Another study published in 2016 by Neuropharmacology stated that
Similarly, a review in 2016 of illness likely related to Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency suggested
Clearly, more research remains to be done. However, many patients with IBS appear to be getting benefit from the low-dose, controlled application of cannabis. This may be one of many potential benefits of medical marijuana for certain patients.
However, it is absolutely important that you always consult with a cannabis specialist before deciding to use medical cannabis. She or he will help you decide if cannabis is likely to help, what kind to get, how to use it properly and safely, and be available to you to adjust the plan as time goes by.
As stated before, there is no cure for IBS, and that includes cannabis. However, the possible link between the endocannabinoid system, endocannabinoid receptors, and the cannabinoids found in medical marijuana may provide relief from some symptoms of IBS.
“Migraine, fibromyalgia, IBS, and related conditions display common… patterns that suggest an underlying clinical endocannabinoid deficiency that may be suitably treated with cannabinoid medicines.”
“Cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychotomimetic component of mari[j]uana, exhibits anxiolytic-like properties in many behavioral tests,” suggesting that this component in cannabis can help reduce stress-like symptoms which many people with IBS may suffer. (An “anxiolytic” is a drug that helps to treat anxiety.) However, further investigation on this matter is still necessary.
“GI propulsion, secretion, and inflammation in the gut are all modulated by the ECS, providing a rationale for cannabinoids as treatment candidates for IBS. As examples, GI propulsion is under tonic control of the ECS,21 and cannabis was one of the first effective clinical interventions in the 19th century for the intense secretory diarrhea associated with cholera, a finding which was more recently validated with modern methodology.”