- Colitis / Crohn’s Disease
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PRESENTED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. MEDICAL MARIJUANA INC. PROVIDES THIS INFORMATION TO PROVIDE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF CANNABIDIOL. LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS BY MEDICAL MARIJUANA INC. AND NONE SHOULD BE INFERRED.Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that is prevalent among adolescents and young adults. Studies have shown cannabis to be effective at decreasing digestive tract inflammation, and in some cases, helping patients achieve long-term remission.
OVERVIEW OF CROHN’S DISEASECrohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes the lining of the digestive tract to become inflamed. The disease may affect as many as 700,000 Americans, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, causing abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, severe diarrhea, fever, weight loss, fatigue and malnutrition. The pain can be so intense that it becomes debilitating. In some cases, the disease can prove to be life-threatening.
According to Mayo Clinic, the most common area of the digestive tract affected by Crohn’s disease is at the end of the small bowel (the ileum) and the beginning of the colon. The disease can affect any part of the digestive tract, however, and will often spread deep into the layers of bowel tissue.
Heredity and abnormal immune system behavior are likely what cause Crohn’s disease to develop. Those who have family members with the disease are more common to acquire it themselves. When the immune system responds to fight off a virus, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms, at times it can respond abnormally and also attack the harmless cells in the digestive tract, which in turn leads to inflammation.
There is no confirmed cure for Crohn’s disease, but certain treatment methods can significantly reduce symptoms and in some cases, even bring about remission. Treatment efforts primarily include antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrhea and pain relief medications to manage the symptoms associated with the disease. In some cases, the use of a feeding tube to allow the digestive tract to rest and decrease inflammation, or surgery to remove the damaged portion of the digestive tract, may be required.
FINDINGS: EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON CROHN’S DISEASEStudies have found cannabis to effectively combat the symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease. Cannabinoids provide anti-inflammatory effects, subsequently reducing pain, offering nausea relief, and reducing the feelings of unpleasantness3.
One study, in which inflammatory bowel disease patients were treated with cannabis for three months, improvements in the patients’ general health perception, social functioning, ability to work, physical pain and depression were found. Participants also saw increases in body weight and BMI4.
In another study, patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease reported that marijuana was “very helpful” in relieving their abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea5. Cannabis has also been found to reduce depression and fatigue in Crohn’s disease patients3.
STATES THAT HAVE APPROVED MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR CROHN’S DISEASECurrently, 23 states have approved medical marijuana to be used to treat Crohn’s disease. These states include: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York (inflammatory bowel disease), North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.
A number of other states will allow medical marijuana to be used for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease, but require an approval or a recommendation by a physician. These states include: California (any debilitating illness where the medical use of marijuana has been recommended by a physician), Nevada (other conditions subject to approval), and Oregon (other conditions subject to approval).
In Washington D.C., any condition can be approved for medical marijuana as long as a DC-licensed physician recommends the treatment.
STUDIES ON CANNABIS’ EFFECT ON CROHN’S DISEASE
OVERVIEW OF CROHN’S DISEASECrohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes the lining of the digestive tract to become inflamed. The disease may affect as many as 700,000 Americans, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, causing abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, severe diarrhea, fever, weight loss, fatigue and malnutrition. The pain can be so intense that it becomes debilitating. In some cases, the disease can prove to be life-threatening.
According to Mayo Clinic, the most common area of the digestive tract affected by Crohn’s disease is at the end of the small bowel (the ileum) and the beginning of the colon. The disease can affect any part of the digestive tract, however, and will often spread deep into the layers of bowel tissue.
Heredity and abnormal immune system behavior are likely what cause Crohn’s disease to develop. Those who have family members with the disease are more common to acquire it themselves. When the immune system responds to fight off a virus, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms, at times it can respond abnormally and also attack the harmless cells in the digestive tract, which in turn leads to inflammation.
There is no confirmed cure for Crohn’s disease, but certain treatment methods can significantly reduce symptoms and in some cases, even bring about remission. Treatment efforts primarily include antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrhea and pain relief medications to manage the symptoms associated with the disease. In some cases, the use of a feeding tube to allow the digestive tract to rest and decrease inflammation, or surgery to remove the damaged portion of the digestive tract, may be required.
FINDINGS: EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON CROHN’S DISEASEStudies have found cannabis to effectively combat the symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease. Cannabinoids provide anti-inflammatory effects, subsequently reducing pain, offering nausea relief, and reducing the feelings of unpleasantness3.
One study, in which inflammatory bowel disease patients were treated with cannabis for three months, improvements in the patients’ general health perception, social functioning, ability to work, physical pain and depression were found. Participants also saw increases in body weight and BMI4.
In another study, patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease reported that marijuana was “very helpful” in relieving their abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea5. Cannabis has also been found to reduce depression and fatigue in Crohn’s disease patients3.
STATES THAT HAVE APPROVED MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR CROHN’S DISEASECurrently, 23 states have approved medical marijuana to be used to treat Crohn’s disease. These states include: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York (inflammatory bowel disease), North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.
A number of other states will allow medical marijuana to be used for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease, but require an approval or a recommendation by a physician. These states include: California (any debilitating illness where the medical use of marijuana has been recommended by a physician), Nevada (other conditions subject to approval), and Oregon (other conditions subject to approval).
In Washington D.C., any condition can be approved for medical marijuana as long as a DC-licensed physician recommends the treatment.
STUDIES ON CANNABIS’ EFFECT ON CROHN’S DISEASE
- Three months of inhaled cannabis treatment caused an increase in quality of life measurements, disease activity index and caused gains in weight and body mass index in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Impact of cannabis treatment on the quality of life, weight and clinical disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease patients: a pilot prospective study.
(https://www.karger.com/Article/Purchase/332079)
- Three months of inhaled cannabis treatment caused an increase in quality of life measurements, disease activity index and caused gains in weight and body mass index in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
- Acharya, N., Penukonda, S., Shcheglova, T., Hagymasi, A.T., Basu, S., and Srivastava, P.K. (2017, March 27). Endocannabinoid system acts as a regulator of immune homeostasis in the gut. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, 114(19), 5005-5010. Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/114/19/5005.full.
- Crohn’s disease. (2014, August 13). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/basics/definition/con-20032061.
- Hergenrather, J. (2005, Autumn). Cannabis alleviates symptoms of Crohn’s disease. O’Shaughnessy’s. Retrieved from http://cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Cannabis-for-Crohns-Disease.pdf.
- Lahat, A., Lang, A., and Ben-Horin, S. (2012). Impact of cannabis treatment on the quality of life, weight and clinical disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease patients: a pilot prospective study. Digestion, 85(1), 1-8. Retrieved from https://www.karger.com/Article/Purchase/332079.
- Ravikoff Allegretti, J., Courtwright, A., Lucci, M., Korzenik, J.R., and Levine, J. (2013, December). Marijuana use patterns among patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 19(13), 2809-14. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4126607/.
- What Are Crohn’s & Colitis? (n.d.). Crohn’s & Colitis. Retrieved from http://www.ccfa.org/what-are-crohns-and-colitis/what-is-crohns-disease/.