A new study has found that patients who consumed cannabis experienced less symptoms of IBD than those who didn’t.
Published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, the study also found that the cohort of cannabis consumers also had fewer visits to the emergency room.
The patients’ preferred method of consumption was by vaping THC-dominant cannabis, and they experienced minimal negative side effects.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the UK
IBD consists of two medical conditions: ulcerative colitis and Chron’s disease.
It’s estimated that there around half-a-million people living with mild to severe IBD symptoms in the UK.
The main symptoms of IBD are:
- Diarrhoea and constipation
- Fatigue
- Dehydration
- Bloating
- Achy bones and joints
The study
Researchers examined IBD patients and their history of cannabis in the New York and Minnesota area.
The survey consisted of patients over the age of 18, and involved a series of questions surrounding the patient’s IBD symptoms and their medicinal cannabis habits, which included any adverse effects they experienced and their history of cannabis purchases.
Findings
The majority of the results were extremely positive, and authors concluded that medical cannabis consumers experienced fewer IBD symptoms and less trips to the doctor.
It was found that medical cannabis had a positive impact on the patients’ overall quality of life, with 75% of people reporting a feeling of euphoria.
Most of the IBD cases ranged from mild to moderate, and on average, medicinal cannabis was consumed around once per week.
The patients’ preferred method of consumption was by vaping THC-dominant cannabis.
There were also some negative side effects that were reported, but only by a minority of people, which consisted of:
- 4% said they felt drowsy
- 3% experienced dry mouths and eyes
- 3% experienced anxiety and paranoia
To make better judgements on the results, and to fully understand the impact cannabis has on IBD, researchers have acknowledged that more frequent and larger studies are needed.
But for now, research seems to suggest that the impact is a positive one.
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