Dear Princess, 

You’re not alone in feeling insane this month — I’ve blown through seasons 9-12 of the Real Housewives of Orange County in just over three weeks. That being said, you’re certainly right to examine how weed is changing the way you feel — hormonal or otherwise.

First of all, there is rarely any conclusive data to support the answers to questions like these, because one of the few things less respected in medicine than cannabis is women’s pain. 

That being said, the answer is smoking weed (or, more accurately, ingesting THC) may slightly affect your hormone levels, but it's actually your hormone levels that determine how weed affects you — which change throughout the month and might explain a bit about why you’re not feeling like yourself. 

Long story short, some studies have found that testosterone levels were slightly higher in cannabis users, but only by a level of 7%. As for estrogen and progesterone, we’ve actually found that your body’s hormone levels affect how you smoke, instead of how you smoke affecting your hormone levels. Things like tolerance, dependence, and sensitivity to cannabis all depend on ovarian hormones — with estrogen slightly increasing your sensitivity and progesterone slightly decreasing it. 

Most importantly, keep in mind that the fear-mongering headlines which appear when you Google “how does weed affect your hormones” are a result of studies done on nonhuman primates. 

If your estrogen levels are higher than usual (like they are right before you ovulate), it could explain why you feel like weed is making you bug out. Try a lower THC option or switch to CBD flower for a bit if your favorite pastime is starting to become a trigger. 

Love, 

Stoner

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