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

The takeaway

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.

Read this if you have inflammatory bowel disease and are curious about how many other patients use cannabis for symptom relief.

50% of Crohn's disease cannabis users reported symptom relief use

What the researchers 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).

Why it 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 numbers in context

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 the study worked

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.

What this study cannot 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.

How to read the evidence

Cross-sectional survey providing prevalence and pattern data without efficacy assessment.

When this study was published

Published in 2011. Controlled trials of cannabis for IBD have since been conducted.

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.

Questions still open

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

Common 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.

Read the original research

Cannabis use amongst patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 23(10), 891-6

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

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