Crohn’s disease (IBD) Inflammatory bowel disease is an intestinal disease characterized by a chronic inflammation that can entail some part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. IBD is a multitude of inflammatory diseases affecting the digestive tract. IBD symptoms include severe cramping, diarrhea, and bloating. These symptoms can be disruptive and painful to individuals who suffer from the disease. In addition, inflammatory bowel disease affects the gastrointestinal tract lining, weight loss, causing pain, eating difficulties, and other symptoms. 

There are approximately 1.4 million Americans who suffer from Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD  or ulcerative colitis.

With that said, CBD has been shown to have compelling therapeutic advantages in managing Crohn’s disease with minimum side effects compared to other conventional treatments. 

In patients with Crohn’s disease, the disease prevents the cannabinoid receptors in charge of ensuring the efficiency of gastrointestinal operations. Therefore, the endocannabinoid framework assumes a critical role in controlling numerous fundamental pathways and frameworks that spread throughout one’s body — including the direction of inflammation. 

Even though the endocannabinoid framework holds a multifunctional job, one of its prominent roles is to guarantee appropriate control of pain and inflammation. In addition, Endocannabinoids work to protect the gut by reducing intestinal motility and preventing inflammation in the lower digestive tracts. However, specific cytokines can activate an inflammatory response, a component that cannabinoids scattered inside the endocannabinoid system regulates. As a result, patients with Crohn’s may discover an imbalance in the system responsible for many of the symptoms encountered.

One of the main functions of the endocannabinoid system is to promote homeostasis, a standard response of the body to both external and internal factors affecting it. Cannabidiol helps the body to achieve this desired state. These cannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds isolated from the Cannabis sativa plant. Over 70 types of cannabinoids have been extracted. Some of the known cannabinoids include Cannabidiol (CBD, cannabinol (CBN), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Furthermore, dosing with cannabidiol helps stimulate CB1 receptors to elicit an anti-inflammatory response. By activating these receptors, cannabis products can efficiently control the release of cytokines to ensure pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects. The reduction in inflammation also helps regulate the patient’s intestinal tract. As a result, it leads to minor irritation and pain in the abdominal area, normalized bowls, and an increased appetite, which is essential for adequate nutrition.

In summary, finding the correct CBD dosage can have beneficial effects in reducing inflammation with minimum side effects when treating Crohn’s disease since it’s a chronic inflammatory condition.

Resources and Studies

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6727090/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32149543/

https://www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(13)01783-7/pdf

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/cannabis-improves-symptoms-of-crohns-disease

https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/crohns-disease/features/crohns-disease-marijuana-cbd