Women, Hormones & Cannabis: Why Your Body Changes How the Plant Feels.

In this episode, we explore why so many women notice that cannabis feels different depending on where they are in their cycle, throughout perimenopause, or during periods of stress and hormonal change.

We unpack what’s actually happening in the body, why this experience is common (and normal), and how women can work with their changing physiology instead of blaming themselves or assuming something has gone wrong.

This episode builds on last week’s conversation about the endocannabinoid system and brings the focus specifically to women, hormones, and lived experience.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why cannabis can work beautifully one month and feel overwhelming the next
• How the endocannabinoid system interacts with estrogen and progesterone
• Why midlife women notice these changes more clearly
• The difference between microdosing as restriction versus microdosing as body literacy
• Why timing and nervous system state matter more than strain names
• Practical ways women can adjust their approach during hormonally sensitive times

Key ideas discussed

• The endocannabinoid system plays a central role in regulating mood, pain, sleep, inflammation, and stress
• Estrogen has been shown to influence cannabinoid receptor sensitivity, particularly CB1 receptors
• Hormonal fluctuation, rather than hormone loss, is a major factor in why experiences change during perimenopause
• Women often experience stronger subjective effects from THC at lower doses compared to men
• Cannabis tends to amplify the existing state of the nervous system rather than override it
• Learning to work with context, timing, and subtle dosing can make cannabis feel more supportive and less destabilising

Support the show
Canna Curious is produced independently. If you’d like to support the podcast, you can Buy me a coffee

Share this episode
If this conversation might help someone you love — a friend, a partner, a patient feel free to pass it on.

Thank you for listening, and for being part of this community.

Research and further reading

Cannabis, estrogen, and the endocannabinoid system

The Endocannabinoid System and Sex Steroid Hormone Signalling
A comprehensive review exploring how estrogen and progesterone interact with endocannabinoid signalling pathways.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3863507/

Sex Differences and the Endocannabinoid System
A review outlining biological sex differences in cannabinoid metabolism, receptor expression, and subjective effects.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8216879/

Estradiol Regulati

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Connect with Kyla de Clifford
Instagram: @cannacuriousaus
TikTok: @cannacuriousau
YouTube: @cannacurious

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you.

Disclaimer:
We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

In this episode of the Canna Curious Podcast, Kyla slows things right down and returns to the foundations.

Before conversations about strain names, dosing, or delivery methods before stigma, shame, or opinion this episode asks a simpler question:

What is actually happening inside your body when you take cannabis?

This episode is for patients.

For women who turn to this plant not to escape their lives - but to cope with pain, stress, hormonal change, burnout, grief, or nervous system overload.

At the centre of this conversation is the endocannabinoid system (ECS) a regulatory system that exists in all of us, whether we ever take cannabis or not.

In this episode, Kyla explores:

• What the endocannabinoid system is - and why it’s not a “weed system,” but a core biological regulator
• How the ECS was identified in the 1990s through cannabinoid research by scientists including Ally Howlett and Raphael Mechoulam
• The three key components of the ECS: receptors, endocannabinoids, and enzymes
• The roles of CB1 and CB2 receptors, and how THC and CBD interact with them differently
• Why your body makes its own cannabinoids — and even passes them through breast milk
• Why relief from cannabis looks different for everyone, and why variability is expected - not failure
• How hormones, stress, nervous system state, and life stage (including perimenopause) influence response
• The difference between regulation and escape, and why many women use cannabis to stay present not numb
• Why dosing can feel unpredictable, and why curiosity works better than rigid rules
• How one-size-fits-all advice often creates shame and what a body-literate approach offers instead

Support the show
Canna Curious is produced independently. If you’d like to support the podcast, you can Buy me a coffee

Resources & Further Reading

Understanding the Endocannabinoid System

These sources support the explanation of the endocannabinoid system as a regulatory system involved in balance, pain, mood, sleep, inflammation, and stress:

• Di Marzo V, Piscitelli F. (2015). The endocannabinoid system and its modulation by phytocannabinoids.Neurotherapeutics, 12(4), 692–698.
  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13311-015-0376-6
• Lu HC, Mackie K. (2016). An introduction to the endogenous cannabinoid system. Biological Psychiatry, 79(7), 516–525.
  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006322315002127
• Pertwee RG. (2015). Endocannabinoids and their pharmacological actions. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, 231, 1–37.
  

