Expectancy Mediated Effects of Marijuana on Menopause Symptoms

Today on Burning Issues Mitch Earleywine is joined by Melissa Slavin. Melissa Slavin co-authored with Dr. Mitch Earleywine on a Research Article entitled Expectancy mediated effects of marijuana on menopause symptoms. "Menopausal and post-menopausal women who endorsed lifetime marijuana use completed an online survey assessing their frequency of use, average intoxication – a proxy for quantity, menopause symptoms, and expectancies of relief from menopause symptoms. Women expected marijuana to improve joint/muscle discomfort, irritability, sleep problems, depression, anxiety and hot flashes, but not sex problems, heart discomfort, exhaustion, vaginal dryness and bladder problems. Expectancies mediated the links between menopause symptoms and frequency of use. Average intoxication did not correlate with symptoms or expectations of relief. Symptoms, expectancies, and frequency of marijuana use were all independent of marijuana-related problems. Particularly as the population ages, increased research on how medical marijuana might help menopause symptoms without increasing marijuana-related problems could prove heuristic."