Numerous peer-reviewed research studies published in well-known journals sometimes show the explicit efficacy of various cannabinoids and terpenes made from the cannabis plant (also called marijuana, cannabis and ceramics).
What is Crohn’s disease?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Crohn’s disease is a “type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)” that can sometimes lead to severe inflammation in the digestive tract. This inflammation can cause symptoms that include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and even malnutrition.
Crohn got his name from Dr. Burrill Crohn, an American gastroenterologist who, together with two colleagues, formally discovered the disease in 1932. “Crohn’s disease can be painful and debilitating and can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications …”
“Inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease can affect different parts of the digestive tract in different people. This inflammation often spreads to the deeper layers of the gut,” explains the Mayo Clinic.
“Crohn’s disease can be painful and debilitating and can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications,” the organization explains, adding that there is no known cause or cure for this common and life-changing disease. In severe cases, fever and anemia may occur and patients may be prescribed chemotherapy, steroids or surgery to remove severely dislocated parts of the bowel.
The onset of this painful disease usually occurs when the person is between 20 and 30 years old. However, according to Johns Hopkins University, one in six patients experiences Crohn’s symptoms before the age of 15.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta: “An estimated 1.3 percent of American adults (3 million people) were diagnosed with IBD (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) in 2015. It can affect 800,000 Americans.
Research study
A 2013 research study conducted in Israel examined the effectiveness of smoking loose cannabis leaves in patients with Crohn’s disease.
The study was entitled “Cannabis Induces Clinical Response in Crohn’s Disease Patients: A Prospective Placebo-Controlled Study” and was published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Copyright © Higher Learning LV ™
It was noted that “the marijuana plant Cannabis Sativa has been reported to have beneficial effects on patients with inflammatory bowel disease, but has not yet been studied in controlled studies.”
The researchers studied 21 patients with a mean age of 40, including 13 men and eight women. All study participants had Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) scores greater than 200 and “did not respond to therapy with steroids, immunomodulators, or anti-tumor necrosis factor-α.”
The participants were “randomly assigned to groups receiving cannabis twice daily in the form of cigarettes containing 115 mg of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as a placebo with cannabis flowers in which THC was removed.”
Study participants were “randomly assigned to groups receiving cannabis twice daily in the form of cigarettes containing 115 mg of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as a placebo with cannabis flowers in which THC was removed,” the study said.
This double daily smoking routine full of THC joints lasted eight weeks. Participants were examined for “disease activity” at this time and for another two weeks after the end of treatment. Results
Given the relatively short time patients used cannabis joints (only eight weeks), the results were considered surprising and positive. The study found that “complete remission” was achieved in five of the 11 subjects in the cannabis group (45%) and in 1 of 10 in the placebo group.
“Clinical response was observed in 10 of 11 subjects in the cannabis group (90 percent) and in four of 10 in the placebo group (40 percent). Three patients in the cannabis group were discharged from steroid treatment. Participants reported improved appetite and better sleep quality, “without significant [negative] effects.”
The study found that “complete remission” was achieved in five of the 11 subjects in the cannabis group (45%) and in 1 of 10 in the placebo group. The researchers concluded that “Although the primary endpoint of the study (induction of remission) was not achieved [most participants], eight weeks of THC-rich cannabis” did not produce clinical significance, no steroid benefit for 10 of 11 patients with active Crohn’s disease compared to with placebo. The authors of the study found that this was achieved without side effects.
The study found that similar trials in people involving several groups of Crohn’s disease patients and non-smoked cannabis drugs (such as food or sublingual tinctures) were needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms that led to improvement and potential forgiveness.
Take a look at the original study.
