Cannabis users hospitalized with inflammatory bowel disease had shorter stays and lower bills

Q: Can cannabis help with inflammatory bowel disease?

This large hospital study found cannabis-using IBD patients had shorter stays and lower complication rates in some areas. However, it's observational data and can't prove cannabis caused better outcomes.

Q: Why were some complications higher in cannabis users?

Cannabis-using Crohn's patients had higher rates of fistulizing disease and lower GI hemorrhage. This may reflect that sicker patients are more likely to use cannabis for symptom relief, rather than cannabis causing these complications.

In a propensity-matched national sample, cannabis-using IBD patients had shorter hospital stays and lower charges than non-users, with mixed results on specific complications.

Desai, Rupak et al.·Annals of translational medicine·2019·Moderate EvidenceRetrospective Cohort

Inflammation (370)Medical Cannabis (1546)Harm Reduction (776)

Quick Facts

Study Type

Retrospective Cohort

Evidence

Moderate Evidence

Sample

Not reported

What This Study Found

In Crohn's disease, cannabis users had lower rates of colorectal cancer (0.3% vs 1.2%), parenteral nutrition need, and anemia, but higher rates of fistulizing disease and lower GI hemorrhage. Both CD and UC cannabis users had shorter hospital stays (4.2 vs 5.0 days for CD; 4.3 vs 5.7 days for UC) and lower charges.

Key Numbers

Crohn's: 6,002 propensity-matched patients. Colorectal cancer: 0.3% vs 1.2% (cannabis vs non). Hospital stay: 4.2 vs 5.0 days. Charges: $28,956 vs $35,180. UC: 1,481 matched patients. Hospital stay: 4.3 vs 5.7 days. Charges lower with cannabis use (p < .001).

How They Did This

Propensity-matched analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2010-2014) comparing cannabis-using vs non-using hospitalizations for Crohn's disease (6,002 matched) and ulcerative colitis (1,481 matched) using ICD-9 codes.

Why This Research Matters

Cannabis has known anti-inflammatory properties, and IBD patients increasingly use it for symptom management. This large national analysis provides real-world data on how cannabis use correlates with hospitalization outcomes in this population.

The Bigger Picture

The anti-inflammatory potential of cannabis aligns with the shorter hospitalizations and lower complication rates seen here, though the observational design means cannabis users may differ from non-users in ways beyond their cannabis use that affect outcomes.

What This Study Doesn't Tell Us

Observational propensity-matched study cannot establish causation. ICD-9 codes for cannabis use likely underestimate prevalence. No data on cannabis type, dose, frequency, or route of administration. Recreational use codes may miss medical users.

Questions This Raises

?Would controlled medical cannabis administration show clearer benefits for IBD patients?
?Is the lower colorectal cancer rate in cannabis users a direct anti-inflammatory effect or confounded by other factors?
?Which cannabinoids are most relevant for gut inflammation?

Trust & Context

Key Stat:: Cannabis-using Crohn's patients: 0.3% vs 1.2% colorectal cancer, shorter hospital stays
Evidence Grade:: Moderate: large national dataset with propensity matching, but retrospective and reliant on billing codes.
Study Age:: Published in 2019, using 2010-2014 data.
Original Title:: In-hospital outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease in cannabis users: a nationwide propensity-matched analysis in the United States.
Published In:: Annals of translational medicine, 7(12), 252 (2019)
Authors:: Desai, Rupak(6), Patel, Upenkumar, Goyal, Hemant(6), Rimu, Afrina Hossain, Zalavadia, Dipen, Bansal, Pardeep, Shah, Nihar
Database ID:: RTHC-02009

Evidence Hierarchy

Meta-Analysis / Systematic Review

Randomized Controlled Trial

Cohort / Case-ControlFollows or compares groups over time

This study

Cross-Sectional / Observational

Case Report / Animal Study

Looks back at existing records to find patterns.

What do these levels mean? →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can cannabis help with inflammatory bowel disease?

This large hospital study found cannabis-using IBD patients had shorter stays and lower complication rates in some areas. However, it's observational data and can't prove cannabis caused better outcomes.

Why were some complications higher in cannabis users?

Cannabis-using Crohn's patients had higher rates of fistulizing disease and lower GI hemorrhage. This may reflect that sicker patients are more likely to use cannabis for symptom relief, rather than cannabis causing these complications.

Cite This Study

RTHC-02009·https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02009

APA

Desai, Rupak; Patel, Upenkumar; Goyal, Hemant; Rimu, Afrina Hossain; Zalavadia, Dipen; Bansal, Pardeep; Shah, Nihar. (2019). In-hospital outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease in cannabis users: a nationwide propensity-matched analysis in the United States.. Annals of translational medicine, 7(12), 252. https://doi.org/10.21037/atm.2019.04.63

MLA

Desai, Rupak, et al. "In-hospital outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease in cannabis users: a nationwide propensity-matched analysis in the United States.." Annals of translational medicine, 2019. https://doi.org/10.21037/atm.2019.04.63

RethinkTHC

RethinkTHC Research Database. "In-hospital outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease in cannab..." RTHC-02009. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/desai-2019-inhospital-outcomes-of-inflammatory

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Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.

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