rockefeller, the septuagenarian daughter of the late David and Peggy Rockefeller, sent her farm manager, thirtysomething Ben Dobson, to negotiate a price. She and Dobson are now co-­founders of Hudson Carbon and Hudson Hemp, two startups with a joint mission to: research and promote regenerative organic agriculture and carbon sequestration; farm hemp; perform complex botanical extractions; and, along the way, make and sell an exquisite line of CBD-infused wellness products called Treaty. Old Mud Creek’s “depleted, dead” soil, as they call it, was exactly what the two were after.'

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a36700958/abby-rockefeller-hemp-cannabis-farm-hudson-valley/


'Chronic pelvic pain in women is common and frequently difficult to treat. Chronic pelvic pain often develops in the setting of endometriosis, interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, and vulvodynia. Cannabinoids are a promising treatment modality for non-cancer chronic pain, but have not been studied in women with chronic pelvic pain nor in specific chronic pelvic pain conditions. This review focuses on the interaction of the endocannabinoid system with the menstrual cycles, with endometriotic lesions, and within the bladder. Furthermore, it provides a brief overview of existing literature of the effects of endocannabinoids on chronic pain generally, with a focus on neuropathic pain. Finally, it discusses limited data available regarding the use of cannabinoids in women with chronic pelvic pain conditions. In the opinion of the authors, cannabinoids are a reasonable treatment modality for refractory chronic pelvic pain, especially if a neuropathic component is suspected. Practitioners should expect a modest effect on pain levels with an acceptable safety profile.'

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/22840265211011277


'This was the first of three arrests for Rathbun, who continued defying the law by baking thousands of buttery cannabis brownies until just before she died on April 10, 1999. While headlines at the time painted “Brownie Mary” as a sweet and sassy grandma giving away pot-infused confections to the sick and dying, the real Rathbun was so much more.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/mary-rathbun-pot-brownie


'The present results indicate that CBD leads to a functional recovery accompanied by the Akt/GSK3ß survival pathway’s activation, supporting its potential as a treatment for estrogen decline-induced deterioration of neural functioning and maintenance.'

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432821004435?via%3Dihub


'The case has also garnered attention from marijuana reform advocates, who called the case emblematic of the stigmatization cannabis users continue to face.

“In 2020, Virginia ended the practice of jailing individuals for using cannabis, and in 2021 made such use explicitly legal for those age 21 and older,” said Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML, the state chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws. “Yet, these changes in code do not facilitate an immediate end to the stigmatization faced by those who choose to consume cannabis, many of whom will continue to be singled out for discrimination by those still wedded to longstanding stereotypes.”'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/virginia-judge-jails-woman-for-using-marijuana-before-testifying-against-alleged-domestic-violence-abuser/


'Results. A total of 351 patients were located, and 319 completed the questionnaire. Mean age was 46 ± 12 years, 76% were female, 82% had fibromyalgia, ~9% had mechanical problems, ~4% had inflammatory problems, ~4% had neurological problems, and ~1% had other problems. The average monthly consumed dose of MC was 31, 35, 36, and 32g, with mean pain level reduction of 77%, 82%, 83%, and 57%, and mean sleep quality improvement of 78%, 71%, 87%, and 76% among patients with fibromyalgia, mechanical, neuropathic, and inflammatory problems, respectively. Mean THC and CBD contents were 18.38% ± 4.96 and 2.62% ± 4.87, respectively. The THC concentration, duration of MC consumption, and MC consumption dose had independent significant correlations with pain reduction while only the duration of MC consumption had an independent significant correlation with sleep quality improvement. Conclusions. MC had a favorable effect on pain level and quality of sleep among all spectrums of problems at the rheumatology clinic.'

