The international day of Endometriosis on March 14 brings attention to a mysterious condition affecting¹ 190 million women worldwide.

Leipzig, 13. März 2024

Endometriosis, characterized by the growth of tissue outside the uterus, is the leading cause of infertility and entails extreme pain for many women with no prospect of relief. An increasing number of patients are turning to cannabis therapy.

One such patient is Nadine Grotjahn. The endometriosis patient from near Bielefeld has suffered severe pelvic pain since the onset of her period and sometimes couldn't attend school. Often, sufferers are misunderstood, says the 41-year-old. She was often told not to "make a fuss about period pains."Yet, she underwent 30 surgeries to remove endometriosis lesions and endured pains incomparable to ordinary period pains: "I couldn't lift the spaghetti pot while cooking," she says.

For some sufferers, the pain is so severe that they lose consciousness. The diagnosis was a blessing for Grotjahn. Finally, she was taken seriously and began therapies: "From exercise to diet to pain medications like morphine: there is nothing I haven't tried," says the activist and endometriosis advisor. Grotjahn has obtained qualifications from the "Foundation for Endometriosis Research" and the "European Endometriosis League," produced the first German-language documentary about endometriosis titled "Endo Well, All's Well," and spoke in the Bundestag about her condition.

Cannabis Therapy for Endometriosis

What helped her was a completely new therapy to her: "After years of odyssey and many setbacks, I have been using medical cannabis since last year. Yes, it helps with endometriosis pain!"she says. There is evidence that medicinal cannabis can reduce the proliferation of uterine tissue outside the uterus.²Additionally, it can alleviate pain,³with better tolerability than opioids. Cannabinoids also have anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effects.

However, it was initially strange for Nadine Grotjahn, at the age of 40, to start consuming cannabis. She had the "stoner stereotype" in mind: "Like many others, I had negative associations: that cannabis is bad and that you could get into trouble!" she says.

Largest cannabis pharmacy in Germany

What many patients don't know: Medicinal cannabis has been legal in Germany since 2017 if other therapies fail. Nadine Grotjahn received a prescription from her doctor, a list of cannabis pharmacies, and from there, the flowers she now inhales daily. Vaporizer devices are also reimbursed by many health insurance companies. Guidance on which flower, which extract, or which capsules are suitable, and what to consider when taking them, can be found at online pharmacies like Grünhorn.

As a leading pharmacy in the field of medical cannabis research and the largest cannabis pharmacy in Germany, Grünhorn, based in Leipzig, is committed to offering innovative and safe treatment options for women with endometriosis. Stefan Fritsch, founder and CEO of the Grünhorn platform, says, "With a partial legalization and the associated removal of medicinal cannabis from the Narcotics Act, we hope for further destigmatization of Endometriosis patients."

Sources:

^{[1] Was ist Endometriose? – Endometriose-Vereinigung Deutschland e.V. 
[2] Sanchez, A. M., Vigano, P., Mugione, A., Panina-Bordignon, P., & Candiani, M. (2012). The molecular connections between the cannabinoid system and endometriosis. Molecular human reproduction, 18(12), 563–571
[3] Eichorn, N. L., Shult, H. T., Kracht, K. D., & Berlau, D. J. (2022). Making a joint decision: Cannabis as a potential substitute for opioids in obstetrics and gynecology. Best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology, 85(Pt B), 59–67}