Women and men are different and their approach to "substances" is different. If in the past it was males who held the record in consumption, today the situation is changing: females are freer than in the past, they discover the world like their male friends. This greater freedom to gain experience has led to an increase in drug use, especially in very young girls, but still lower than that seen in males.
The data from the Annual Report to Parliament on drugs and addictions speak clearly. “When comparing substance consumption, differentiated by gender, there is an increase in cannabis consumers for both genders, although more pronounced in females (+2.66 percentage points for females vs. +0.93 percentage points in males). In the last decade, among the illicit substances, the one most consumed by the Italian population is cannabis; the trend of consumers of this substance, at least once in the last 12 months, indicates an increase in users until 2008, followed by a contraction in the subsequent period (2008-2012), more marked in the two-year period 2008-2010.
Overall, the prevalence of cannabis users at least once in their life with reference to the year 2012 is estimated at 21.0%, with a decreasing trend compared to 2010; this percentage reaches 4% if annual consumption is considered. In 2012, cannabis consumption by gender showed a lower intake for females than males in all the time bands considered. 6.76% of females declare having taken cannabis at least once in their life compared to 26.02% of males.”
Cannabis consumption is directly related to age for both female students and male peers: the prevalence of consumption goes from 6.8% of fifteen-year-olds to 22.0% of nineteen-year-olds . An interesting fact concerns the difference in consumption based on the age group: although female consumers are numerically fewer than males, this difference narrows in the younger age groups (15 and 16 years), and then widens in adulthood (18 and 19 years old). In the general population between 15 and 64 years old, 32% have tried cannabis at least once in their lives .
As regards the frequency of consumption, occasional consumption of cannabis prevails in both genders , limited to 1-2 times during the last 12 months (44.1% for females and 34.7% for males). Among users, 33.1% of males and 22.0% of females report using cannabis more frequently, at least 20 or more times in the past 12 months. Cannabis consumption is directly correlated to the age of the subjects: among males the prevalence of consumption in the last 12 months goes from 10.1% of 15-year-olds to 37.6% of 19-year-olds, while among female students it goes from 8 respectively. .3% to 25.6%.
Cannabis, males and females: what changes in the effects?
Apparently the consumption of cannabis produces different effects in men and women : this is stated by a recent study conducted by the University of Cagliari in collaboration with the Cnr - National Research Centre. According to the study, published in Frontiers Behavioral Neuroscience , the gender difference in effects could be attributed to hormones. Researchers analyzed the interactions between the active ingredients of cannabis and the main male and female hormones, namely testosterone, progesterone and estrogen .
It has been found that, when these hormones are stimulated by cannabis consumption, they produce different effects: in particular, men seem to be four times more likely than women to resort to cannabis consumption , and they would do so more frequently and in higher doses. high. Males in general have a greater tendency to resort to drugs, probably due to male sex steroids , which increase the tendency to engage in risky behavior.
Women, again according to the study, would instead be more vulnerable on a neurochemical level and this would lead them to develop cannabis dependence more easily ; in fact, although their average consumption is generally lower than men, they would move more quickly and easily from simple use to addiction; this last characteristic would be attributable to estradiol, a hormone produced in the ovaries that regulates women's response to cannabinoids .
The study is interesting because it could lead to gender differentiation in detoxification pathways and cannabinoid-based treatments, with the result of preparing more targeted and effective therapies.
Effects of cannabis on sexual life: male-female differences
Cannabis is an excellent ally for improving your sexual life, with different applications and effects depending on whether it is taken by men or women.
In men, cannabis is very useful for treating pathological forms of erectile dysfunction . Hormonal imbalances, increasingly linked to environmental factors. Light cannabis , in addition to regulating hormonal imbalances, avoids the accumulation of toxic substances in adipose tissues and promotes their expulsion. Drugs can also affect sexual ability. Managing anxiety with light cannabis rather than benzodiazepine-based drugs can avoid the manifestation of problems related to the sexual sphere .
The positive impact of the substance has also been found in women , who - when they take cannabis - perceive sexual intercourse as more relaxed. Furthermore, CBD , by reducing inhibitory brakes, allows you to experience sex more freely, letting yourself go to new sensations. By reducing anxiety it seems that the potential duration of intercourse also increases , favoring the maintenance of an erection. The relaxing and calming effect of CBD not only acts on the mind, but also has power on the muscles and this is very beneficial to women who have pain problems during intercourse , especially if CBD is taken locally.
