UK IBD Patients Report Improvements With Medical Cannabis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in the UK have reported improvements in their condition following treatment with medical cannabis. 

According to observational data published in the journal Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, medical cannabis treatment was associated with sustained improvements in health-related quality of life and IBD-specific outcomes among patients enrolled on the UK Medical Cannabis Patient Registry. 

IBD is a term that refers to chronic autoimmune disorders that cause inflammation of the digestive tract, the most common being Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Symptoms can be varied and include severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea, fatigue and weight loss. Factors such as how the disease affects the body’s absorption of nutrients, and the side-effects of common medications mean that many patients live with co-morbidities such as arthritis and joint pain, depression and anxiety. 

There is currently no cure for IBD, with treatments focused on managing the symptoms of the condition and improving quality of life. 

Medical cannabis use among IBD patients

Medical cannabis use in not uncommon among those living with IBD. Data published in 2023 found that over a third of patients reported using cannabis to relieve their symptoms, while a nationwide survey of IBD patients in Australia found that up to a quarter used it to manage their condition. 

While there is limited long-term data on the efficacy of cannabis-based medicines specifically in IBD, previous research has indicated that these treatments may hold promise in addressing the inflammation and pain associated with these conditions.

A literature review published in October in the scientific journal Cureus highlighted how ‘many IBD patients use cannabis to control disease symptoms’ and there is ‘emerging evidence that it may play a role in disease management’.

Improvements in IBD-specific outcomes

Using data collected through the UK Medical Cannabis Patient Registry, researchers examined the effects of medical cannabis treatment on 116 patients with IBD. Over 80% of the sample identified as male.

Primary outcomes were assessed through changes in the short IBD questionnaire (SIBDQ), EQ-5D-5 L, single-item sleep quality scale (SQS) and generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), from baseline to 18-months after CBMP treatment started. 

At 18-months, 30 (25.86%) patients achieved a minimal clinically important difference in the SIBDQ. Patients with severe anxiety at the beginning of treatment and higher than average THC doses were more likely to achieve this.

The researchers concluded: “CBMP treatment was associated with improvement in IBD-specific outcomes in patients and general HRQoL over 18-months.”

However, due to the observational nature of the study, they add that ‘causation cannot be inferred’ and further randomized controlled trials are required.