Cannabis induces a clinical response in patients with Crohn’s disease
The objective of this prospective placebo-controlled study, was to determine if medicinal cannabis can induce remission in patients with Crohn’s disease. Twenty one patients with Crohn’s disease were divided into two different groups. One was given medical Marijuana twice a day in the form of cigarettes. The second group received cannabis flowers with no THC (i.e. the study group). Both groups were tested for eight weeks during the treatment and were monitored for two additional weeks after the treatment ended.
According to researcher Timna Margalit, “the results (and my experience) shows that there is a group of patients that really benefits from cannabis, however, it cannot stand alone and must be a part of a treatment that includes all the options we have available. Cannabis is not suitable for everyone and in fact, it is suitable for only a small portion of patients. We have got a long way ahead of us before cannabis will overcome its experimental status to a standard treatment. The active ingredients, the right dosage and the correct way to consume it must be properly revealed. And we must develop a product which is at the level of a medicinal drug which is a pure medicine excluding the unnecessary ingredients, it should be homogeneous and consistent each and every month.
The main objective of the research wasn’t achieved, but eight weeks of THC-rich cannabis had a significant clinical benefits in 10 out of 11 patients with active Crohn’s disease and with no side effects. Further investigation and research are needed in order to examine the potential influence of medical cannabis on patients with Crohn’s disease.