Although CBD products are popular across pretty much every demographic known to man . . . and woman, those in the latter category seem to be especially fond of CBD and hemp.
Historical records hint at the same thing. In ancient times the perceived bond between women and cannabis reached the heights of deification: in Asia the Goddess Magu was renowned for healing the poor and needy with magically-enhanced hemp elixirs. As it turns out, Magu also used hemp for her own benefit—a strategy that was effective enough to keep her forever young.
Indeed, Asianic culture in general viewed plants through the lenses of yin and yang—i.e., as having either feminine or masculine qualities. Hemp’s archetype, as you might suspect, tended towards the feminine.
Could there be an underlying truth behind these beliefs? Let’s proceed with CBD’s more feminine qualities in mind . . .
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Cannabis’s Cannacopia
CBD’s beneficial effects pertain to many groups, but foremost among them are women. CBD and the plant from which it comes are associated with gently grounding qualities. In fact, CBD may even be pro-estrogen. CBD also appears to provide anti-inflammatory effects that make it the perfect counterpart to wellness practices like pilates and yoga.
With all these benefits in mind, a pattern emerges: CBD seems to promote hormonal balance. Using the historical accounts as our reference point, could this be why women, who face monthly hormonal fluctuations, tend to favor hemp’s CBD even more than men?
We can’t say for sure, although the possibility brings to mind one more science-backed benefit to list in this segment: CBD’s anti-stress qualities.
Although everyone can benefit from CBD’s ability to reduce stress hormones like cortisol, women probably stand to benefit the most. That’s because they tend to be relatively more sensitive to cortisol’s side effects than men. For women, reducing chronically high cortisol is paramount.
But cortisol is just one example; the simple reality is that women and men’s brains are different. That impacts everything from emotion to socialization to how they’ll react to cannabinoids like CBD. In general, the higher one’s estrogen levels, the more sensitive they’ll be to cannabinoids. Some studies show that women typically fare worse than men if they overdo THC; conversely, they may benefit more than men from small doses of CBD. This is all the more reason to stick to the non-psychotropic cannabinoids found in hemp!
Estrogen-endocannabinoid interplay theoretically means a woman’s optimal CBD dose would vary from week to week, too. Though there’s not yet enough research in this area for us to provide any firm actionables, it’s still a good point to keep in mind.
CBD and Parenting
“There really is nothing quite like becoming a mother . . . . It’s a mix of amazing, miraculous, frustrating, scary, and pretty much every emotion in between.”
– Mommyish.com
Women who double as busy Moms may enjoy a few more benefits from their CBD.
With its anti-anxiety, anti-stress qualities, CBD shines in the face of the more challenging aspects of parenting. CBD has enabled self-described helicopter Dads to “go with the flow” and helped stressed Moms ditch the anxiety and fear.
CBD’s not just helpful for parents who want to break free from stress, though. It may also help enrich the bond between you and your children—that heart-to-heart, loving connection with your child. This is because CBD’s ability to regulate the endocannabinoid system may in turn help regulate the love hormone itself, oxytocin.
It appears that oxytocin levels rise in tandem with anandamide, an endocannabinoid that’s known to respond well to CBD. Putting two and two together, CBD’s restorative effects could promote parenting essentials like love and trust. Moms and Dads who feel like the busyness of daily life drowns out parenting’s special moments could very well benefit from CBD’s oxytocin regulation the most.
Unfortunately, there’s still a little stigma related to the idea that CBD could be great for parenting, with some sources even misattributing CBD’s power to marijuana. “CBD Lures Stressed-Out Parents Looking to Unwind,” a New York Times article is titled, as if the plant compound has malicious intent.
But reality says something different. Just consider this recent scientific review, which states that CBD’s “safety profile is already established in a plethora of ways.” Unlike THC, CBD won’t hurt your ability to stay alert and focused. Quite the contrary.
Skincare
CBD’s benefits also trickle into seemingly surface-level arenas like skincare. We say seemingly because skin health is actually more than skin deep. For the most part, experts now agree that the health of one’s skin speaks volumes about what’s on the inside.
Maybe that’s why renowned facialist Ildi Pekar, when asked by the New York Times, called CBD oil “the argan oil of the future.” Take it from Pekar that everything is connected, and that true beauty—even true external beauty—comes from within.
If that’s the case, it would make CBD an integral part of the ideal skincare plan. The compound’s approach is multifaceted: CBD may regulate health from both within (via the endocannabinoid system) and without (via TRPV receptors in the skin). It’s no surprise, then, that many CBD users notice a newfound glow and vitality to their skin.
Obvious skin problems could meet their match in CBD as well. According to a 2014 study, CBD may help reduce acne by regulating sebum oil production. The research has continued advancing since then, and in 2017 another study described CBD’s “therapeutic potential” for dermatology in general.
Messages from the Microcosm
Perhaps it’s only fitting that female hemp plants are the ones responsible for providing much of today’s CBD oil. They’re more resinous, richer in terpenes, and much higher in CBD than are male hemp plants.
Cannabis experts like Dr. Bob Melamede would probably say this is no coincidence and would instead attribute any micro-to-macro-patterns to the ability of energy to organize itself in seemingly insightful ways.
Indeed, it’s hard to deny that the natural world is full of thoughtful symbolism. It’s as if the features of hemp and CBD themselves have left us clues as to how they might be optimally used. Feel free to try them out for yourself on your own journey towards optimal!
To Your Health,
Green Maiden
