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Crohn’s disease is a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. It causes inflammation of the digestive tract and this may spread into the deeper layers of the bowels involving the inner mucosal lining, up to the full thickness of the bowel wall, and consists of swelling, dilated blood vessels, and loss of fluid into the tissues. Once the condition starts, it may last for a lifetime.

In this article, we will talk about how those suffering from Crohn’s disease can benefit from medical marijuana and how they can go about getting their medical marijuana recommendation also known as medical marijuana certification, online.

This inflammation from Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the digestive tract and other parts of the body such as the eyes and joints. What exactly triggers this inflammatory process in Crohn’s disease is still a medical mystery. It is believed that a viral or bacterial infection can trigger the process by activating the immune system. In normal circumstances, the effects of the immune system proceed to cause further inflammatory response after the infection has gone.

The most common site of Crohn’s disease is the terminal ileum and the beginning part of the large intestine. Crohn’s disease shows a lot of similarities with ulcerative colitis, another type of inflammatory bowel disease. The main difference between the two is that in Crohn’s disease, inflammation can affect any part of the digestive tract and may even extend into the deeper structures while in ulcerative colitis, inflammation is restricted to the colon and rectum and only the surface lining of the colon is affected.

What possibly causes Crohn’s disease?

The major cause of Crohn’s disease is undetermined but studies and research suggest that environmental factors, immune system, and genetics may play a major role.

  • Immune system – it is possible for a virus or a bacteria to trigger an immune response. When the immune system tries to fight off the invading organism, an abnormal immune response may set in causing the immune system to attack the cells of the digestive tract too.
  • Hereditary – Crohn’s disease is common in people who have a close relative such as a parent, sibling, or child with the disease.

Crohn’s leads to chronic inflammation from T cell activation leading to tissue injury. After activation by Antigen presentation in Crohn’s disease, there is an unrestrained immune response of the Type 1 T helper cells due to defective regulation. The initial lesion starts as a focal inflammatory infiltrate around the crypts which are followed by ulceration of superficial mucosa and subsequently, inflammatory cells invade the deeper mucosal layers.

The risk factors associated with this condition include;

  • Age – Crohn’s disease is seen at any age but most times it is diagnosed at a younger age.
  • Family history – you are at high risk of developing this disease if you have a close relative such as a parent, sibling or child with the disease. 1 out of 5 people with Crohn’s disease has a family member with Crohn’s disease.
  • Cigarette smoking – this is the most controllable risk factor for the development of Crohn’s disease. Smoking leads to more severe diseases and increases the risk of having surgery.
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – high intake of NSAIDS may not directly cause Crohn’s disease but they may lead to inflammation of the bowel which makes Crohn’s disease worse.

What are the signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease?

The symptoms of Crohn’s disease develop in a gradual manner or may come with the symptoms becoming worse over time. The symptoms may vary from mild to severe with some periods of no symptoms at all (remission). The earliest symptoms of Crohn’s disease include; diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, fever, blood in stool, weight loss. Other symptoms which follow later include; nausea, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, general weakness, growth failure in pediatric patients and rectal bleeding.

Can cannabis help with Crohn’s disease?

Over the years, people have used cannabis, or marijuana for medicinal purposes. Cannabis sativa contains chemicals called cannabinoids which have specific effects in different parts of the body including the immune system, the central and peripheral nervous system. About 400 compounds can be extracted from the cannabis plant but only two major compounds have strong medicinal effects; Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD).

THC produces effects that give the feeling of “highness”, euphoria and improves mood through its antidepressant/anti-anxiety effect. CBD on the other hand doesn’t have any psychotropic effect but produces an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.

CBD has been shown to reduce the immune system responses by influencing cytokines production, and the production of monocyte chemotactic protein-2, a type of leukocyte that is implicated in allergic responses. CBD is a potent anti-inflammatory agent and its effects are via induction of apoptosis, suppression of cytokines production, and induction of T cell regulation. It also modulates B cells, T cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, mast cells, and dendritic cells.

These activities, put together, bring about significant improvements in the treatment of Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases. Aside from the anti-inflammatory effect, CBD also helps alleviate the symptoms of the disease. Studies have shown that individuals with Crohn’s disease reported significant improvement in the overall symptoms associated with the disease after treatment with CBD.

Other actions of CBD in the digestive system include inhibition of gastric motility and secretions, intestinal motility and secretions, treatment of abdominal pain and diarrhea. Just like every other drug, CBD has its peculiar side effects in the treatment of Crohn’s disease such as dizziness, sedation when combined with other drugs, male reproductive system toxicity, and liver injury. Generally, the use of cannabis-derived compounds presents risks of addiction and abuse, abnormal brain development in pediatric age groups, and psychiatric disturbances.

How To Get Your Medical Marijuana Card and Medical Marijuana Recommendation Online

In order to get your mmj card, you can sign up on FadeMD and schedule a time to speak to a licensed medical practitioner. You will need an email and password to sign up, then you will be asked to answer some basic questions about your medical history before your consultation. The whole process only takes about 15 minutes and is fully HIPAA compliant.  After you are approved on FadeMD, you will then have to use your FadeMD mmj recommendation to complete your state application. Each state’s requirements vary and feel free to contact FadeMD support if you have any questions.

The way forward

The introduction of CBD in the treatment of Crohn’s disease has been a breakthrough in medical practice. Although the drug has not been approved by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), its beneficial actions cannot be swept under the carpet. Several studies showing the advantageous effects of CBD have been reported and thus would require more studies to prove the efficacy and its role in the treatment of Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases in the future.

While research is going on for more effective treatments and an eventual cure for Crohn’s disease, the symptoms of this condition can be successfully managed with the appropriate drugs and remission is possible.

Disclaimer: This article is not in any way a piece of medical advice to the general public and should not be used as a substitute for a direct medical consult from a licensed medical doctor for the treatment of Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases.

References:

https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/crohns-disease/

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/172940-overview

https://www.health.harvard.edu/digestive-health/crohns-disease-overview

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353304

https://innocanpharma.com/anti-inflammatory-properties-of-cbd/