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Support the show

Connect with Kyla de Clifford
Instagram: @cannacuriousaus
TikTok: @cannacuriousau
YouTube: @cannacurious

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you.

Disclaimer:
We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

As the year draws to a close, Kyla pauses - not to summarise, but to sit inside what this season of listening has actually revealed.

Recorded from Melbourne, in a softer and more honest state than usual, this solo episode reflects on thirty-three conversations about women’s health, relief, regulation, and the quiet ways women learn to manage their bodies inside imperfect systems.

At the centre of the episode is a question Kyla has been carrying since the very beginning of the podcast:

What actually happens when women stop whispering about medicine?

This is not an episode about trends, tips, or solutions.

It’s about:

• why women whisper in the first place
• how shame still shapes the way relief is accessed and talked about
• what Kyla has noticed listening to women across diagnoses, ages, and lives

Throughout the episode, Kyla speaks candidly about:

• whispering as a learned survival strategy
• and the steadiness she witnessed when women were given language, curiosity, and trust

Rather than positioning the plant as a fix, this episode explores what cannabis use revealed:
the gaps in care, the lack of education, and the unmet needs women have been navigating for years.

This conversation is for anyone who has:

• softened their language to be taken seriously
• questioned whether their relief was “allowed”
• carried shame alongside something that helped
• or felt like they had to work it out on their own

"Send us a message"

Support the show

Connect with Kyla de Clifford
Instagram: @cannacuriousaus
TikTok: @cannacuriousau
YouTube: @cannacurious

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you.

Disclaimer:
We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

What does a good medicinal cannabis clinic actually look like in Australia - and how do you spot the ones that should make you pause?

This episode was sparked by a moment many of us have had lately: seeing cannabis clinic advertising out in the wild that feels… off.

Kyla shares a story about walking down the street with her 11-year-old when they spotted a very obvious (and very questionable) clinic poster - which opened a bigger conversation about regulation, ethics, patient care, and how clinics should actually be operating.

Together, Kyla and Jess unpack what’s going wrong in the current clinic landscape, why patients are feeling frustrated and disempowered, and what you are absolutely allowed to ask for as a patient.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why medicinal cannabis clinics are not allowed to advertise the way many currently are - and why that matters for stigma, regulation, and long-term access
• The biggest red flags to watch for when choosing a clinic
• What patient-centred care actually looks like (and what it doesn’t)
• Vertical integration, profit margins, and why some clinics push certain products
• Your legal right to access your own scripts and choose your pharmacy
• Why informed patients should be welcomed — not shut down — for doing their research
• The growing frustration around discontinued products and limited prescribing
• Why minor cannabinoids like CBG and THCV deserve more attention (especially for women)
• How the system is heading toward a collision — and what needs to change next

Clinics Kyla trusts and recommends:

PlantMed with Dr John Teh - a genuinely integrative, whole-person approach https://plantmed.net.au/

Mode Health with Dr Matty Moore - collaborative care, tele-health, and strong clinical ethics https://www.modehealthcare.com.au/

Kyla recommends these clinics based on her personal experience as a patient. There is no paid partnership or financial incentive involved.

Key takeaways:

• You are allowed to ask questions - and a good clinic expects you to
• You should never feel rushed, dismissed, or funnelled into one product pathway
• If something feels off, it probably is
• The future of cannabis care isn’t stronger it’s smarter, more nuanced, and more patient-led

This episode is for patients, parents, clinicians, and anyone trying to navigate medicinal cannabis in Australia without getting burned along the way.

Resources mentioned:

TGA advertising guidelines for medicinal cannabis
APRA regulations around prescribing and promotion

You can find jess

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Support the show

Connect with Kyla de Clifford
Instagram: @cannacuriousaus
TikTok: @cannacuriousau
YouTube: @cannacurious

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you.