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/prm/2021/1756588/


'The same kind of peremptory behavior was on display when the judge stopped Ms. Orndoff as she was being cross-examined and then jumped to the conclusion that her jittery demeanor on the stand was because she was intoxicated. She acknowledged, under questioning from the judge, that she had smoked marijuana, which is legal in Virginia, earlier that day, but it seems not to have occurred to Judge Fisher that Ms. Orndoff was simply nervous about having to testify about abuse in front of the man who previously had been convicted of hurting her and now was accused of punching her in the face. Police and prosecutors who dealt with Ms. Orndoff did not observe any signs of intoxication and would have said so, but the judge denied them any hearing. A mistrial was declared in the domestic assault case, and Ms. Orndoff served two days of a 10-day sentence before her lawyers were able to get her released on bond. In a statement, Ms. Orndoff said she had “learned that it does no good to report domestic abuse because the system and the courts appear to have no real interest in protecting victims and punishing abusers. The judge has sent me a clear message.”'

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/27/loudoun-judge-james-p-fisher-courtroom-rules-justice-norms/


'Investigators with the University of Alberta surveyed nearly 1,500 middle-aged Canadian women about their use of cannabis. Marijuana is legal for both medical and recreational purposes in Canada.

One-third of those surveyed acknowledged having used cannabis products within the past month. Among current users, 75 percent defined their use as medicinal and most said that cannabis successfully mitigated their menopause-related issues, including irritability, muscle and joint aches, and sleep disturbances.

“Our study confirmed that a large percentage of midlife women are using cannabis for symptoms that overlap with menopause, especially those women who reported more symptoms,” the study’s lead author said in a statement. “In addition, many of these women are claiming to get relief for their symptoms through the use of cannabis.” '

https://norml.org/news/2021/09/30/survey-women-increasingly-turning-to-cannabis-to-mitigate-symptoms-of-menopause


'Abstract
We studied the effect of marijuana liberalization policies on perinatal health with a multiperiod difference-in-differences estimator that exploited variation in effective dates of medical marijuana laws (MML) and recreational marijuana laws (RML). We found that the proportion of maternal hospitalizations with marijuana use disorder increased by 23% (0.3 percentage points) in the first three years after RML implementation, with larger effects in states authorizing commercial sales of marijuana. This growth was accompanied by a 7% (0.4 percentage points) decline in tobacco use disorder hospitalizations, yielding a net zero effect over all substance use disorder hospitalizations. RMLs were not associated with statistically significant changes in newborn health. MMLs had no statistically significant effect on maternal substance use disorder hospitalizations nor on newborn health and fairly small effects could be ruled out. In absolute numbers, our findings implied modest or no adverse effects of marijuana liberalization policies on the array of perinatal outcomes considered.'

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167629621001223


'In this episode of Seed to CEO, Lisa shares:

- How she identified the need for a marketing association and how what she did can be used as a model for other professional groups.
- How her event-driven cannabis group adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- How to strategically scale an organization such as the CMA even as new markets are still getting off the ground.
- Why marketing really matters in cannabis.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/podcast/marketing-mixer-how-a-quest-for-answers-resulted-in-a-new-cannabis-association/


'After her brother was arrested and given a 10-year sentence for cannabis possession, Wanda James knew she had a mission. She opened her first Colorado dispensary with her husband in 2009 to help advance social justice and provide medicine to those in need. Today, James and her husband own and operate Simply Pure – “America’s most political dispensary” – in Denver.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/podcast/simply-pot-politics-how-social-activism-aided-wanda-james-cannabis-success/


'Gender equity across the cannabis industry is still lacking – especially in ownership and executive positions.

And it’s a problem that appears to be getting worse.

MJBizDaily recently completed its third annual survey of female and minority participation at all levels of employment in the marijuana and hemp industries and uncovered statistics that show the cannabis sector at all levels of the THC spectrum is falling short.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/female-cannabis-execs-discuss-how-to-achieve-gender-equity/


'Measurements and Main Results
Our sample included 1382 women with =1 CPP diagnosis: 26.0% with endometriosis, 4.2% with vulvodynia, 14.0% with IC/UCPP, and 84.4% with IBS. Participants were classified by CBD use: current (n=477, 34.5%), past (n=404, 29.2%), or never (n=501, 36.3%). Of those who discontinued CBD, 61.6% did so because it did not improve symptoms.

