Cannabis Shows Potential for Patients with Gastrointestinal Disorders in Recent Study

Findings from a recent study suggest that medical cannabis may be beneficial for people with digestive disorders and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Mark E. Gerich, MD, division of gastroenterology and hepatology, University of Colorado, and colleagues, have summarized current data that support the use of cannabis for digestive disorders, as well as the medicolegal implications for physicians who would prescribe medical cannabis for treatment. The authors published the study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

There are already some people with gastrointestinal disorders that use cannabis for symptomatic relief, often without fully understanding the risks and benefits of the drug for their condition. The lack of understanding is also shared by healthcare providers. With marijuana designated as a Schedule I controlled substance at the federal level, clinical investigation of its effects has been limited.

Experts have noted that the chemical compounds in cannabis that have the most clinical interest are 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which affect cannabinoid receptors that are partially implicated in the gastrointestinal tract. These receptors are believed to “promote an inhibitory effect on motility and secretory function via reduced acetylcholine release.”

According to the authors, among patients in the study with Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), the majority reported that cannabis improved disease-related symptoms including poor appetite, nausea and abdominal pain. Research data indicated that more than half of patients who do not use cannabis, would consider it if it were more widely legalized. Additionally, study data indicated that CD patients who smoke medical cannabis experienced improvement in symptoms, overall well-being and steroid use, with one RCT of 21 patients who smoked twice daily having significant improvement in terms of the CD Activity Index.

Dr. Gerich noted that although the clinical benefit of marijuana is unclear, it appears to have some benefit for gastrointestinal symptoms. He said that although legitimate concerns regarding long-term safety of marijuana exist, its safety profile compares favorably to legal intoxicants like alcohol, opioids and some existing drugs for digestive disorders.

Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. These laws vary widely from state to state in terms of the administrative steps to obtain a prescription, and approved conditions for which the treatment is indicated. The majority of the states with medical marijuana programs have designed physician protections, however the federal legal status of the drug as a Schedule I controlled substance remains a liability deterrent for many physicians.

Source: Medical Marijuana for Digestive Disorders: High Time to Prescribe?

Last updated: 10/23/14; 1:50pm EST