Endometriosis is a chronic condition that can have devastating consequences on overall health. During endometriosis, the lining of the womb starts to grow in other areas in the reproductive system, causing a lot of pain, menstrual irregularities, and in many cases, infertility. Traditionally hormonal therapies, painkillers, and antidepressants are prescribed to help alleviate symptoms, but recently medical cannabis endometriosis treatments are proving promising, and popular amongst patients. If you live with endometriosis and have been unable to manage your symptoms with conventional treatments, you may be eligible to receive a medical cannabis prescription.
1 in 10
women of reproductive age have endometriosis in the UK.
42%
of patients with endometriosis reportedly take medical cannabis to manage pelvic pain.
£8.2 billion
is spent on endometriosis treatments every year in the UK.
95.4%
of patients with women’s health conditions like endometriosis rated medical cannabis treatment as ‘moderately’, ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ effective.
Symptoms
Chronic fatigue
Chronic pelvic pain
Constipation or diarrhoea
Depression
Difficulty conceiving and infertility
Frequent chest infections
Intense period pain that limits usual activities
Pain during or after sex
Very heavy periods
If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, you may have endometriosis. Please speak with your GP to find out more.
Treatment options:
In the UK, patients with endometriosis are typically referred to a gynaecology specialist who can prescribe a range of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), hormonal treatments and analgesic painkillers to alleviate symptoms, but unfortunately, these are not appropriate or successful for everyone.
Gonadotrophin
Hormone medicines e.g. combined pill, contraceptive implant
Hysterectomy
Ibuprofen
Naproxen
Paracetamol
Whether you’re new to cannabis-based medicines, switching from another medical cannabis clinic, or self-medicating, we’ll put you back in control of your health.
Condition Endometriosis
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"Many conditions that lead to chronic pain often respond poorly to conventional pharmaceutical medications. More and more is being understood about how the endocannabinoid system interacts with the more well known pain pathways to work synergistically with these conventional medications. Chronic pain comes with a variety of associated symptoms such as poor sleep, fatigue, brain fog and reduced appetite – all of which treatment with medical cannabis can improve."
Dr Sue Clenton
Medical Director
29. 08. 2023
Although the field of medical cannabis research may still be in its infancy, it is slowly (but surely) proving to be an effective and safe complementary treatment option for a wide range of medical conditions. One such condition is endometriosis, a distressing condition affecting the female reproductive system, characterized by the abnormal growth of endometrial tissue outside its usual location.
29. 08. 2023
03. 07. 2023
Endometriosis is a painful disorder that can range in symptoms and severity. Roughly 10% of women struggle with endometriosis. Common symptoms include pain, fatigue, and inflammation, and symptoms can vary from mild to severe.
03. 07. 2023
28. 08. 2023
Despite advancements in understanding back pain, the lack of effective and lasting treatment options remains a significant challenge. Managing non-surgical back pain has been identified as a primary contributor to the current issues surrounding the overprescription of opioids. Additionally, post-operative pain management poses a complex challenge for patients undergoing spine surgery.
28. 08. 2023
When administered appropriately by a specialist clinician, medical cannabis treatments may be able to help endometriosis patients to alleviate some of the condition’s physical and mental symptoms.
However, due to years of prohibition and stigmatisation, there remains a lack of reputable clinical trials that have looked into how medical cannabis interacts with, and influences, endometriosis specifically.
Some evidence does show that cannabis-based products interact with our bodies’ endocannabinoid system by modifying the messages it sends around the central nervous system.
For patients with endometriosis, this function may help to target a range of symptoms, including pain and mood-related changes.
Our specialist doctors are authorised to prescribe endometriosis cannabis-based treatments to patients who have been unsuccessful in managing their condition with conventional treatments.
To see whether you might qualify for treatment, try our medical cannabis eligibility checker.
It’s important to be clear: medical cannabis is not a cure for endometriosis, and should never be taken as a first-line treatment for your symptoms.
But for some eligible patients, it may help to alleviate certain symptoms when taken as part of a wider treatment plan, alongside other conventional treatments.
This is largely due to how the cannabinoids contained in medical cannabis interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a large cell-signalling network we all have running through our bodies.
The ECS helps to regulate a wide variety of everyday processes, including everything from how we perceive pain to our ability to fall asleep. It does this through the endocannabinoid receptors it contains, known as CB1 and CB2.
The cannabinoids contained in medical cannabis can also interact with these receptors, which can influence how pain and other signals are transmitted throughout our body.
This is particularly relevant to patients with endometriosis, as many of its associated symptoms relate to pain in various areas of the body.
For instance, due to the ECS appearing to play a role in pelvic pain, inflammation and tissue-related changes, medical cannabis may help some eligible patients to manage symptoms like:
abdominal pain
sleep-related disturbances
low mood and anxiety
Medical cannabis may also be prescribed for several conditions that often sit alongside endometriosis, including fibromyalgia, depression, menopause and chronic fatigue syndrome.