Participants who used CBD most commonly did so for pain (96.4%), sleep (48.8%) and anxiety (46.1%), with 80.9% reporting that CBD improved their pain. Side effects were minimal, with patients reporting an average of 1.0±1.3 side effects. The majority of participants (75.9%) reported substituting CBD for pain medications, including NSAIDs (45.3%), opioids (39.8%), gabapentinoids (27.7%), and benzodiazepines (19.3%).

Compared to those who did not report pain improvement (n=91, 19.1%), those who reported improved pain had a higher proportion of substituting CBD for pain medications (p=0.003), reported greater improvements in other symptom domains (sleep, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and overall health, all p=0.001).

Conclusion
Among women with FM and co-morbid CPP, over 60% reported past or current use of CBD. About half of participants who ever used CBD for pain reported improved pain, and many substitute CBD for pain medications including opioids and benzodiazepines.'

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1553465021008955


'I smoked weed for the first time a decade ago, when I was a 21-year-old college student. My then-boyfriend and I hotboxed my pickup truck one evening, and I proceeded to eat an entire can of Pringles. I’ve had a relationship with cannabis ever since.

Like most long-term relationships, we’ve had our ups and downs over the years, but I’m not sure I’d be here if it weren’t for the plant’s healing and soothing powers.

Alright, enough gushing. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the things I’ve learned during my 10-year relationship with cannabis. '

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/10-things-ive-learned-during-my-10-year-relationship-with-weed


'Study participants reported that their use of cannabis was effective at mitigating endometriosis-related pain and gastrointestinal issues. Respondents also reported improvements in mood following marijuana consumption.

“With emerging evidence internationally demonstrating that women are utilizing illicit cannabis as a self-management strategy for the pain and the associated symptoms of endometriosis, this paper demonstrates that Canadian women are also utilizing legally obtained and quality-assured products to manage endometriosis symptoms across domains such as pelvic pain, gastrointestinal symptoms and mood,” authors concluded. “Clinical trials investigating the tolerability and effectiveness of cannabis for endometriosis pain and associated symptoms are urgently required.”'

https://norml.org/news/2021/10/28/study-endometriosis-patients-report-successfully-managing-symptoms-with-cannabis


'Conclusion
Almost half of all participants reported using cannabis during adjuvant or palliative radiation to relieve breast cancer symptoms or treatment side effects, most commonly: pain, insomnia, anxiety, stress, nausea/vomiting, and anorexia. Patients undergoing palliative radiation were more likely to use cannabis to relieve chronic pain compared to patients undergoing adjuvant radiation. Both oral and inhalational methods of cannabis delivery were commonly utilized, regardless of stage. Although preliminary research shows that cannabis helps to relieve pain, nausea, insomnia and anxiety, safety studies are needed regarding the use of inhalational cannabis products during breast radiation, given the known risk of pulmonary toxicity from cigarette smoking during breast radiation.'

https://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(21)01512-1/fulltext


Data assessing the relationship between in utero cannabis exposure and various neonatal outcomes, such as birth weight, is inconsistent. However, longitudinal data indicates that cannabis exposure is rarely independently linked with adverse neurodevelopmental consequences, finding, “Although there is a theoretical potential for cannabis to interfere with neurodevelopment, human data drawn from four prospective cohorts have not identified any long-term or long lasting meaningful differences between children exposed in utero to cannabis and those not.”

