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Cannabis and the cannabinoid CBD provide “significant symptom relief” for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to the findings of a recently published study.
The study was conducted by researchers from Case Western Reserve University with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research team surveyed IBD patients to explore how various treatment options could address the abdominal pain and other symptoms of IBD, which include severe diarrhea, inflammation, fever, weight loss, and others.
The research showed that a majority of patients with IBD felt that cannabis and CBD were “beneficial” as a treatment for the condition, according to a report from Marijuana Moment. More than half of the participants who used cannabis said they believe it is an effective treatment that offers “relief from abdominal pain, other pain, stress, anxiety, depression, and nausea/vomiting.”
“The strong support of cannabis and CBD oil as medical treatments and therapeutic effects highlights the potential for cannabis and CBD oil as treatments in IBD,” the study’s authors wrote. “Notably, 19.4 percent of IBD patients reported decreased opioid use, and 14.5 percent reported induced remission with cannabis or CBD oil.”
“The beliefs on the efficacy of cannabis and CBD oil are comparable to that of prescribed medications (e.g., corticosteroids and biologics/immunosuppressants), suggesting that cannabis may be perceived as equally effective. These results show that there exists a strong belief that these substances could be favorable to various IBD symptom relief, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, anxiety, and inflammation.”
The cross-sectional study consisted of 139 participants aged 18 to 69. The participants completed a 37-question survey to assess their beliefs about cannabis and CBD oil as a treatment for IBD and their frequency of use, if any. The survey also evaluated the impact of cannabis and CBD oil on IBD symptoms, quality of life, and opioid use.
More Than Half of IBD Patients Reported Using Medical Cannabis
The authors noted a significant number of respondents with IBD reported using cannabis (54%) or CBD (41%) for “medical use, symptom relief, pain management, and mental health support.”
“A large proportion, 63 percent, of IBD participants reported that cannabis had a somewhat, very, or extremely beneficial effect in relieving their IBD symptoms, while 57 percent held this belief about CBD oil,” the study reads.
“Interestingly, we found that IBD patients were more likely to have used cannabis or CBD oil for short-term symptom relief (37 percent and 26 percent, respectively) compared to long-term symptom relief (23 percent and 18 percent, respectively). Such a pattern indicates that, among IBD patients, these substances are considered to be more effective in the management of acute symptoms rather than in the long-term management of the disease,” the authors continued.
The researchers concluded that the study illustrated the “increasing interest and positive perceptions by IBD patients toward the use of cannabis and CBD oil as complementary or alternative therapies for symptom management.”
The research also “highlights the common perception among IBD patients that cannabis and CBD oil are effective therapeutic agents for symptom management, in spite of the lack of conclusive clinical evidence.”
“The findings indicate that a significant proportion of IBD patients use cannabis, notice symptom relief, and prefer its therapeutic use,” the study says.
The study is consistent with previous research into the effectiveness of cannabis as a treatment for IBD. A study by British researchers published earlier this year found that IBD patients who used medical cannabis reported better quality of life than other patients.
“Many IBD patients use cannabis to control disease symptoms, and there is emerging evidence that it may play a role in disease management,” the researchers wrote.
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