IBD patients who self-medicated with cannabis showed more depression, impulsivity, and substance misuse risk
Among 201 IBD patients, those using cannabis to manage symptoms showed higher impulsivity, more depressive symptoms, and were 4 times more likely to be high in impulsivity than recreational cannabis users, flagging substance misuse vulnerability.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
IBD patients self-medicating with cannabis were more likely to use cannabis for coping (p=0.016), demonstrated higher impulsivity (p=0.004), and had more depressive symptoms (p=0.012) compared to recreational users. Smokers, those with moderate-severe depression, and those high in impulsivity were each about 4 times more likely to use cannabis for IBD symptoms.
Key Numbers
201 IBD patients, 108 with lifetime cannabis use. Crohn's patients more likely to use for symptoms (53%) vs UC (28%). Self-medicators: 4.1x more likely to smoke tobacco, 3.7x more likely to have moderate-severe depression, 4.1x more likely to be high in impulsivity.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey of 201 IBD patients examining cannabis use patterns, mental health symptoms, and personality risk factors for substance misuse. Compared individuals using cannabis for IBD management versus recreational use.
Why This Research Matters
As medical cannabis is increasingly considered for IBD, this study highlights that patients self-selecting cannabis treatment may have characteristics that increase their vulnerability to substance misuse.
The Bigger Picture
The findings suggest that screening for mental health comorbidities and substance misuse vulnerability should be standard practice before recommending or prescribing cannabis for IBD, rather than simply assuming medical use is inherently low-risk.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine if cannabis use caused or resulted from the observed mental health patterns. Self-report measures may not capture full picture. The sample may not represent all IBD patients.
Questions This Raises
- ?Should IBD treatment guidelines include mental health screening before cannabis recommendations?
- ?Do the patients self-medicating with cannabis achieve better symptom control despite their higher risk profile?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 4x more likely to self-medicate if high in impulsivity
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: adequate sample with validated psychological measures, though cross-sectional and limited to self-report.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2020 in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis Use in Persons With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Vulnerability to Substance Misuse.
- Published In:
- Inflammatory bowel diseases, 26(9), 1401-1406 (2020)
- Authors:
- Hansen, Tawnya M, Sabourin, Brigitte C, Oketola, Banke, Bernstein, Charles N, Singh, Harminder, Targownik, Laura E
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02600
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does this mean cannabis is bad for IBD patients?
Not necessarily. The study found that patients who chose to self-medicate had more risk factors for substance misuse, not that cannabis itself caused harm. It suggests screening is important, not that cannabis should be avoided entirely.
Why were Crohn's patients more likely to self-medicate?
A higher proportion of Crohn's disease patients (53%) used cannabis for symptom management compared to those with ulcerative colitis (28%). Crohn's disease may cause more pain and symptoms that lead patients to seek additional relief.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02600APA
Hansen, Tawnya M; Sabourin, Brigitte C; Oketola, Banke; Bernstein, Charles N; Singh, Harminder; Targownik, Laura E. (2020). Cannabis Use in Persons With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Vulnerability to Substance Misuse.. Inflammatory bowel diseases, 26(9), 1401-1406. https://doi.org/10.1093/ibd/izz272
MLA
Hansen, Tawnya M, et al. "Cannabis Use in Persons With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Vulnerability to Substance Misuse.." Inflammatory bowel diseases, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/ibd/izz272
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis Use in Persons With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and ..." RTHC-02600. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/hansen-2020-cannabis-use-in-persons
Access the Original Study
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.