Cannabis: benefits and drawbacks for our digestive system

The endocannabinoid system (or endogenous cannabinoid) has been shown to play a fundamental role in regulating digestive processes such as appetite, salivation, hunger, and satiety. There is a high concentration of cannabinoid receptors throughout the digestive system, as well as in brain regions directly linked to the brain-gut axis. The Cannabis therefore causes a variety of effects on the intestines.

Read more: 5 little-known health benefits of cannabis

Benefits the effects of cannabis on the digestive system

Several studies have shown that cannabis provides benefits for people suffering from Crohn's disease, IBD, IBS, and cancer-related anorexia and cachexia (loss of appetite and muscle wasting). Scientists even suggest that the first three conditions may result from a condition called clinical endocannabinoid deficiency, which arises from developmental issues in utero or during early childhood. People with this condition do not produce enough cannabinoids or cannabinoid receptors.

In general, cannabinoids are thought to reduce inflammation in the digestive tract, slow down intestinal motility (the rate at which material moves through the intestine) and a decrease in fluid secretion caused by inflammation, which alleviates nausea and prevents vomiting and diarrhea.

Appetite stimulation

Our hunger is triggered by ghrelin, which is released when the stomach becomes empty. This hormone stimulates a nerve located in the digestive tract, which sends a signal through the brain-gut axis to the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that triggers the feeling of hunger.

The THC, by activating ghrelin receptors, sends a signal that also travels through the brain-gut axis and reaches the regions of the brain responsible for generating the feeling of hunger (the hypothalamus in particular), even if the stomach is not necessarily empty.

This can be particularly helpful for people who are ill or undergoing treatments that suppress their appetite. For example: chemotherapy.

Rare cases of loss of appetite

Although cannabis use is normally combined with an increase in appetite, in some cases, it can have the opposite effect and cause nausea and loss of appetite. Other symptoms reported by individuals experiencing these discomforts include abdominal pain, nausea, and occasional vomiting. These symptoms are reported anecdotally on internet forums, but it does not appear that they have been the subject of specific research.

Generally, this phenomenon seems to affect long-term users who have been heavy cannabis users for many years.