Nonetheless, in some states, such as in Oklahoma and Alabama, mothers have been arrested and criminally prosecuted for the use of cannabis during their pregnancy. In total, 24 states and the District of Columbia consider substance use during pregnancy to be child abuse under civil child-welfare statutes, and three consider it grounds for civil commitment, according to data provided by the Guttmacher Policy Review.

https://norml.org/news/2023/03/09/analysis-black-and-hispanic-patients-disproportionately-screened-for-perinatal-cannabis-use/


'A significant percentage of women suffering from myofascial pelvic pain (MPP) acknowledge using cannabis and/or cannabis-products as a way to effectively mitigate their symptoms, according to data published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.

Canadian investigators surveyed 135 female patients with MPP, 57 percent of whom acknowledged using cannabis. Among marijuana consumers, 79 percent said that they used cannabis products to treat their pelvic pain. Nearly eighty percent of those respondents said that they began using cannabis because conventional treatments were ineffective. Nearly half of consumers said that they used cannabis daily, and more than half did so via inhalation.

“On a scale of zero (totally ineffective) to 10 (totally effective), 69 percent of users rated the effectiveness of cannabis as 7 or higher at relieving pelvic pain,” authors reported. Among non-users, 64 percent said that they “would be willing” to try cannabis as an option to treat pelvic pain'

https://norml.org/news/2023/04/27/survey-cannabis-products-effective-in-self-management-of-myofascial-pelvic-pain/


'An Oregon-based business accelerator that’s designed to bolster the skills of female cannabis entrepreneurs, boost their opportunities and make their young marijuana firms “investment-ready” has kicked off.

The Initiative launched its first intensive three-month program last week, focused on providing advanced business skills and expert advice to nine early-stage cannabis companies founded or co-founded by women.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/female-focused-cannabis-business-accelerator-training/


'What many people don’t know about the budding cannabis industry is that 6% more women hold leadership roles in legal cannabis businesses than in traditional businesses in the US.

Yes, that’s right. The huge repertoire of products that are being created in the legal cannabis field is influenced by women decision makers more than other marketplaces.

It is not an easy industry though. Successful entrepreneurs in the legal cannabis space have to navigate the ever-changing legal restrictions and overcome major challenges, like not being able to have a bank account type of challenges.'

https://greendorphin.com/20-most-influential-women-cannabis/


'INTRODUCTION: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects up to 15% of women in the United States. The endocannabinoid system can be a pharmacological target for endometriosis-related pelvic pain, as cannabis receptors are highly expressed in the uterus and other non-reproductive tissues. We hypothesize that many patients with CPP use cannabis and report improvement in symptoms

RESULTS:A total of 122 of 240 (50.8%) patients responded. Of these, 113 self-reported a diagnosis of CPP (92.6%). Twenty-six patients reported cannabis use (23%). Six (24%) used Cannabidiol (CBD), 3 (12%) used tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and 15 (60%) used a combination of CBD and THC. Frequency of use varied, with the majority using at least once per week (n=18, 69.2%). Only 5 (19.2%) utilized a State Medical Cannabis Program to obtain a certification. Of users, 24 (92.3%) reported improvement in symptoms, including pain, cramping, muscle spasms, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, libido, and irritability. However, 21 (80.7%) reported side effects; the most common were dry mouth, sleepiness, and feeling “high.”'

https://insights.ovid.com/obstetrics-gynecology/obsgy/2020/05/001/patient-reported-use-medical-cannabis-management/293/00006250


'Results: Of 466 women, initial marijuana usage in pregnancy confirmed by urine drug test increased after legalization from 6 to 11% (p = .05). Factors associated with marijuana usage included younger age, white or black race, single marital status, psychiatric disorders, intimate partner violence and concomitant tobacco and alcohol use. 73% of users in this study had cessation of marijuana use with subsequent negative UDT. There was no statistical difference in rates of preterm birth, small for gestational age, NICU admission, or Apgar scores, when adjusted for other risk factors.

Conclusion: Rates of marijuana usage in pregnant women who underwent universal drug screening increased after legalization. There were no differences in neonatal outcomes between users and non-users.'

