Cannabis Improved Symptoms, but Not Inflammation of Crohn’s Disease

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

“Cannabis sativa” by Manuel is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Timna Naftali MD
Specialist in Gastroenterology
Meir Hospital and Kupat Holim Clinic,
Tel Aviv University, Israel

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? 

Response: In previous studies we could see that Crohn’s patients improve symptoms when taking cannabis but we did not have good data about actual inflammation.

So, in this study we added a colonoscopy to see if we can detect any change in inflammation. We also wanted to find a better mode of consuming cannabis, other than smoking.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

 Response: The take home massage would be that cannabis may help the patients feel better, but is not a replacement of conventional medical therapy. It should be used as an adjuvant to other treatments in appropriate cases.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: Regarding future research, there are many points that should be addressed:

  • Cannabis in laboratory trials does have an anti-inflammatory effect. We have to find a way of translating this effect to clinical treatment
  • What is the best way of administering cannabis? (We certainly do not want to recommend smoking)
  • What is the best dose/combination?
  • What are the long term effects?
  • Which patients, if any, will benefit most?

Citation:

UEG 2018 abstract:
https://live.ueg.eu/week/
Cannabis induces clinical response but no endoscopic response in Crohn’s disease patients

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Last Updated on October 22, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD