Dr. Sanjay Gupta Debuts Episode 8 of cannabis series, “Women and Weed”

Dr. Sanjay Gupta has released the 8th segment in his revolution-supporting series about cannabis. He writes,

“Over the past year, I’ve traveled across the country filming the eighth installment in this decade-plus-long series. This latest chapter focuses on women and weed — a natural progression, and one that felt overdue.

What I immediately learned was that cannabis has become a lifeline for countless women who feel unseen by conventional medicine. They are grandmothers trying to ease the side effects of cancer treatment, athletes managing endometriosis, teachers navigating the sleeplessness and mood swings of menopause. Everywhere I went, I heard versions of the same story: “I tried everything else, and nothing really worked. Cannabis was the only thing that helped.”

As we learned, this is unfortunately a familiar pattern rooted in a long history. For as long as medicine has been practiced, women’s health concerns have been minimized, misdiagnosed or dismissed.

As a young doctor, I saw this with my own mother, and then again 20 years later with my wife. Conditions like autoimmune disease, postpartum depression and chronic pain syndromes were too often chalked up to stress or hysteria. Even now, women remain underrepresented in clinical trials, even though biological sex can dramatically affect how medications work or if they even work at all. This exclusion has left major gaps in our understanding of how best to treat half the population, and women have unquestionably suffered as a result.

When it comes to menopause, the situation is particularly problematic. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) once promised relief, but warnings and controversies about potential risks left many women worried. Faced with few good options, it’s no wonder so many are turning to cannabis. In the data, you see it clearly: Women now outpace men when it comes to cannabis use, especially among middle-age and older adults.

In the stories I gathered over the past year, I heard something profound: a quiet revolt against being ignored.

And this: “What struck me most was how mission-driven these women were. For them, cannabis wasn’t about escaping reality; it was about reclaiming agency.”

See dr. Gupta interviewed on CNN here, here, here

The show premieres April 19 at 8pm EST.