Crohn’s Disease

Medical cannabis can significantly reduce Crohn’s disease activity, hospitalizations and your need for other medications.

What’s Crohn’s?

Crohn’s Disease is a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder that’s in the same family as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and colitis.

What’s IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common problem and targets your intestines.

How many people are affected?

1 in 5 Americans suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s and colitis.

Symptoms

IBS leads to cramps, pain, gas and bloating, as well as constipation or diarrhea, and sometimes both for some extra lucky people. [cite]

Prognosis

Varies widely, from benign to very severe. 13-20% of patients experience chronic Crohn’s. It can’t be cured even with surgery, treatments are now available that can offer significant help to most patients. [cite]

Causes

not enough fiber in diet
not enough exercise
eating too much dairy
travel/changes in routine
stress
overusing laxatives as they weaken bowel muscles
using antacids with calcium or aluminum
certain medicines (antidepressants, iron pills, and strong pain medicines such as narcotics)

How Cannabis Helps

In gastroenterology, cannabis has been used to treat anorexia, emesis, abdominal pain, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, intestinal inflammation, and diabetic gastroparesis.

Cannabis helps slow the digestive system and therefore helps slow diarrhea. Many people report symptoms 30 minutes to an hour after a meal, because eating causes colon muscle contractions and stimulates an urge to have a bowel movement.
It also relaxes muscle spasms, eases pain, reduces cramps typically associated with Crohn’s and IBS.
Women with IBS may have more symptoms during their menstrual periods. Cannabis helps reduce PMS symptoms.
Stress plays a big part in Crohn’s and cannabis can help you focus and stay present in the moment, like connecting with nature by talking a long walk, or playing with your cat for a few hours. Even small things can help.
Vaporing at the right temperature plays a large part in helping relieve Crohn’s symptoms like inflammation, stimulating appetite, slowing down the digestive system and suppressing the immune system.

Cannabis and Crohn’s Disease Research

2013: Cannabis induces a clinical response in patients with Crohn’s disease: a prospective placebo-controlled study
2011: Treatment of Crohn’s Disease with Cannabis: an Observational Study

Cannabis induces a clinical response in patients with Crohn’s disease: a prospective placebo-controlled study

Study Published October 2013 View Full Text

Authors Naftali T, Bar-Lev Schleider L, Dotan I, Lansky EP, Sklerovsky Benjaminov F, Konikoff FM

Three patients in the cannabis group were weaned from steroid dependency. Subjects receiving cannabis reported improved appetite and sleep, with no significant side effects.

Summary: A short course (8 weeks) of THC-rich cannabis produced significant clinical, steroid-free benefits to 10 of 11 patients with active Crohn’s disease, compared with placebo, without side effects. Further studies, with larger patient groups and a non-smoking mode of intake, are warranted.

The need for more research on non-smoking methods like vaporizing and ingesting cannabis oils is great right now. This study shows a link between cannabis and healing Crohn’s, and opening this plant up to legalization allows more research and proper government support and funding.

Cite: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23648372

Treatment of Crohn’s Disease with Cannabis: an Observational Study

Study Published August 2011 Download .PDF

Authors Timna Naftali MD [1], Lihi Bar Lev BA [2], Doron Yablekovitz MD [1], Elisabeth Half MD [1] and Fred M. Konikoff MD [1]

Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba affiliated with Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel

Table 1. Medical treatment before and after cannabis use

Drug	Before	After
No treatment	None	9
5-ASA (5-aminosalicylic acid)	27	5
Corticosteroids	26	4
Thiopurine	20	10
Methotrexate	6	0
TNF antagonist	12	4

“Several facts point to an objective benefit of cannabis use. The observed reduced use of steroids (from 26 to 4 patients) and other drugs may point to an objective beneficial effect of cannabis. Whereas 25% to 38% of operated Crohn’s disease patients are expected to require a second operation within 5 years of the first [cite], only 2 of 15 patients (13%) who had surgery before cannabis consumption required surgery while consuming cannabis.”

“The effects of cannabinoids on the immune system are diverse and include modulating proliferation of B cells, T cells, and natural killer cells, modulating production of antibodies and cytokines, and regulating functions of NK cells, mac- rophages, T helper cells, mast cells and dendritic cells.”

Good news for IBS patients, cannabis can boost our antibodies.

“Cannabinoids influence gastrointestinal motility and, in particular, have an anti-diarrheal effect, as observed in mice injected with cholera toxin. The central effect of cannabinoids may induce a sensation of general well-being, which could contribute to the feeling that cannabis use is beneficial. However, this general effect wears off with time as tolerance develops, while the positive effect of cannabis on disease activity in our patients was maintained for an average period of 3.1 years.”

Here’s the science behind why cannabis slows down our digestive system and can prevent or slow diarrheal.

“One of the reasons that cannabis is unappealing to many patients is that it is administered by smoking. Smoking in general is unacceptable to both medical professionals and many patients. The negative effect of tobacco smoking on Crohn’s disease is also well known. Several studies demonstrated a dose-related adverse effect of cannabis on large airway function, but not on small airway function, which is compromised by tobacco smoking. Smoking cannabis is the preferred mode of consumption because upon smoking, blood levels of cannabinoids rise rapidly and a central effect is achieved quickly.”

Vaporizing is yet again a clear winner for medical marijuana patients.

“However, an anti-inflammatory effect, especially in the gut, may be achieved equally well by consuming cannabis orally.”

Eating marijuana edibles also gives the same great benefits but is much harder to control the dosage.

The Research Findings

Of the 30 patients 21 improved significantly after treatment with cannabis
The need for other medication was significantly reduced.
cannabis may have a positive effect on disease activity
cannabis may reduce disease activity and the need for other drugs and surgery

Medical Marijuana as an Alternative to Prescription Drugs?

Different drugs used for Crohn’s disease range from sulfasalazine, to antibiotics in mild cases, to oral corticosteroids, azathioprine, methotrexate, and tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors in moderate and severe cases. The use of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors has revolutionized the therapy of severe Crohn’s disease. [cite]

From the Elsevier medical textbook “Abdominal Imaging” by Dushyant V. Sahani and Anthony E. Samir.

This same study finds: “Cannabis may have a positive effect on Crohn’s disease activity, as reflected by a reduction in disease activity index and in the need for other drugs and surgery.”

“Of particular interest is the observation that cannabis may have a steroid-sparing effect, since the number of patients requiring steroid treatment was reduced from 26 to 4. Fifteen of the patients had 19 surgeries during an average period of 9 years before cannabis use, but only 2 required surgery during an average period of 3 years of cannabis use.” [cite]

References

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