About half of inflammatory bowel disease patients had used cannabis, with one-third to half using it for symptom relief

Q: Do people with IBD use cannabis for their symptoms?

In this study, about half of IBD patients had tried cannabis, and 33-50% of users specifically used it for symptom relief (pain, diarrhea, appetite). Those with the most severe disease were the most likely to use it.

Q: Does cannabis help with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis?

This survey documented that many patients reported benefit, but it was not a controlled trial. The authors called for formal clinical trials to determine whether cannabis provides measurable clinical improvement.

Among 291 IBD patients, about half reported lifetime cannabis use, with 33% of UC and 50% of Crohn's disease users reporting use for symptom relief, particularly those with prior surgery or chronic pain.

Lal, Simon et al.·European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology·2011·Preliminary EvidenceCross-Sectional

Medical Cannabis (1546)Pain (645)Appetite (142)

Quick Facts

Study Type

Cross-Sectional

Evidence

Preliminary Evidence

Sample

Not reported

What This Study Found

Researchers surveyed 100 ulcerative colitis (UC) and 191 Crohn's disease (CD) patients at a specialty clinic about cannabis use.

Lifetime cannabis use was similar between groups: 51% of UC and 48% of CD patients. Current use was 12% for UC and 16% for CD. Among lifetime users, 33% of UC and 50% of CD patients reported using cannabis specifically for IBD symptom relief, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and reduced appetite.

Patients more likely to use cannabis for symptom relief had a history of abdominal surgery (60% vs 32%, p=0.002), chronic analgesic use (71% vs 31%, p<0.001), complementary medicine use (55% vs 32%, p=0.01), and lower quality of life scores (45.1 vs 50.3, p=0.03).

Cannabis users were significantly more interested in hypothetical clinical trials (43% vs 10%, p<0.001).

Key Numbers

291 IBD patients. Lifetime use: 51% UC, 48% CD. Current use: 12% UC, 16% CD. Symptom relief use: 33% UC users, 50% CD users. Prior surgery: 60% vs 32% among users vs non-users. Interest in cannabis trial: 43% users vs 10% non-users.

How They Did This

Cross-sectional questionnaire study of 291 IBD patients (100 UC, 191 CD) at a tertiary-care outpatient clinic. Cannabis use patterns, symptom relief, socioeconomic factors, disease history, and quality of life (short-IBD questionnaire) assessed.

Why This Research Matters

The high prevalence of cannabis use for symptom relief among IBD patients, particularly the sickest patients, highlighted the need for controlled research on therapeutic cannabinoids in this population.

The Bigger Picture

The finding that the most treatment-resistant IBD patients (those with surgery, chronic pain) were the most likely cannabis users suggested unmet therapeutic needs that warranted formal investigation.

What This Study Doesn't Tell Us

Cross-sectional self-report design. Tertiary care patients may not represent all IBD patients. Cannabis use was self-reported and may be underreported. No objective efficacy assessment.

Questions This Raises

?Does cannabis provide measurable clinical benefit for IBD symptoms in controlled trials?
?Which cannabinoid formulations would be most effective for specific IBD symptoms?

Trust & Context

Key Stat:: 50% of Crohn's disease cannabis users reported symptom relief use
Evidence Grade:: Cross-sectional survey providing prevalence and pattern data without efficacy assessment.
Study Age:: Published in 2011. Controlled trials of cannabis for IBD have since been conducted.
Original Title:: Cannabis use amongst patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Published In:: European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 23(10), 891-6 (2011)
Authors:: Lal, Simon, Prasad, Neeraj, Ryan, Manijeh, Tangri, Sabrena, Silverberg, Mark S, Gordon, Allan, Steinhart, Hillary
Database ID:: RTHC-00500

Evidence Hierarchy

Meta-Analysis / Systematic Review

Randomized Controlled Trial

Cohort / Case-Control

Cross-Sectional / ObservationalSnapshot without intervening

This study

Case Report / Animal Study

A snapshot of a population at one point in time.

What do these levels mean? →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do people with IBD use cannabis for their symptoms?

In this study, about half of IBD patients had tried cannabis, and 33-50% of users specifically used it for symptom relief (pain, diarrhea, appetite). Those with the most severe disease were the most likely to use it.

Does cannabis help with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis?

This survey documented that many patients reported benefit, but it was not a controlled trial. The authors called for formal clinical trials to determine whether cannabis provides measurable clinical improvement.

Cite This Study

RTHC-00500·https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-00500

APA

Lal, Simon; Prasad, Neeraj; Ryan, Manijeh; Tangri, Sabrena; Silverberg, Mark S; Gordon, Allan; Steinhart, Hillary. (2011). Cannabis use amongst patients with inflammatory bowel disease.. European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 23(10), 891-6. https://doi.org/10.1097/MEG.0b013e328349bb4c

MLA

Lal, Simon, et al. "Cannabis use amongst patients with inflammatory bowel disease.." European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1097/MEG.0b013e328349bb4c

RethinkTHC

RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis use amongst patients with inflammatory bowel diseas..." RTHC-00500. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/lal-2011-cannabis-use-amongst-patients

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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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