National Coalition Launches Initiative to Expand Medical Cannabis Access for Women’s Health Conditions
- The Women’s Cannabis Project, alongside key organizations, launched a national campaign to expand medical cannabis access for women’s health conditions such as Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Ovarian Cysts, and Female Orgasmic Disorder.
- This initiative follows a significant policy victory in Illinois where these four conditions were approved for medical cannabis treatment in the same review cycle, setting a precedent for broader reform.
- Efforts are underway to replicate this success nationwide through legislative reform, education, and advocacy, with recent progress in states like Illinois, Connecticut, California, and New Jersey, and outreach starting in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and New York.
- The coalition is actively seeking volunteers, clinicians, patient advocates, and sponsors to support petitions, legislation, and medical education to ensure consistent access to therapeutic cannabis for women’s health across all states.
The Women’s Cannabis Project, in collaboration with Association of Cannabinoid Specialists, Chicago NORML, and Society of Cannabis Clinicians, today announced the launch of a coordinated national campaign to expand medical cannabis access for women’s health conditions, beginning with Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Ovarian Cysts, and Female Orgasmic Disorder (FOD). The initiative builds on a landmark 2024–2025 policy victory in Illinois, where these four conditions were approved during the same review cycle, setting an important precedent for women’s health policy and drawing national and international attention.
Organizers are now working to replicate that success across all 50 states through legislative reform, education, and coordinated advocacy.
“Millions of women live with chronic pain, pelvic disorders, and sexual health conditions that significantly affect their health and quality of life”, says Kelsey Engvik, MBA, Director of the Women’s Cannabis Project. “Yet many state medical cannabis programs lack specific recognition of these diagnoses, limiting safe and legal access to treatment.”
Engvik says “Recent progress includes approval of Female Orgasmic Disorder in Illinois and approval of Vulvodynia in Connecticut. Additional legislative and regulatory efforts are already underway in California and New Jersey with clinicians who have integrated therapeutic cannabis into care for women with orgasmic and pelvic pain disorders. Initial reach out to state lawmakers has begun in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and New York.”
Despite these gains, Engvik says “many women remain without options, underscoring the urgent need for consistent state policy reform.”
The coalition is engaging national cannabis and women’s health organizations and is seeking volunteers, clinicians, and patient advocates in every state to help advance petitions, legislative proposals, and medical education efforts.
“The victory in Illinois showed what’s possible when women’s health is taken seriously,” said Engvik. “This campaign ensures that progress doesn’t stop in one state — it becomes national.”
The Women’s Cannabis Project is actively seeking sponsors, partnerships, and volunteers for this effort. You can contact Kelsey at kelsey@womenscp.org for more information.