Cannabis and Crohn’s disease
A new clinical study by the National Institutes of Health, published in the journal Pharmacology, found that cannabis is effective in treating Crohn’s disease, which is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD forms, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, affect more than one million people in the United States. Many of the victims suffer from pain, diarrhea and reduced ability to digest food, and almost half of IBD cases are so severe that surgery is eventually required to remove the affected part of the bowel.
The study, entitled “Cannabis finds its way into the treatment of Crohn’s disease” (International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Volume 93, No 1-2, 17/12/2013, 93 (1-2) :. 1-3. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel. PMID: 24356243) co-signed by Rudolf Schicho and M. Storr, of the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology of the Medical School of the University of Graz, Austria.
Summarizing the study, Schicho and Storr note that in ancient medicine, cannabis was widely used to treat and treat intestinal disorders and inflammation, and now a recent clinical study shows that the medicinal plant Cannabis Sativa met expectations and proved to be that it is very effective in cases of inflammatory bowel disease.
Researchers say that a prospective, placebo-controlled study confirmed what was largely expected from anecdotal reports that cannabis had significant clinical benefits in patients with Crohn’s disease. They note that the mechanisms involved are not yet clear, but most likely include peripheral actions in cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2, and may also include central actions.
The Crohn’s Forum notes that the body produces substances called endocannabinoids or endogenous cannabinoids, which work in a similar way to cannabinoids found in the medical cannabis. Cannabinoids, either produced in the body or taken from an external source, namely the medicinal cannabis, have effects that may be beneficial for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and some types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Medicinal cannabis affects cannabinoid receptors (CB) in the gastrointestinal tract and can have effects that help relieve symptoms. These effects include reduced pain, inflammation, diarrhea, gastrointestinal hyperactivity, and secretions. Cannabis can reduce painful gastrointestinal cramps, as it is a mild muscle relaxant, and can relieve intestinal spasms.
Cannabinoids can also increase the healing of injured epithelial tissues. Many of these effects are due to the stimulation of cannabinoid receptors (CBs) found in many parts of the body.
The human body produces and uses its own cannabinoids, but can also use cannabinoids from external sources, such as cannabis. In their work, Schicho and Storr note that in the last decade there has been a steady increase in the number of publications on the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabinoids and possible underlying mechanisms, and in particular that preclinical data on the improvement effect are rapidly evolving. of synthetic and natural cannabinoids in animal models mimicking IBD characteristics.
They report a prospective study controlled by placebo by T. Naftali et al. (Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2013.11: 1276-1280. External Resources) for the effect of Cannabis on IBD that confirms what has long been suggested by experimental studies, that cannabinoids can provide anti-inflammatory action and symptomatic benefit in patients with inflammation intestinal diseases.
Austrian researchers note that CB1 and CB2 receptors are located in the colonic epithelium, having a protective effect of cannabinoid D-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) through epithelial permeability, in which case the adjacent cannabinoid receptor receptors could be amplified.
They also note that other studies have shown that an important feature of cannabinoid receptors in experimental intestinal inflammation is their effect on immune cells that mainly express CB2 receptors. When CB2 receptors are activated, T cells undergo apoptosis and reduced proliferation in colitis, and in addition, activation of CB2 reduces the recruitment of neutrophils, T cells, and macrophages in inflammation of the large intestine. CB receptors are also found in the intestinal nervous system (ENS), which controls bowel motility and secretion.
CB1 receptors in the intestinal nervous system represent an interruption that protects it from overstimulation, which is easily caused by overexpression of inflammatory mediators that activate the intestinal nervous system during inflammatory bowel disease.
Therefore, they conclude that activating CB receptors with THC can reduce the hyperactivity associated with intestinal inflammation, and that reducing hyperactivity can relieve diarrhea, producing beneficial effects for the patient.
The Crohn’s Forum says CB1 signaling also has powerful effects that can be beneficial for people with IBD, such as reducing nausea and vomiting, inhibiting intestinal motility, and anti-inflammatory effects. Pharmaceutical companies are trying to design drugs that increase CB1 signaling that could potentially provide effective treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. CB1 receptors are present in the brain and are responsible for the psychological and behavioral effects observed with the use of the medicinal cannabis. In order for the treatment to be effective and to minimize the psychological effects observed with the use of the medicinal cannabis, the drug should specifically target CB1 receptors and not cross the blood-brain barrier.
In addition, CB1 receptors appear to provide protection against severe colitis. The Forum cites studies in mice in which CB1 receptors have been blocked or removed, which develop more severe symptoms of colitis than in wild-type mice. In animal models of colitis, pre-treatment with CB1 antagonists (chemicals that activate the receptor) leads to reduced, chemically induced inflammation and swelling, but not to animals in which no pre-treatment is given.
They note that the herb Cannabis Sativa contains many more chemicals that may be associated with the benefits of treating the disease than the commonly known active ingredients of Cannabis, THC and CBD, noting that THC is estimated to represent only one-third of medicines. properties of cannabis, and that the chemicals found in Cannabis Sativa extracts can either enhance or inhibit the therapeutic effects of THC.
In an article originally published on AlterNet and republished by Salon, Paul Armentano points out studies that reveal that cannabis contains more than 60 active compounds that may have special healing properties, including anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, other neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory cannabinoids other than tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the main psychoactive compound of cannabis, and which itself has valuable healing properties.
Of course, a major obstacle to the wider development of cannabis in the fight against diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome is that cannabis, including the cannabis drug, remains illegal in most US states across the globe, as well as at various levels. the world. However, in 2012, Washington and Colorado voted to legalize cannabis for both recreational and medical use, and currently 20 states, including Washington, have enacted laws to legalize Canadian medicine.
At a conference in Houston in November 2009, the House of Representatives of the American Medical Association adopted a new political position, calling for the re-examination of Cannabis as a drug in Table I of the federal drug law. The old H-95.952 policy stance has suggested that “Cannabis should be kept in Table I,” which places cannabis along with drugs such as heroin, LSD and PCP, which are considered unacceptable for medical use and that their use is not safe even under medical supervision.
The revised policy of the American Medical Association (AMA) states: “The American Medical Association states that the placement of cannabis as a controlled substance in the Federal Table I should be reconsidered in order to facilitate the development of clinical research. cannabinoids, and alternative methods of administration ”. Drugs listed in Table II, for which medical use is permitted under strict control, include cocaine, morphine and methamphetamine. A pill containing THC, the ingredient responsible for cannabis “intoxication”, is listed in Appendix III, whose more relaxed requirements allow medical prescription.
A poll commissioned by the Texas Cannabis Policy Program shows that the vast majority of voters in the State are in favor of Cannabis’s detachment from the criminal market, its legalization for adults, and taxation and dealing with it as well as alcohol. According to the poll, 58% of voters support this change, while only 38% are against it. The Democratic Party of Texas decriminalized cannabis as part of last year’s official platform, and Houston’s KHOU says two Texas lawmakers have promised to re-introduce cannabis legislation as many times as needed to bring in the state. Texas closer to Colorado and Washington regulations for Cannabis.
article: Charles Moore (29/1/2014)
translation: Ηρακλής Τσαγκαράκης
