Medical Cannabis for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The beneficial effect of cannabinoids on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has been recognized for centuries. However, until recently, little attention was attributed toward the medical usage of cannabis in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the past years, a few clinical studies approaching this subject were published. Summarizing all the published results leads to the conclusion that cannabis can be beneficial for IBD symptoms relief. Patients reported significant improvement in abdominal pain, diarrhea, increased appetite, and improved quality of life. Side effects, if any, were mild. However, these were small studies, and only one of them was double-blind placebo controlled. Therefore, more double-blind placebo-controlled large volume studies are warranted in order to assess the utility, indications, and contraindications to cannabis use as a therapeutic tool in IBD patients.