Whoopi Goldberg just launched a marijuana startup to help women on their periods

[Guest Nicole]

For centuries, we've had some idea that marijuana might help relieve pain.

Now, Whoopi Goldberg wants to put that idea to use in a series of menstrual cramp products. 

Goldberg, along with co-founder and cannabis business veteran Maya Elisabeth, are launching an eponymous company geared toward relieving the pain associated with periods.

According to Vanity Fair, the Whoopi & Maya line will include edibles, tinctures (liquid extracts), topical creams, and bath soaks. They say the goal of these products is that they'd be more accessible than traditional sources of marijuana, like a joint or a pipe that you have to light up. 

“This, you can put it in your purse,” Goldberg told Vanity Fair. “You can put the rub on your lower stomach and lower back at work, and then when you get home you can get in the tub for a soak or make tea, and it allows you to continue to work throughout the day.”

The line is expected to become available in California starting in April, Vanity Fair reports.

What the science says about weed and pain

Some of the Whoopi & Maya products will reportedly just contain cannabidiol (CBD), which unlike marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient, THC, does not cause feelings of euphoria or intoxication, the characteristic "high" associated with pot.

Cannabidiol has been linked for years with different kinds of pain relief and even studied in several clinical studies. It's currently being explored as a potential treatment for certain types of epilepsy as well.

But apart from some self-reported use to fend off cramps, there isn't a whole lot of data available to date that suggests cannabis or its derivatives can help relieve the pain specifically linked to periods. But that could just be a result of a lack of data.

"With exception of a study in the 1800s, I see no evidence in the medical literature that supports that use,”  Dr. Ranit Mishori, a professor of family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine, told Live Scienceon the topic of marijuana and menstrual cramps.

Menstrual cramps, which also goes by the name dysmenorrhea, refers to the lower abdominal pains felt during or before a woman's menstrual period. It's pretty common, and typically can be helped with pain relievers like ibuprofen, heating pads, and massage. For those with worse symptoms, health care providers can often prescribe other medications to help relieve the symptoms. 

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/whoopi-goldberg-launches-medical-marijuana-startup-for-period-pain-2016-3?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=webfeeds