A study published in Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids indicated that patients reported a decrease in refractory gastrointestinal (GI) problems following the use of cannabis products. Some of the formulations included cannabis extracts and flower.
A team of researchers associated with Thomas Jefferson University evaluated the effects of medical cannabis on patients’ GI symptoms. They tracked changes in symptoms that included nausea, vomiting, constipation, heartburn, stomach pain, and anorexia. Patients who completed surveys at 30 days, six months, and a year reported the nature and severity of symptoms. The initial baseline survey focused on patient demographics, medical conditions, medications, and patterns of medical cannabis use. The team confirmed patients’ qualifying medical conditions for legal medical cannabis use by reviewing Pennsylvania’s Office of Medical Marijuana database).
The participants were primarily female, non-Hispanic, and White and significantly older than the male participants. Survey analysis revealed that the three most common certified conditions for medical cannabis use included chronic pain (30.9%), anxiety (45.5%), and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (10.9%).
Survey results showed the participants’ preferred cannabis consumption methods. The following modes of administration were most popular: vaporization cartridges (42.9–69.1%), flower (14.3–70.9%), capsules (9.1–78.6%), and tinctures (4.8–20.0%). Some reasons participants chose to discontinue using a product include the following: “availability” (50.0–66.0%), “not effective” (4.8–17.0%), and “prefer other meds” (0–21.4%).
Participants reported a significant reduction in GI symptom severity when using medical cannabis compared to when not using medical cannabis. Some patients experienced side effects from the self-administered cannabinoid treatments. Reported side effects from medical cannabis use included anxiety (4–11.9%), cough (4–11.9%), headache (6–7.9%), dry mouth (4–7.1%), fatigue (6–16.7%), and increased appetite (12–21.4%).
The researchers claim that this is the first study to examine the medical cannabis’ longitudinal effects on gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with refractory GI and non-GI conditions. Several other studies have found a link between medical cannabis and improved wellness in patients experiencing symptoms common to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, and many other GI conditions.
Future research studies are needed to determine the effects of different medical cannabis products with various cannabinoid ratios, dosing amounts, and modes of delivery.
Sources: Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, NORML
