Medical Marijuana & Chronic Abdominal Pain

The chronic abdominal pain found in Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis stems from the body’s immune system incorrectly recognizing parts of the digestive system as foreign, and attacking the tissue as if it were an infection. The apparent reduction in most of the symptoms of these diseases when the appropriate medical marijuana is used is an intense area of research.

CB1 and CB2 receptors are found in different places throughout the digestive system, but the well-known anti-inflammatory role of the CB2 receptor is believed to play the major role in medical marijuana’s effectiveness here.

A recent observational study strongly suggests that cannabis use reduced the intensity of symptoms, the dosages of additional medications, and the need for corrective surgery in the vast majority of subjects. Another study even shows nearly half of patients entering remission, and the rest improving their quality of life with no significant side effects.