Marijuana Benefits

Crohn's Disease & Medical Marijuana

Crohn's Disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the gastrointestinal tract and most often refers to conditions involving the large intestine and anus. Commonly prescribed pharmaceutical drugs such as corticosteroids are known to produce serious and sometimes deadly side effects. Medical Cannabis is widely reported to be as effective as commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals with minimal side effects.

“He died from complications of ulcer and colitis after being treated with drugs for his rheumatoid arthritis, which he had for over 15 years.”

-- Irving Azoff, Eagles Manager

Irving Azoff reported that Eagles founding member,Glenn Frey, died prematurely at age 67 from the medications he was taking for inflammatory Colitis and other related conditions.

Symptoms of Crohn's

abdominal pain
diarrhea (sometimes bloody)
fever
weight loss

Complications of Crohn's

anemia
rashes
arthritis
eye inflammation
lethargy

Medical Marijuana Doctors and Their Research

Cannabis is now routinely prescribed to treat most symptoms and complications of Crohn's by Medical Marijuana Clinics. Researchers are beginning to understand how the components (Cannabinoids) of Cannabis work. New Medical Marijuana strains with varying quantities of active ingredients, Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are now available and afford treatment to a greater audience with greater efficacy.

Case Study 1

Marijuana Use Patterns Among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

-- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4126607/

Researchers from Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospitals, report that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) find that Medical Marijuana really works.

“A significant number of patients with IBD currently use marijuana. Most patients find it very helpful for symptom control, including patients with ulcerative colitis, who are currently excluded from Medical Marijuana laws.”

-- Brigham and Women’s Hospital Team

Study Highlights

292 patients completed the survey, response rate = 94%
Few patients (12.3%) were active users of marijuana
Among current and past users, 16.4% of patients used marijuana for disease symptoms
The majority of patients felt marijuana was “very helpful” for relief of abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea

Conclusion

Patients found that Medical Marijuana was “very helpful” for relief of common symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea and sometimes diarrhea." Clinical trials are needed to determine marijuana's potential as an IBD therapy and to better guide prescription decisions.

Case Study 2 - Cannabis Induces a Clinical Response in Patients with Crohn's Disease - COMPLETE REMISSION

-- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23648372

Researchers at Tel Aviv University found that nearly 50% of Crohn's disease patients achieved COMPLETE REMISSION after 8 weeks of Medical Cannabis Treatment. Only one in ten patients went into remission.

"THC-rich Cannabis produced significant clinical, steroid-free benefits to 11 patients with active Crohn's disease, compared with placebo, without side effects."

Patients reported an improvement in appetite and sleep patterns, and also helped some patients to reduce or eliminate steroid medications that caused serious complications.