Federally Funded Study Finds Marijuana and CBD Provide Significant Relief for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients
A recent study conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has found that a majority of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) reported significant symptom relief from using marijuana and CBD. The study surveyed 139 participants, including 106 IBD patients and 39 non-IBD controls, and found that over 50% of IBD patients who used cannabis reported it was an effective therapeutic option for relieving symptoms such as abdominal pain, anxiety, depression, and nausea.
The study also found that 19.4% of IBD patients reported decreased opioid use and 14.5% reported induced remission with cannabis or CBD oil. Additionally, 63% of IBD participants reported that cannabis had a beneficial effect in relieving their IBD symptoms, while 57% held this belief about CBD oil.
The researchers noted that a significant portion of respondents with IBD self-reported using cannabis (54%) or CBD (41%) for medical use, symptom relief, pain management, and mental health support. The study also found that IBD patients were more likely to use cannabis or CBD for short-term symptom relief compared to long-term symptom relief.
The findings of this study suggest that marijuana and CBD may be perceived as effective therapeutic agents for symptom management in IBD patients, despite the lack of conclusive clinical evidence. The study’s results are consistent with previous research on the use of cannabis for IBD, which has shown that cannabinoid therapy can help reduce disease activity and improve quality of life in patients with chronic diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
