There has been anecdotal evidence circulating over years that when cannabis is used to treat symptoms of Crohn’s disease, it yields positive results. While most of the evidence remains anecdotal, there are some studies that have been conducted on the symptoms of Crohn’s disease in relation to medicinal cannabis.
A study done in 2013 used a Sativa strain of medicinal cannabis to see whether or not using medicinal cannabis in patients with Crohn’s disease could actually induce the remission of symptoms for patients.
21 patients who had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and were not responding to traditional medication treatments, including steroid therapy were divided into groups. One group was given cannabis that contained 9% THC. The other group was given a placebo of cannabis flower in which the THC had been extracted. They were given the cannabis to be inhaled 2 times a day for a total of 8 weeks.
In the group of participants that had been given a 9% THC stain of cannabis, complete remission was reported by 5 of the 11 people. An overall significant clinical repose was reported by 10 out of the 11 participants in the THC rich group. In the group who were given the placebo where THC was extracted, 1 out of the 10 participants reported complete remission.
Although the study was not able to conclude that cannabis containing THC could effectively induce remission in patients with Crohn’s disease, this short study did suggest that the cannabis rich in THC was able to produce favorable results for patients living with active Crohn’s disease in comparison to their placebo counterparts.
More medical studies involving a larger population and perhaps studies done on other methods of utilizing medicinal cannabis are still needed.
If you feel that medicinal cannabis could benefit your condition, talk to you primary physician about the potential risks and benefits. Medicinal cannabis is not suited for everyone. Always speak with your doctor before starting a new medication regimen.
