The stigma of medicinal cannabis remains in New Zealand, despite it being legal for five years now. And it’s even worse for women.
Dayda Tito (Ngāi Tūmapūhia-a-Rangi ki Wairarapa me Ngāpuhi) says she struggled with perimenopause and undiagnosed ADHD symptoms for a year, and medicinal cannabis “really changed her life”.
She says she knew medicinal cannabis would have worked for her, but because of the stigma, she put off going down that route.
“I’m already a target, I’m like a triple threat,” she says. “I’m a woman, I’m Māori, I’m gay. I just kind of thought maybe it was a bit too much for me,” she says.
It was the societal impact, and how Māori can be stereotyped as “stoners” that really held her back, says Dayda.
“I couldn’t put that first foot because of what I’d seen around me, how I’d seen people react.”
The Medicinal Cannabis Stigma in New Zealand
Five years on since the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme came into effect, which made it easier for patients to access medicinal marijuana as a treatment option, the stigma still remains.
New research from Cannabis Clinic, which surveyed 1,000 people, found 65% of New Zealanders believe there’s a stigma associated with medicinal cannabis.
It also shows that women were more likely to consider using medicinal cannabis than men (53% vs 47%), but men were more likely to actually use it (51% vs 48%).
Women also felt it was harder to access medicinal cannabis than men did, with 26% of women believing it was easy to access versus 32% of men.
Women were also less comfortable discussing the topic with their GP, with 36% of women feeling comfortable to talk to their GP about it vs 41% of men.
When Dayda first started experiencing her perimenopause symptoms last year – brain fog, slurred speech and struggling with basic tasks like reading – she had no idea why.
She says she’s also suspecting she has ADHD, something that runs in her family, and is something she’s currently exploring.
After consulting her general practitioner about it, she says her doctor told her, “You’re just going to have to figure out how much of it you’re willing to put up with.”
‘Someone Was FINALLY Listening to Me’
But in April, says Dayda, her symptoms took a turn – she felt weaker and slower, she’d get sudden nausea, dry reaching and massive headaches. Worried about her and her whānau’s safety, she stopped driving.
After hearing about medicinal marijuana from her friend, she says she looked into the Cannabis Clinic and thought, “I had nothing else to lose.”
“Honestly, my first session, I just wanted to cry afterwards because I felt like someone was listening to me, my thoughts, my feelings were valid. And also what I knew about my own body. I knew that I had that sovereignty.
“I’m getting a bit emotional because it was so hard. In that year, I tried a whole bunch of different practitioners, trying to figure out what’s going on. Like I just went through a process of elimination and an incredible amount of research online.”
It’s only been two months since she started using medicinal cannabis. She says she’s no longer struggling getting out of bed in the mornings, she can walk a little bit further, and her brain fog has gone. “Things are sinking in, I can read now!”
Dayda laughs, saying, “Sorry for all the emails I ignored, I couldn’t read! It wasn’t my fault!”
Like Dayda’s experience, medicinal cannabis has positive benefits for people experiencing pain, and other symptoms like sleeplessness and anxiety.
According to a 2023 New Zealand study, 96 percent of 213 participants using cannabis for therapeutic reasons reported it helped them with a number of conditions. AND 49 percent said they’ve reduced or entirely stopped their prescription medicine.
Findings from the 2024 New Zealand Drugs Trends Survey, which surveyed more than 10,000 people, has reveals nearly half (42 percent) of female medicinal cannabis users used it to help with symptoms of women’s health conditions such as endometriosis.
The Many Reasons the Stigma Affects Women More
The Cannabis Clinic offers plant-based medicine, like CBD oil and THC treatments, and personalised care options supporting a range of health concerns.
They have a group of registered doctors, primarily general practitioners and some who have specialties like psychiatry and mental health, and alternative and holistic medicine in general.
Green Leaf Group (which includes Cannabis Clinic) CEO Dr Waseem Alzaher says there’s multiple facets to how the stigma affects women.
There’s that fear of judgement from basically anyone in society – their doctors, the employers and their whānanu.
With women traditionally being the caregivers in the family, says Dr Waseem, they will worry about being associated with cannabis if they want to be “a good mum”.
And for others, it could also be about needing to tell their employer about their medical needs, he says.
“If for example, they need to have medication during the day or if they’re in work where they need to disclose that in their terms of employment,” says Dr Waseem.
“Just the whole gender imbalance we have within the workplace, women would find it harder to bring those topics up, and fear more judgment from the boss, who is more likely to be male.”
Don’t Let The Stigma Hold You Back
Dr Waseem says there’s still so many misconceptions about medicinal cannabis, like the belief that someone has to be severely unwell or dying to be able to access it, or that you’re a stoner if you did use it.
“But the reality is we just help everyday Kiwis… primarily working age, your mums, your grandparents… just everyday people you would normally see out and about.”
He says the top three reasons their patients want help with are pain management, sleeping difficulties and mental health issues like anxiety.
Patients are given tailored treatments depending on what their needs are, he says, and it’s nothing to do with “people getting high” (which is another big misconception!).
For those who are interested in medicinal cannabis as treatment, but the stigma may be holding them back, Dr Waseem says: “If you are struggling, and if you have symptoms that are reducing your quality of life… who cares what other people think?
“You need to be empowered and feel confident that you can talk to our care professionals and feel sully supported, not judged and supported in your autonomy to make choices for your health. We’re a team of doctors that genuinely care.
“We’re here, even if it means that people have the consultation and just speak to an open-minded clinician, and not proceed with the treatment, that’s okay.
“But don’t suffer alone and by yourself, and feel like you’re carrying the burden of everything on your shoulders and not speak up about it.”
Disclaimer: This story is informational purposes only and should not be considered professional medical advice. We still recommend you speak to your doctors or other medical professionals.
