12% of IBD Patients Actively Used Marijuana, With Most Finding It "Very Helpful" for Pain, Nausea, and Diarrhea | Research

The takeaway

Among 292 inflammatory bowel disease patients, 12.3% actively used marijuana, with chronic abdominal pain as the strongest predictor, and the majority reported it was "very helpful" for symptom relief.

Read this if you have IBD and are considering marijuana for symptom management.

Chronic abdominal pain increased medicinal marijuana use 4.7-fold in IBD patients

What the researchers found

A survey of 292 IBD patients at an academic medical center (94% response rate) found that 12.3% were active marijuana users, 39.0% were past users, and 48.6% had never used. Among current and past users, 16.4% used marijuana specifically for disease symptoms, with the majority rating it "very helpful" for abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea.

Chronic abdominal pain was the strongest predictor of both current use (OR=3.5) and medicinal use (OR=4.7). Younger age also predicted both use patterns. Notably, half of never-users expressed interest in using marijuana for abdominal pain if it were legally available.

Why it matters

The high response rate (94%) and the finding that patients with the most pain are most likely to use marijuana suggests genuine symptom-driven demand rather than recreational use with medical justification. The 50% interest among never-users indicates substantial unmet need for pain management in IBD.

The numbers in context

292 patients, 94% response rate. 12.3% current users. 39% past users. 16.4% used for disease symptoms. Chronic pain: OR=3.5 for current use, OR=4.7 for medicinal use. 50% of never-users interested if legal.

How the study worked

Prospective cohort survey at an academic medical center. 292 IBD patients (94% response rate). Self-reported marijuana use patterns, perceived benefits, and predictors of use. Multivariate logistic regression for predictors.

What this study cannot tell us

Single academic medical center. Self-reported use and benefits. Cross-sectional design. Patients who found marijuana unhelpful may have stopped and not reported use. The survey did not distinguish between smoking, edibles, or other forms. No objective outcome measures.

How to read the evidence

Well-designed survey with high response rate; moderate evidence for use patterns and perceived benefits.

When this study was published

Published in 2013. Research on cannabinoids for IBD has expanded, with some controlled trials now available.

The bigger picture

This study documented that IBD patients were already using marijuana for symptom management despite limited clinical evidence. The inclusion of ulcerative colitis patients is important because they were excluded from medical marijuana laws at the time, yet also reported benefit.

Questions still open

Would controlled trials of cannabis for IBD confirm the perceived benefits? Does cannabis address the underlying inflammation or just mask symptoms? Should medical marijuana laws include ulcerative colitis alongside Crohn's disease?

Common questions

Do IBD patients use marijuana for their symptoms?

Yes. This survey found that 12.3% of IBD patients were active marijuana users, and among those who had ever used, 16.4% did so specifically for disease symptoms. The strongest predictor of use was chronic abdominal pain. Most who used it for symptoms rated it "very helpful" for pain, nausea, and diarrhea.

Does marijuana help ulcerative colitis or just Crohn's disease?

While medical marijuana laws at the time of this study often specified Crohn's disease, this survey included both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis patients, and both reported benefits. The authors specifically noted that UC patients were excluded from legal protections despite reporting similar symptom relief.

Read the original research

Marijuana use patterns among patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel diseases, 19(13), 2809-14

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Ravikoff Allegretti, Jessica; Courtwright, Andrew; Lucci, Matthew; Korzenik, Joshua R; Levine, Jonathan. (2013). Marijuana use patterns among patients with inflammatory bowel disease.. Inflammatory bowel diseases, 19(13), 2809-14. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.MIB.0000435851.94391.37