Cannabis beats traditional drugs for inflammatory bowel disease
Crohn’s disease is part of a group of conditions known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The disease causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestintal tract. New research shows that cannabis beats traditional drugs for inflammatory bowel disease.
Crohn’s is typically treated with drugs, however 70% of people with the condition end up needing surgery. The problem with traditional treatments is that even after surgery, 30% of patients have a recurrence of the disease.
The study abstract explained the method and results:
We studied 21 patients (mean age, 40 ± 14 y; 13 men) with Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) scores greater than 200 who did not respond to therapy with steroids, immunomodulators, or anti-tumor necrosis factor-α agents. Patients were assigned randomly to groups given cannabis, twice daily, in the form of cigarettes containing 115 mg of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or placebo containing cannabis flowers from which the THC had been extracted. Disease activity and laboratory tests were assessed during 8 weeks of treatment and 2 weeks thereafter.
RESULTS:
Complete remission (CDAI score, <150) was achieved by 5 of 11 subjects in the cannabis group (45%) and 1 of 10 in the placebo group (10%; P = .43). A clinical response (decrease in CDAI score of >100) was observed in 10 of 11 subjects in the cannabis group (90%; from 330 ± 105 to 152 ± 109) and 4 of 10 in the placebo group (40%; from 373 ± 94 to 306 ± 143; P = .028). Three patients in the cannabis group were weaned from steroid dependency. Subjects receiving cannabis reported improved appetite and sleep, with no significant side effects.
The researchers found that the participants who were given cannabis showed significant benefits in treating Crohn’s disease compared to a placebo. The participants who received cannabis also reported improved appetite and sleep, without any harmful side effects.
Cannabis contains compounds called cannabinoids, which have potent anti-inflammatory properties. This could explain the benefits they showed against Crohn’s disease.
The study showing that cannabis beats traditional drugs for inflammatory bowel disease was published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Cannabis Superior To Drugs For Inflammatory Bowel Condition (Crohn’s Disease).” GreenMedInfo.com. GreenMedInfo.com, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
2. “Cannabis Induces a Clinical Response in Patients with Crohn’s Disease: A Prospective Placebo-controlled Study.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
3. “Crohn’s & Colitis.” CCFA. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
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