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Medical Marijuana For Patients With Crohn's Disease In Minnesota
Can I Treat My Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Medical Marijuana in Minnesota?
The arrival of medical marijuana in Minnesota means patients with a qualifying condition can get a Minnesota Marijuana Card to help them find the relief they’ve been seeking.
One of those qualifying conditions is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS). If you’re suffering from one of the conditions that falls under the umbrella term IBS (either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), and you haven't gotten great results with traditional treatments, medical marijuana may be the treatment you’ve been waiting for.
While only a qualified marijuana doctor can help you decide if medical marijuana is a treatment you want to explore, we here at Minnesota Marijuana Card offer this brief resource to help you get started.
What is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that usually affects the lower bowels but that can also impact any part of the gastrointestinal tract.
Scientists once theorized that Crohn’s was caused by stress and diet issues, but have now determined that those factors can worsen Crohn’s, but do not themselves cause it. Instead, scientists now believe immune system disorders and hereditary factors are the likeliest causes of the condition.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and can include abdominal pain and cramping, fever, diarrhea, fatigue, diminished appetite and weight loss, and blood in stool. In more severe cases, sufferers may also experience inflammation in the skin, joints, and liver. Patients also often experience times of remission, when the symptoms are less severe or even inactive.
While the symptoms of Crohn’s disease can be managed, patient tolerance for the typical Crohn’s disease treatments can vary. Further, neither of the two traditional treatments, anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressants, are without their drawbacks. Immunosuppressants have limited effectiveness and negative side effects, and anti-inflammatories are not an effective long-term solution.
Given the shortcomings of the traditional treatment options, it’s easy to see why so many Crohn’s patients have turned to medical marijuana for relief, and to see why the Minnesota Legislature included Crohn’s in the qualifying conditions for getting a Minnesota Marijuana Card.
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and can include abdominal pain and cramping, fever, diarrhea, fatigue, diminished appetite and weight loss, and blood in stool. In more severe cases, sufferers may also experience inflammation in the skin, joints, and liver. Patients also often experience times of remission, when the symptoms are less severe or even inactive.
While the symptoms of Crohn’s disease can be managed, patient tolerance for the typical Crohn’s disease treatments can vary. Further, neither of the two traditional treatments, anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressants, are without their drawbacks. Immunosuppressants have limited effectiveness and negative side effects, and anti-inflammatories are not an effective long-term solution.
Given the shortcomings of the traditional treatment options, it’s easy to see why so many Crohn’s patients have turned to medical marijuana for relief, and to see why the Minnesota Legislature included Crohn’s in the qualifying conditions for getting a Minnesota Marijuana Card.
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Crohn’s Disease and Cannabis
Researchers investigating cannabis as an option for treating Crohn’s have found mixed findings for CBD as a treatment and more promising results for medical marijuana.
Patients in research studies who treated Crohn’s disease with CBD showed improved quality of life, but CBD did not appear to lessen the inflammation that is the underlying cause of Crohn’s symptoms.
On the other hand, medical marijuana has shown more encouraging results as a treatment for Crohn’s. Patients using medical marijuana to treat Crohn’s in a research setting were five times more likely to be in remission as patients who used a placebo. Furthermore, marijuana is an effective anti-inflammatory medication.
While an abundance of research has shown that both CBD and THC can effectively treat a number of conditions on their own, the research has also shown that taking them together with other substances found in the cannabis plant is even more effective than using either one alone. Thus medical marijuana may be the most effective cannabis-based treatment for Crohn’s disease, as it contains both CBD and THC.
So Should I Treat My Crohn’s Disease with Medical Marijuana?
We can’t make this decision for you, but that doesn’t mean you have to make it on your own. If more traditional treatments have not alleviated your Crohn’s disease, you can talk to one of our doctors to see if medical marijuana might be right for you.
Reserve an evaluation today, and we’ll make an appointment for you with one of our qualified, compassionate doctors just as soon as we are cleared to do so. You’ll also save $25 off the cost of the evaluation!
You’ll meet with one of our doctors via your smartphone or computer. Then you can decide together, from the safety and convenience of your own home, if medical marijuana could offer the relief you’ve been missing out on.