Cannabis for Treating IBD: Hope or Hype?
Nausea, abdominal pain and changes in appetite. These are all things that can significantly impact one’s wellbeing if left untreated, yet they have all shown marked improvements when associated with cannabis.
Yet, less is known about the effects of cannabis on inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, a chronic inflammatory condition that impacts the gastrointestinal tract of over 3.1 million Americans a year.
Michigan Medicine’s Jami Kinnucan, M.D., a gastroenterologist and assistant professor, specializes in IBD, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and women’s gastrointestinal health. She spoke to Michigan Health about the use of cannabis as a treatment for IBD.
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Assessing Health-Related Outcomes of Medical Cannabis Use among Older Persons: Findings from Colorado and Illinois
ABSTRACT Objectives To assess health-related outcomes associated with medical cannabis use among older patients in Colorado and Illinois enrolled in their home state’s medical cannabis program. Methods Cross-sectional data from anonymous surveys were collected from 139 persons over the age of 60 using medical cannabis in the past year. We used structural equation modeling (SEM)…
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Older adults and medical marijuana: Reduced stigma and increased use
As a primary care doctor who has incorporated medical cannabis into his practice, it is notable how many silver-haired patients are coming in to discuss the pros and cons of a trial of medical cannabis. These patients range from people in their 60s with kidney failure who can no longer take certain pain medications but…
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THC vs. CBD: What You Need to Know
With the rising demand of natural medicines, medical marijuana compounds THC and CBD are starting to make a name for themselves more than ever before. These two compounds have a wide range of health benefits, making it understandable why patients and physicians would be interested in this alternative treatment option. Although these two compounds are…
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New study finds cannabis effective for treating migraines
A study published last month in the Journal of Pain found a statistically significant reduction in migraine and headache symptoms and recurrences among patients who used cannabis for treatment.Smoking cannabis reduced the severity and length of migraine episodes by nearly half. Researchers concluded that headache and migraine severity were reduced by nearly 50% after using cannabis. The study, conducted by researchers…
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Aching for a Better Alternative?
To close out Arthritis Awareness Month, we’re highlighting how medical marijuana may be a beneficial alternative treatment for this painful and debilitating disease. With over 31 million Americans suffering from various types of arthritis, the condition stands as the leading disability throughout the U.S. As many may know, arthritis is most common among the middle-aged…
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Survey of oncologists finds knowledge gap on medical marijuana
As more states legalize medical marijuana, two key groups — researchers whose job is it to understand its benefits and drawbacks, and physicians charged with advising potential users — are struggling to catch up with policymakers. Ilana Braun, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of adult psychosocial…
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