Disclaimer:
We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

In this deeply honest conversation, Kyla sits down with Shaye Topaz a mum, insomniac, and long-time cannabis consumer to explore what happens when the plant that helped you cope becomes something you rely on.

Shay shares her 12-year relationship with THC, from rolling joints at 18 for sleep, to mothering through stress, heartbreak, and survival… all the way to the moment she realised she was dependent, not addicted, and decided it was time for a reset.

This episode moves through insomnia, nervous system overwhelm, motherhood, emotional regulation, and the spiritual side of cannabis including the comfort, companionship, and “being held” feeling so many women relate to.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why cannabis is such a powerful tool for sleep, stress, and emotional soothing
• How motherhood, overwhelm and loneliness influence cannabis use
• What it’s like to quit after more than a decade of nightly THC
• The emotional and physical symptoms of a tolerance break
• Appetite, metabolism, cortisol spikes, and night waking during withdrawal
• Using CBD, magnesium, adaptogens and supplements to support the nervous system
• Breaking the ritual: shifting from smoking to tinctures
• The spiritual and relational experience of cannabis as a “holder”
• How to know when you’re ready to take a break — and why readiness matters
• Creating new rituals, boundaries, and habits during a cannabis reset

About Shaye

Shaye is a mother of two navigating single parenthood, chronic insomnia, emotional healing, and a long-term relationship with cannabis. Her story reflects the reality for many women who use THC for sleep, coping, and nervous system support. Her honesty and introspection make this a powerful conversation for anyone reconsidering their relationship with the plant.

You can find Shaye @shayetopaz

Resources & Links

• Kyla’s 21-Day T-Break Guide — a step-by-step journal for anyone wanting to explore their relationship with THC
• Dr Jeffrey Hergenrather’s work on cannabis use in pregnancy
• Research from Jamaica on cannabis, pregnancy and maternal outcomes

"Send us a message"

Support the show

Connect with Kyla de Clifford
Instagram: @cannacuriousaus
TikTok: @cannacuriousau
YouTube: @cannacurious

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you.

Disclaimer:
We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

In this episode, we get real about something most parents are quietly struggling with: how to talk to kids and teens about cannabis in a world where edibles, vapes and oils are everywhere and often invisible.

Kids today are exposed earlier, more frequently, and in more confusing ways than ever before. Gummies look like lollies. Wellness-style bottles sit on shelves. TikTok jokes about edibles have millions of views. Whether you use cannabis, avoid it entirely, or sit somewhere in between, the conversation is coming and avoidance doesn’t keep kids safe.

This week, Kyla breaks down how to approach these conversations with calm, honesty and connection, instead of the outdated “drugs are bad” scripts many of us grew up with.

We explore:

• The rise in paediatric cannabis poisonings — including the NSW study showing nearly 3,800 cases in a decade, with toddlers and teens most affected.

• Why edibles have changed the landscape

• The gap between modern cannabis use and the conversations parents are not having.

• How today’s cannabis (concentrates, vapes, gummies) is completely different from the 90s weed many parents remember.

• Why kids are not staying innocent by staying uninformed they’re just staying unprepared.

• Harm reduction basics for families, from dosing to green-outs to mixing substances.

• How to frame your own cannabis use with responsibility, nuance and clarity.

• Exactly what to say to younger kids vs. teens, including simple scripts you can start using today.

• How to respond if your teen admits they’ve already tried cannabis — without shame or panic.

• Why warmth + honesty + boundaries remains the most protective parenting combination we have.

This episode is your toolkit for building trust instead of fear, clarity instead of shame, and ongoing conversations instead of one big dreaded “talk.”

Curiosity is not dangerous; it’s developmental. What matters is that they learn with us, not away from us.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with another parent or caregiver - and leave a review to help this work reach more curious households.