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14767058.2020.1765157?journalCode=ijmf20&


'Results: An examination of the total number of statistical comparisons (n = 1,001) between groups of participants that were exposed to cannabis prenatally and non-exposed controls revealed that those exposed performed differently on a minority of cognitive outcomes (worse on ?.5 percent and better in <1 percent). The clinical significance of these findings appears to be limited because cognitive performance scores of cannabis-exposed groups overwhelmingly fell within the normal range when compared against normative data adjusted for age and education.

Conclusions: The current evidence does not suggest that prenatal cannabis exposure alone is associated with clinically significant cognitive functioning impairments.'

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7225289/

'Fortunately, many of the women who are in positions of power within the cannabis industry are fighting back, fiercely seeking to advance female representation in the industry. In an attempt to honor them, Benzinga is highlighting 20 women set to dominate the international cannabis space in 2019.'

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/20-women-set-dominate-international-185436643.html


'In 2017, women held 27% of the executive-level roles in the marijuana industry, according to a survey conducted by Marijuana Business Daily.

That figure was down from 2015, when 36% of firms responding to an MJBizDaily poll reported having females in leadership roles.

That leadership disparity makes the goals set by the 22 women listed below even more worth watching. As these women pursue their ambitions and business plans, they’re finding ways to lift other women as they climb.

From the launch of multimillion-dollar venture capital funds crafted to back women-founded firms to new business accelerators aimed at mentoring women entrepreneurs, these leading ladies of cannabis are blazing new trails in ways that are leaving a lasting mark on the industry.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/marijuana-industry-women-entrepreneurs-to-watch-in-2019/


'Founded in 2017 by Kali Wilder (CEO), Sirita Wright (CMO), and Safon Floyd (CCO), EstroHaze is a media outlet and community hub for minorities and multicultural women who have interest in the business and lifestyle of the cannabis industry. Floyd told me, “It’s a place to learn everything cannabis: how to get in and start your own cannabis business, how to use cannabis to enhance your lifestyle, how boomers can maximize and capitalize on cannabis, how you can invest in cannabis—it’s everything how-to.” EstroHaze is one of the bridges for minorities to get involved in the “Green Rush.”'

https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/how-estrohaze-went-from-black-enterprise-to-black-cannabis


'Last week, Canopy Growth added that lifestyle maven Martha Stewart was signing on to develop CBD products both for pets and human consumers. As New Frontier Data details in its groundbreaking report, 2018-2019 Cannabis Consumer Report: Archetypes, Preferences & Trends, the fastest-growing segment of cannabis consumers is represented by older females with grown children, a demographic which wants trustworthy products in attractive packaging.

“She is nailing it,” explained New Frontier Data CEO Giadha Aguirre de Carcer. “This is her audience. This is an underserved demographic that is growing very fast and is willing to pay.”'

https://newfrontierdata.com/marijuana-insights/from-martha-stewart-to-nys-southern-tier-a-cannabis-do-attitude/


'What many people don’t know about the budding cannabis industry is that 6% more women hold leadership roles in legal cannabis businesses than in traditional businesses in the US.

Yes, that’s right. The huge repertoire of products that are being created in the legal cannabis field is influenced by women decision makers more than other marketplaces.

It is not an easy industry though. Successful entrepreneurs in the legal cannabis space have to navigate the ever-changing legal restrictions and overcome major challenges, like not being able to have a bank account type of challenges.'

https://greendorphin.com/20-most-influential-women-cannabis/


'An Oregon-based business accelerator that’s designed to bolster the skills of female cannabis entrepreneurs, boost their opportunities and make their young marijuana firms “investment-ready” has kicked off.

The Initiative launched its first intensive three-month program last week, focused on providing advanced business skills and expert advice to nine early-stage cannabis companies founded or co-founded by women.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/female-focused-cannabis-business-accelerator-training/


'Drug-related deaths predominantly affect men: there are 35.8 deaths per million men aged 15-64 years, which is almost four times the number of drug-related deaths among women (9.3 deaths per million women aged 15-64 years).

