The Hemp Connection:
cannabis

The topic for this blog post was suggested by a reader. I figured it was likely important, since many of you struggle with depression and arthritis or some sort of chronic pain, and you're self-medicating. The effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, on hormones, is quite extensive. I am summarizing the findings reported in the reference I list at the end. Bottom line, it's probably not the greatest idea to be regularly introducing marijuana into your system if your hormones are out of balance and you're trying to correct that problem. Even if you're not trying to become pregnant but you're sexually active. The effects outside of your own self are potentially significant.

Interestingly, improving your omega-6 to omega-3 dietary ratio helps to correct some of your own human cannabinoid levels, which may help to decrease the desire to get them from an external source. It may also alleviate the depression and joint pain that you may be using marijuana for in the first place. Some experts suggest that this imbalance of our "natural THC" may be one reason women with PCOS have strong carbohydrate cravings--it's another form of the munchies!

Reduced FSH and LH levels.
Suppressed prolactin, thyroid, growth hormone
Provokes cortisol release and reduces production of adrenal steroids, which makes it hard to maintain hormone levels.
Interferes with ovarian prostaglandin synthesis.

HCG-stimulated and FSH-stimulated progesterone secretion is inhibited.
Inhibits estradiol release.

Inhibits cholesterol esterase manufacture, and cholesterol is the building block for many reproductive hormones.
Hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the uterus
Changes in vaginal cell thickness, character and mucoid presentation
Reduced uterine weight
Suppresses thyroid function.

A dose of LH that routinely caused ovulation in normal rats was only able to induce ovulation in 40% of the rats exposed to THC.
Two to fourfold greater doses of LH were required to restore ovulation in THC-exposed rats.

The equivalent of one marijuana cigarette per day interfered with cell division and embryonic growth in fertlized eggs. It also reduced intrauterine weight gain by the fetus.

Offspring of rats exposed to THC had abnormal eggs, meaning the fertility of future generations was also affected.

Prevents reuptake of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine into the brain, increasing, not decreasing, depression over the long term.

Braude MC, Ludford MP, eds. Marijuana: Effects on the Endocrine Reproductive Systems. 1984

The last time I wrote about marijuana it brought enough traffic to this blog with the search words,"PCOS" and"marijuana" I figured the subject should be addressed in more detail.

Did you know that our bodies naturally make their own cannabinoids? They are compounds that are needed for a variety of processes, ranging from appetite to pain sensation to mood to memory.

Cannabis, an external cannabinoid, affects these functions as follows:

1. Interferes with both long and short term memory. If you're smoking pot and experiencing brain fog, there just might be a connection.

2. Increases appetite (like I had to tell you that!) When your internal (endo) cannabinoid system is out of balance, it too affects appetite. Leptin and endocannabinoids antagonize each other, and when the latter levels become higher, obesity is more likely. Just as cannabis intensifies cravings for sweets, so do high levels of endocannabinoids.

3. Affects fertility. In both directions. Cannabinoids can increase or decrease the probability of an embryo implanting in the uterus. My guess would be that if you're a person who is craving sweets and struggling with weight, you layer smoking pot on top of that…you're pushing that baby farther away from reality, rather than in the positive direction.

What is fascinating is that omega-3 fatty acids, the ones you see all the time mentioned in this blog, are crucial for good endocannabinoid function. If you're omega-3 deficienct, you're more likely to make it harder for your body to respond to its own naturally produced cannabinoids. So that craving for pot may have a valid foundation. The problem is, it's not the lack of cannabinoids that's causing the problem. It's that they are there, all dressed up, ready to help regulate memory, mood, appetite, and hormone function, but the body has lost the ability to understand what those chemicals are trying to tell them. Flooding your system with more of those chemicals holds potential to create an even worse imbalance, even worse cravings, a vicious cycle that it can feel impossible to break out of.

In addition, omega-3 fatty acids help to be sure that when it comes to maintaining muscle mass and reducing fat mass, the endocannabinoids push that relationship in the right direction.

Why not try improving how your body uses these chemicals and see if it helps reduce your need for the external stuff?

1. Work really, really hard on getting those omega-6 fatty acids out of the diet. They are likely to be found in baked goods, chips, all the stuff you tend to want to eat when you have the munchies. So it seems like a really important strategy is to not bring your munchie foods into the house. Fill your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, crackers made with olive oil, etc., to turn to while you're transitioning to a better hormone balance. Remember, the oils you want to stay away from begin with the letters"s" and"c"--safflower, sunflower, soybean, sesame, corn, cottonseed. Canola is ok.

2. Get as many omega-3 fatty acids as you can in your diet. If you supplement, start with a dose of 500 mg DHA per day. If, combined with #1, you don't see a change within 2 weeks, add 500 mg more DHA. I've seen some cases where titrating up like that, over time, the end dose was 1000 to 1500 mg per day. Hang in there. If you're diligent, it works.
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Watkins BA, Hutchins H, Li Y, Seifert MF. The endocannabinoid signaling system: a marriage of PUFA and musculoskeletal health. J Nutr Biochem. 2010 Dec;21(12):1141-52. Epub 2010 Oct 8.

Kirkham TC, Tucci SA. Endocannabinoids in appetite control and the treatment of obesity". CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets 5 (3): 272–92, 2006.

Ryusuke Y. Endocannabinoids selectively enhance sweet taste. PNAS 107 (2): 935–9, 2010.

Das SK, Paria BC, Chakraborty I, Dey SK. Cannabinoid ligand-receptor signaling in the mouse uterus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92 (10): 4332–6, 1995.

Paria BC, Das SK, Dey SK. The preimplantation mouse embryo is a target for cannabinoid ligand-receptor signaling. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92 (21): 9460–4, 1995.