So, if you’re looking to manage more than one condition at once, it’s worth talking to one of our specialists for tailored advice.
Check out our dedicated blog to learn more about how medical cannabis may be able to support patients with endometriosis.
Our current understanding of the relationship between medical cannabis and endometriosis is still very much under investigation, as many of the findings we know so far have come from patient surveys or preclinical research.
That’s not to say they don’t show promise, though. In fact, you can actually tell a lot from some of these smaller studies.
For instance, one study found that many patients reportedly turn to cannabis as a treatment to help alleviate one of three main symptoms: chronic pain, sleep-related issues or gut-related symptoms.
This follows on from UK-focused research by the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, which assessed the administration of cannabis-based treatments in endometriosis patients over a two-year period.
The results of this showed that prescribed cannabis-based medicines led to reported improvements in pain, quality of life, anxiety and sleep. But again, the researchers noted that larger trials were needed to confirm the relationship.
We’ve seen encouraging responses from our own patients as well.
During our 2025 patient survey, the largest survey of active medical cannabis patients in the UK, 95.4% of those treated for women’s health-related conditions like endometriosis rated their prescription as either ‘moderately’, ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ effective.
Take a look at our dedicated patient stories page to discover more real-life insights into medical cannabis and women’s health.
Medical cannabis cultivars typically contain two main active cannabinoid compounds known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
Both of these come from the cannabis plant but work very differently within the body.
THC is the psychoactive compound which is better known for its potential to ease pain, helping alleviate symptoms like nausea and sleep-related issues.
CBD is non-intoxicating and is more commonly associated with calming, anti-inflammatory properties that help to stimulate relaxation and improve mood
Depending on the symptoms you’re experiencing, one of our prescribing clinicians will be able to identify the right THC:CBD ratio for your needs and tailor the recommended dosage based on your medical history.
If you are eligible to receive a medical cannabis prescription for endometriosis, you may be prescribed it in a few different formats.
At Releaf, we can provide our eligible patients with treatments in these formats:
Dried flower (for vaporising)
Since endometriosis affects everyone differently, finding the right format for you will depend on your specific needs, symptoms and lifestyle. Take a look at our dedicated products page to learn more about the options available.
Since November 2018, medical cannabis prescriptions have been legally available to eligible patients in the UK to treat a wide range of qualifying conditions, including endometriosis.
That said, the treatment isn’t available to everyone with the condition, and there are certain rules around eligibility. These include:
Medical cannabis treatments can only be prescribed by clinicians on the General Medical Council’s (GMC) specialist register and dispensed by a CQC-regulated, private clinic
You must have a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis from a doctor or medical professional to access treatment
You must have failed to find relief from your symptoms from at least two conventional treatments for endometriosis
Having a previous diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or psychosis will disqualify you from treatment
You cannot be prescribed medical cannabis if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
You must have a detailed medical history available for clinical review
The easiest way to see whether you qualify is by using our medical cannabis eligibility checker. It’s free, takes less than 30 seconds to fill out and could be your first step to finding relief.
Endometriosis shares many symptoms with other conditions like adenomyosis, which causes tissue from the inner lining of the womb to grow into the outer muscular wall.
For example, both conditions can lead to painful, heavy periods and chronic pelvic pain, often both at the same time. This can then result in cramping and sleep disturbances like insomnia that may impact day-to-day life.
While these conditions are separate issues, medical cannabis may help certain patients to alleviate the symptoms that they both share.
But as with any type of health-related decision, it’s always important to speak to a professional beforehand.
This is a difficult question to answer.
According to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s guidelines, any patient will need to be “free from any medication effects that would impair driving”.
But there are no clear rules about driving and medical cannabis specifically.
Put simply, it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re safe to drive. If you feel like you’re impaired after taking your medical cannabis treatment, don’t get behind the wheel.
You can learn more about the specific rules surrounding medical cannabis, the DVLA and prescribed medicines in our dedicated article.
In most cases, it isn’t possible to get a medical cannabis prescription to treat endometriosis from the NHS.
This is because medical cannabis is only prescribed via the NHS for a select number of conditions, which doesn’t include endometriosis.
To qualify for a legal medical cannabis prescription for endometriosis, eligible patients can generally only access this via a medical specialist at a private, CQC-regulated clinic.
The total cost of medical cannabis treatment will vary depending on several factors, including the actual prescription you’ve been recommended and how often you need to take it.
Take a look at our guide to the price of medical cannabis in the UK to find out more about the potential costs involved.
Our Releaf+ membership is also available as an alternative to pay-as-you-go to help reduce the total costs by covering things like consultation fees, prescription costs and delivery.
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