In 2017, the highest overdose mortality rate was seen in men, with 57 deaths per million men aged 35-39 years.'

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/topic-overviews/content/faq-drug-overdose-deaths-in-europe_en#question7


'We are fostering partnerships between established cannabis companies and entrepreneurs of color from local communities. We have called on well-funded operators to create a pool of resources that would support work force training for local minority- and women-owned small businesses and ownership opportunities.'

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/opinion/letters/boston-marijuana-business-minorities.html


'“I know this is so cliche, but knowledge is power. It doesn’t matter what color you are, doesn’t matter how old you are, doesn’t matter what gender you are, you can acquire knowledge,” she said. “In this industry knowledge goes a long way.”'


'Despite the ongoing conflict between current cultural and political wills, the cannabis industry itself continues to thrive in the country due in large part to the advocacy, strength and tenacity of women from across the country and around the world'


'A focus on wellness and health is part of what makes women in cannabis different, the film shows. During the discussion, Borman said a man had told her that women would save the industry from the “stoner culture” stereotype that can block off a large segment of consumers.' 

 

http://www.westword.com/marijuana/women-in-weed-documentary-shows-how-women-can-thrive-in-legal-industry-10057196


'Movements like #TimesUp and #MeToo have swept other industries, including politics and entertainment, initiating waves of change. Cannabis must make the same evolution. To do this, our industry must move beyond hypersexualized images of women and instead focus on the impact that women have as customers, entrepreneurs, wellness advocates, and industry leaders. It’s high time for integrity and thought in cannabis marketing.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/opinion-its-past-time-to-stop-the-sexualization-of-cannabis


'HollyWeed founder and CEO Renee Gagnon said of Women Grow: “Women are the cornerstone of the cannabis industry, and it is HollyWeed North’s goal to ensure that women succeed and thrive in this exciting emerging industry.”'

https://mjbizdaily.com/british-columbia-cannabis-cultivation-business-intends-to-acquire-women-grow/


'Lastly, the research investigated how cannabis consumption habits—and comfortability around marijuana—influenced their support for reform. That factor seemed to be the most influential, as women were less likely to report ever having used cannabis (55-42 percent) or feeling comfortable around the plant (55-42 percent).'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/why-women-support-legal-marijuana-less-than-men-according-to-a-new-study/


'"As cannabis legalization becomes more common, women should be cautioned that advice from dispensary employees might not necessarily be informed by medical evidence," the researchers, from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Denver Health and Hospital Authority, wrote in the June issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.'

https://www.livescience.com/62521-marijuana-dispensaries-recommendations-pot-pregnancy.html


'In past generations, women were much less likely to smoke. Those who did tended to start later and smoke less. That’s no longer the case.Smoking behaviors in women born since 1965 have been closer to that of their male counterparts. '

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-more-women-are-getting-lung-cancer

 

 

'The stereotypical image of a cannabis smoker is someone who sprawls on the sofa for hours surrounded by a haze of smoke and half-eaten snacks. The scene is played up for laughs in films, but social psychologist Angela Bryan thought it could be cause for concern. After all, cannabis is known to increase appetite and aid relaxation, which might put people at risk of health conditions such as obesity, says Bryan, who is at the University of Colorado Boulder.

But digging into health trends revealed the opposite. Nationwide US studies report that, compared to non-users, cannabis users actually have a lower prevalence of obesity.'

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02529-0


'Jennifer Aniston Gives JD Advice Before He Smokes Weed for the First Time'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxTytvUrQ4c

'Leach appeared in the doorway holding the naked lady by the neck and hurled her across the room at me...

Time stood still for an instant. The woman seemed to hover in the air, coming at me in the darkness like a body in slow motion. I went into a stance with the bread knife and braced for a fight to the death.

Then the thing hit me and bounced softly down to the floor. It was a rubber blow-up doll: one of those things with five orifices that young stockbrokers by in adult bookstores after the singles bars close.

