Women used cannabis for thousands of years
And doctors prescribed it for childbirth and more
Hi horny readers! Thank you so, so much for reading the ADULT SEX ED newsletter.
New here? Adult Sex Ed comedically challenges why we think what we think about sex. I’m Dani Faith Leonard, a filmmaker, comedy writer, and performer. In 2018, I started a comedy show called Adult Sex Ed and launched this newsletter in 2023. Each week, I take a fun deep dive into a topic that I’ve been researching. Ready to plug the holes in your education? Okay, let’s go!
In case you missed it, for the rest of this month, we’re going to be going down the rabbit hole on a series of historical deep dives. Today we’ll explore the historical use of cannabis to treat women’s health issues. Next week, we’re exploring the long history of battling medical quackery. Let’s dive in!
Throughout history, women have been recommended all kinds of herbs, plants, and strange remedies. Soranus, a 2nd-century Greek gynecologist with a truly perfect name (we mentioned him last week, too!), once told women to drink the water that blacksmiths used to cool their metal—as birth control. Ancient Greek women were also fumigated to treat a nonexistent disease called hysteria.
Centuries later, during the Great Depression, Lysol advertised itself as a douche to prevent infection and odor—subtly hinting that it could also be used for birth control. Unsurprisingly, some women died from using it, though they did smell lemony-fresh.
One constant throughout history that wasn’t poison is cannabis, which has been used in gynecology since ancient times.
Cannabis has also been in the U.S. national news in recent months. The current administration is under pressure to decide whether to reschedule cannabis (i.e., change its classification under federal drug law). More women are turning to cannabis to help manage a range of health concerns—dysmenorrhea (“death cramps”), dysuria (painful peeing), hyperemesis gravidarum (severe vomiting during pregnancy), endometriosis (a chronic disease affecting 190 million reproductive-age women and girls globally), and menopausal symptoms.
Cannabis interacts with an important system in the body that many people don’t know about: the endocannabinoid system. Notably, a high concentration of endocannabinoid receptors is found in the uterus. (I’m not a doctor or scientist, so I’ll recommend a great documentary on the topic—CBD Nation).
The medical use of cannabis in gynecology is actually several thousand years old, according to neurologist and medical researcher Ethan Russo, M.D. Cannabis appears as an herbal remedy for obstetric and gynecological conditions across many cultures, too. Here are some of the earliest mentions:
In Ancient Mesopotamia (7th century BCE), hemp seeds were mixed with other agents in beer to ease difficult childbirth. Cannabis was also used rectally and by fumigation for various conditions. (I’m sure at least one bro in your college dorm tried a rectal hit, too.)
In Ancient Egypt, cannabis was administered orally, rectally, vaginally, on the skin, in the eyes, and by fumigation. The Ebers Papyrus, a gynecological text dated around 3000 BCE, describes the use of cannabis as an aid to childbirth. It was ground with honey and inserted into the vagina—possibly to aid contractions (or give the new baby a sweet, sweet snack).
In Syria, cannabis was used to treat postpartum issues like anal fissures and in Ayurvedic and Arabic traditions, cannabis was considered an aphrodisiac and used for various reproductive health issues.
In 9th Century Persia, juice from cannabis seeds was mixed with a variety of other herbs to treat migraine, calm uterine pains, prevent miscarriage, and preserve fetuses in their mothers’ abdomens.
In 17th Century Azerbaijan, hempseed oil was used to treat uterine tumors.
These are just a few examples before cannabis use continued into Western medicine. For much of history, women’s herbal lore was secret, so it’s likely that many used cannabis therapeutically on their own. Despite cannabis being used in women’s health for millennia, much of that knowledge was eventually lost, and as we know, marijuana was vilified. Will there be a cannabis gynecological revival?
Even the Anglo-Saxons of the 11th century recommended haenep (hemp) to relieve sore breasts by rubbing it on. Let’s face it—medicinal or not, that sounds fun.
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Ok this makes so much sense why there are THC and CBD lubes now.