Resources

Cannabis poisonings in Australia following the legalisation of medicinal cannabis, 2014-24: analysis of NSW Poisons Information Centre data

Cannabis poisonings among children increasing

How to talk to your kids about cannabis (PDF Downloadable resource)

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Support the show

Connect with Kyla de Clifford
Instagram: @cannacuriousaus
TikTok: @cannacuriousau
YouTube: @cannacurious

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you.

Disclaimer:
We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

In this episode of Canna Curious, Kyla sits down with Alli Bannister, a mother, nurse practitioner, and survivor of an exceptionally rare form of appendix cancer. One so uncommon it affects only one in a million people.

What began as unexplained pain, bloating and digestive changes quickly escalated into emergency surgery, a Christmas Day hospitalisation, and the devastating discovery that cancer had spread across nearly all of Alli’s abdominal organs. Within days, she was facing a radical treatment plan involving organ removal, aggressive surgery and hot chemotherapy. But Alli made a courageous choice to pause.

This conversation explores what happens when someone refuses to rush their healing, chooses to listen to their body, and claims agency in a system driven by urgency and fear. Ali shares her decision to seek integrative treatment in Thailand, her experience with medical cannabis for pain and anxiety, the role of meditation and trauma healing, and how mindset became just as critical as medicine.

In this episode, we explore:

• The early signs of Ali’s rare appendix cancer and why her symptoms were repeatedly dismissed
• The moment she received her diagnosis and how it reshaped her identity
• The emotional and physical impact of emergency surgery and radical organ removal
• Why Ali chose to pause instead of rushing into life-altering treatment
• The role of integrative and alternative therapies in her healing journey
• How CBD and THC supported her pain management, anxiety and sense of calm
• The mind-body connection and the importance of meditation during trauma
• Financial realities of alternative cancer treatment and systemic limitations
• Reclaiming agency within the medical system
• How healing trauma and emotional release became part of survival
• Ali’s mission to support others walking a similar path

If you want to know more about Alli or the power of hydrogen water you can find Alli here IG @alli.healingontheroad

Email: alli@allihealingontheroad.com

Radical Remission by Kelly A Turner

Quantam Healing by Deepak Chopra

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Support the show

Connect with Kyla de Clifford
Instagram: @cannacuriousaus
TikTok: @cannacuriousau
YouTube: @cannacurious

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you.

Disclaimer:
We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

This week on the Canna Curious Podcast, Kyla sits down with Kaylee, a young woman whose journey with her body, identity, and the plant is as complex as it is courageous.

From navigating early puberty and intense body-image scrutiny, to experiencing schoolyard bullying and being dismissed by the medical system, Kaylee’s story shines a light on what it feels like to grow up “different” and how the plant became a source of relief, regulation, and finally, self-agency.

Together, we explore:

• Early puberty and the impact it had on her sense of self
• The pain, stigma, and isolation she faced as a teenager
• How misunderstanding and medical minimisation shaped her early experiences of health
• Discovering cannabis not as escape, but as grounding
• Reaction to the COVID vaccination
• How workplace policies still fail medicinal cannabis patients
• Stigma, double standards, and being a woman who uses the plant
• Learning to advocate for her own health, safety, and wellbeing
• Building community and documenting her story on @4beanzy

This is an honest, nuanced conversation about growing up, reclaiming your voice, and refusing to shrink yourself to make others comfortable.

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, judged, or misunderstood in your relationship with your body or your medicine this episode is for you.

Where to find Kaylee

Instagram: @4beanzy

Support Services

Because we discuss themes of bullying, emotional distress, medical gaslighting, and workplace discrimination, please reach out if you need support:

Australia

• Lifeline — 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636
• 1800 RESPECT (Family & sexual violence support) — 1800 737 732
• Kids Helpline (for young people 5–25) — 1800 55 1800

If you’re outside Australia, please check local resources or national crisis hotlines.

What is BPD - Borderline personality disorder https://www.sane.org/information-and-resources/facts-and-guides/borderline-personality-disorder

"Send us a message"

Support the show

Connect with Kyla de Clifford
Instagram: @cannacuriousaus
TikTok: @cannacuriousau
YouTube: @cannacurious

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you.

Disclaimer:
We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.