"Meet Jennifer," he said. "She's my punching bag." He picked it up by the hair and slammed it across the room.

"Ho, ho," he chuckled, " no more wife beating. I'm cured, thanks to Jennifer." He smiled sheepishly. "It's almost like a miracle. These dolls saved my marriage. They're a lot smarter than you think." He nodded gravely. "Sometimes I have to beat two at once. But it always calms me down, you know what I mean?"

Whoops, I thought. Welcome to the night train. "Oh, hell yes," I said quickly. "How do the neighbors handle it?"

"No problem," he said. "They love me."

Sure, I thought. I tried to imagine the horror of living in a muddy industrial slum full of tin-walled trailers and trying to protect your family against brain damage from knowing that every night when you look out your kitchen window there will be a man in a leather bathrobe flogging two naked women around the room with a quart bottle of Wild Turkey. Sometimes for two or three hours...It was horrible.'

- Fear and Loathing in Elko, January 23, 1992, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson


'At dawn we drove across the tarmac and pulled up to a seedy-looking office marked Air Jackpot Express Charter Company. "This is it, Judge," I said and slapped him on the back. "This is where you get off." He seemed resigned to his fate until until the woman behind the desk told him there wouldn't be a flight into Elko until lunchtime.

"Where is the pilot?" he demanded.

"I am the pilot," the woman said, " but I can't leave till Debbie gets here to relieve me."

"Fuck this!" the Judge shouted. "Fuck lunchtime. I have to leave now, you bitch."

The woman seemed truly frightened by his mood swing, and when the Judge leaned in and gave her a taste of the long knuckle, she collapsed and began weeping uncontrollably. "There's more where that came from," he told her. "Get up! I have to get out of here now."

He jerked her out of from behind the desk and was dragging her toward the plane when I slipped out the back door. It was daylight now. The car was nearly out of gas, but that wasn't my primary concern. The police would be here in minutes, I thought. I'm doomed. But then, as I pulled onto the highway, I saw a sign that said, We Paint All Night.

As I pulled into the parking lot, the Jackpot Express plane passed overhead. So long, Judge, I thought to myself. You're a brutal hustler and a Warrior and a great copilot, but you know how to get your way. You will go far in the world.'

- Fear and Loathing in Elko, January 23, 1992, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson


'"The devil made me do it the first time. The second time I done it on my own." - Waylon Jennings

That is how it goes with politicians. The worst are relentless greedheads, and the best can't control their own lusts. Spiro Agnew took brown bags full of cash, and Bill Clinton will suffer the little children to come unto him. Some people go to jail or get impeached for these things, while others are hailed as New Age Wizards and stylish rogues with unfortunate personal addictions. One man's Innocent Child is another man's Raging Slut - and, as always in combat, one loose cannon on your own deck is more dangerous than six enemy cannons.

Welcome to Mr. Bill's Neighborhood, folks. It may be weird, but it's ours. We like it here - except for a handful of worrywarts and Sex Nazis who will never be happy anyway. They are in the Minority now, and their atavistic thinking is about to take another serious whack. They hate perverts, but so what? They hated Joey Buttafuoco, too, and he became a major folk hero and a legendary Sodomite in spite of them.

Ah, but we are not talking about Joey Buttafuoco here. We are talking about William Jefferson Clinton from Hope, Arkansas, the forty-second president of the U.S.A.

Try a booming 73 percent approval rating in the polls, Bubba - up from 51 percent before the Sex Scandal. That's not a bad bump on the charts for a lame-duck, degenerate president with a minority in both houses of Congress and a whole raft of sex-related lawsuits on his hands from women who may or may not be claiming that they were preyed upon by a brute worse than Hermann Goering or even Benjamin Franklin.'

- Memo from the National Affairs Desk: More Trouble in Mr. Bill's Neighborhood, March 19, 1998, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson