Updated on June 25th, 2022
Digestive disorders include heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), colitis and Crohn’s disease. Scientific research has shown that CBD for Crohn’s disease has very positive effects on patients with GI (gastrointestinal) tract problems.
However, as cannabis treatment is still not widely accepted, digestive issues have become the most predominant category of diseases in the western world. These conditions are especially prevalent in the US, having increased significantly during the last decade.
According to a 2013 survey, discussed on Fox News Health by Dr. Manny Alvarez, 74% of Americans (239 million) are living with gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort with symptoms like diarrhea, gas, bloating and abdominal pain.
of Americans live with GI (gastrointestinal) discomfort
According to this survey, of the 239 million people having these digestive issues, more than half never go to see a doctor. In addition, 60 to 70 million people develop a digestive disorder according to the NIH (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases).
Lifestyle changes in combination with medication are the most common treatment approaches.
Some factors that can cause GI (gastrointestinal) issues are:
- Stress
- Lack of exercise
- Low fiber diet
- Too much dairy products
- Withholding ‘flatulence’
- Side effects of ‘Big Pharma’ medication
- Overuse of laxatives
- Pregnancy
- Life routine changes or travel
CBD – Relief for many bowel diseases
There is already extensive research on the anti-inflammatory properties of Cannabidiol as well as its ability to reduce or eliminate pain with CBD, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Besides that, research has also proven that CBD mitigates depression and stress. As GI problems are often caused by stress, it will not only relieve the symptoms but treat the root cause at the same time.
The ‘big pharma’ treatment of diseases like IBS (inflammatory bowel disease) is disappointingly unsatisfactory as stated by scientists in a 2009 colitis lab test. In addition, most ‘regular’ medications have side effects like headaches, nausea, decreased white blood cells, decreased sperm production, hair loss, abdominal cramps and pain, dizziness, rash and fatigue.
Laboratory studies
In vivo lab studies on rodents showed that cannabinoids reduce gastrointestinal transit. They also reduced the gastrointestinal motility in various clinical trials. Another rodent lab test in 2009 on murine, showed that CBD (cannabidiol) reduced colon injury, inducible iNOS expression, and many other issues, resulting in a conclusion that besides being able to prevent colitis, cannabidiol is likely a safe compound.
According to Dr. Philip Blair, MD, cannabidiol has the capability of normalizing the gut function in patients with a severely inflamed GI. CBD has proven to calm down the inflammation and restoring the tight intestinal junctions and restoring gut balance, as well as reducing motility that causes diarrhea.
Clinical studies
Despite the promising lab tests mentioned above, further research revealed only in a 2014 clinical trial that cannabis was highly efficient in cases of inflammatory bowel diseases. What anecdotal reports already revealed was confirmed on a larger scale in this trial, and the report concluded that there are significant CBD oil benefits in patients with Crohn’s disease.
Anecdotal studies
There are many anecdotal studies and reports on the internet of ordinary people who have self-medicated their digestive issues with CBD. We also tested:
- CBD for anxiety reviews
- CBD for pain reviews
- CBD creams for pain reviews
CBD Oil Dosage for Crohn’s Disease / Digestive Disorders
Studies show that a combination of CBD and other cannabinoids like THC (in small concentrations) has a synergistic effect, improving the overall positive CBD oil effects on your health.
We therefore always recommend full-spectrum CBD oil, as this contains small amounts of other health-improving cannabinoids.
Digestive issues can be extensive, ranging from mild nausea or diarrhea to severe cases of colitis or Crohn’s disease. Therefore, differences in severity should be accounted for when deciding on the correct dosage.
You can best spread out the daily CBD oil dosage over smaller dosages twice or three times a day. CBD tea could be a good option because of its nano-technology; it often has higher bioavailability.
Mild digestive issues
CBD oil dosages from 25 mg to 50 mg per day usually show the relief patients seek. Because you cannot overdose on cannabidiol, you can test what amount works best for you. Besides that, you can also choose how to take CBD oil comfortably.
Severe digestive disorders
When you have severe colitis or Crohn’s disease, you will need at least 90 to 100 mg full-spectrum CBD oil per day for three weeks. After that, you can reduce the dosage to 60 mg per day for another three weeks.
When your endoscopy is ‘normal’ again, keep taking a small maintenance dosage of 30 o 40 mg per day, maybe even less. You can play around with the dosage to figure out the best maintenance dosage for you.
It is possible, though, that only full-spectrum CBD oil is not enough. In that case, mix cannabis oil concentrate with CBD oil. Please start small and slowly increase to a 1:1 ratio.
For cannabis cancer treatment, RSO dosage is combined with CBD oil to treat this severe condition effectively. But you’ll have to know what the best cannabis strain for cancer is.
How many drops should I take based on a mg-dosage?
Many CBD oil brands have confusing information on their packages and bottles, and it can be challenging to figure out how many drops to take based on your milligram dosage. So, how much CBD should I take? Our CBD drops calculator helps you get the right amount of CBD.
Success Stories of Crohn’s / Digestive Disorder Patients
We have carefully collected CBD testimonials for this particular condition to serve as proof and inspiration to others. Do not hesitate to record your own experience and share it with us so we can add it to this list and help thousands of patients more.
Overview of Scientific Studies and Reports
If you are interested in the medical proof and not scared of reading through some professional medical jargon, check out the studies below.
Overview of Scientific Studies and Reports
General
- 2006 – Endocannabinoids and the gastrointestinal tract
- 2008 – Cannabinoids and gastrointestinal motility: Animal and human studies
- 2010 – Cannabinoids and the gut: New developments and emerging concepts
- 2011 – CBD reduces intestinal inflammation through the control of neuroimmune axis
Colitis
- 2009 – Cannabidiol, a safe and non-psychotropic ingredient of the marijuana plant Cannabis sativa, is protective in a murine model of colitis
- 2010 – The effects of Delta-tetrahydrocannabinol and CBD alone and in combination on damage, inflammation and in vitro motility disturbances in rat colitis
- 2012 – Topical and systemic cannabidiol improves trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid colitis in mice
- 2017 – Manipulation of the Endocannabinoid System in Colitis: A Comprehensive Review
Crohn’s disease (Type of inflammatory bowel disease – IBD)
- 2013 – Hergenrather presents study of Crohn’s patients as a template for clinical research on Cannabis
- 2013 – CBD in inflammatory bowel diseases: a brief overview
- 2014 – Cannabis finds its way into treatment of Crohn’s disease
- 2017 – Low-Dose Cannabidiol Is Safe but Not Effective in the Treatment for Crohn’s Disease, a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- 2006 – Endocannabinoids and the gastrointestinal tract
- 2007 – Therapeutic potential of cannabinoid-based drugs
- 2008 – CBD and gastrointestinal motility
- 2008 – Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD): Can this concept explain therapeutic benefits of cannabis in migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and other treatment-resistant conditions?
- 2010 – CBD and the gut: New developments and emerging concepts
- 2011 – CBD reduces intestinal inflammation through the control of neuroimmune axis
- 2012 – Cannabinoid actions at TRPV channels: Effects on TRPV3 and TRPV4 and their potential relevance to gastrointestinal inflammation
- 2013 – Beneficial effect of the non-psychotropic plant cannabinoid cannabigerol on experimental inflammatory bowel disease (Biochemical Pharmacology)
- 2013 – Cannabidiol in inflammatory bowel diseases: A brief overview
- 2016 – Getting into the weed: the role of the endocannabinoid system in the brain-gut axis
Sources
Sources:
https://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm484109.htm
https://www.coloradopotguide.com/colorado-marijuana-blog/article/what-is-a-marijuana-tolerance/
https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/evq747/high-changes-as-you-get-older-weed-week
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4742341/
https://potguide.com/pot-guide-marijuana-news/article/exploring-the-effects-of-marijuana-in-men-vs-women/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3492530/
https://thehurtguru.com/2017/02/01/6-steps-how-to-control-your-thc-tolerance/
https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5b4536628904b90007731aca/the-benefits-of-building-up-your-cannabis-tolerance
https://www.greenentrepreneur.com/article/339066
I have Crohns Disease plus brain surgery and osteoarthritis and degerative disc disease, Liver Problems and I need to know if this CBD oil will help me.
Hi Anita, CBD should improve your Crohn’s, osteoarthritis, and liver problems and it should also help you recover from your brain surgery. And even with degenerative disc disease, it should help as a recent study of mice with degenerative disc disease found outcomes much improved with high doses of CBD.
The dosage for Crohn’s is written in the article and depends -like for all conditions- on the severity. But since you have several conditions, a high dosage would be recommended. It is best to start with 20-25 mg for a couple of days (5-7) to open your receptors (the first few days some people do not feel any effects). After that try a dosage of 80 or 100 mg daily in three takings. It is advised to use a good full-spectrum oil like CBDPure 600 (https://idweeds.net/cbdpure-sb). Depending on the effects you might increase after monitoring for at least 4 days.
Please keep us posted on your progress and results. It will be interesting for other people all over the world.