Study: Patients with Ulcerative Colitis Who Use Marijuana Show Fewer Complications

A study looked at the association between cannabis use and complications related to ulcerative colitis in hospitalized patients. Conducted by researchers from the John Hopkins School of Public Health and the Digestive disease Institute looked at complications among those hospitalized due to ulcerative colitis, where the individuals also used marijuana.

The researchers determined that those who used cannabis experienced a shorter stay at the hospital as compared to those who did not use marijuana. The study stated,

“The present study is the first, large-scale nationwide cohort study to evaluate the association between cannabis use and clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with UC. … [O]ur study suggests that cannabis use may mitigate some complications of UC among hospital inpatients and this could be due to an anti-inflammatory effect of cannabis and potential improvement in gastrointestinal mucosal healing. Our study has important clinical findings and warrants further investigations.”