For 20 years I’ve experienced daily bowel problems. And lived a drug & alcohol-free life. But my Berkeley, California doctor recommended I try to vaporize, and now I know cannabis helps my Crohns.

I’ve told friends the paleo diet and daily yoga helped control my auto-immune disease symptoms, but I don’t always tell them about cannabis. Some people still have misconceptions about the plant and its value as medicine. Cannabis helps curb inflammation, acid reflux, and urgent bathroom trips faster than any prescription or over-the-counter medicine I’ve tried, without the nasty side effects.

How cannabis helps my Crohns

But perhaps more importantly, how it’s had a wider impact on my life.

Slows my bowels and reduces trips to the bathroom — cannabinoids can inhibit motility of the intestine and delay gastric emptying.

and reduces trips to the bathroom — cannabinoids can inhibit motility of the intestine and delay gastric emptying. Increases my appetite and helps me eat with focus and attention, and ultimately gain weight — THC appears to increase our sensitivity to scents and flavors and convince the brain it’s starving.

and helps me eat with focus and attention, and ultimately gain weight — THC appears to increase our sensitivity to scents and flavors and convince the brain it’s starving. Calms my inflamed bowels and anxious mind — cannabinoids such as CBD may reduce colonic inflammation in IBD patients.

and anxious mind — cannabinoids such as CBD may reduce colonic inflammation in IBD patients. Slows down my mind — which helps me appreciate life and connect with nature.

— which helps me appreciate life and connect with nature. Allows me to practice yoga without wanting to rush through it — popular in places like California, Colorado and Toronto, where cannabis and yoga are seen as complementary medicines.

Do your research Read about cannabis studies online to get informed about new science and research. Treatment of Crohn’s Disease with Cannabis This study even mentions vaporizing. “One of the reasons that cannabis is unappealing to many patients is that it is administered by smoking. Smoking in general is unacceptable to both medical professionals and many patients. However, an anti-inflammatory effect, especially in the gut, may be achieved equally well by consuming cannabis orally.”

Weeding Out the Facts: The Reality About Cannabis and Crohn’s Disease This study says it does provide relief from symptoms. “This study introduces the idea of cannabis in the management of Crohn’s disease, but is insufficient to support the authors’ suggestion of using cannabis to achieve clinical, steroid-free benefits. Further trials are needed to clarify whether cannabis attenuates inflammation or simply alleviates symptoms.”



Doctor recommended

My doctor recommended I try two forms of cannabis: tincture drops and vaporizing dry marijuana flowers. She recommended tinctures because it’s faster-acting than edibles, so it’s easier to control the dosage. Then she spoke about vaporizing cannabis, instead of smoking. Vaporizing is less harmful because it heats the herb just below the point of burning, so the chemicals are activated and released into the air, and you avoid the toxic smoke and harsh heat from fire.

Temperature chart of various cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant and their effects on the body.

Limited access

Perhaps you live in a state where medical cannabis isn’t yet legal. I am truly sorry for you. I know friends who struggle to obtain consistent and good quality medicine. Cannabis helps my Crohns, but just smoking weed doesn’t. A quality Indica strain that’s been professionally cured will be much more effective at reducing inflammation and helping your gut than a top-shelf sativa or funny bag from a dealer.

My Pax 2 cannabis vaporizer next to some toilet paper. A standard scene for the medicating cannabis patient like myself, thanks to California laws.

How to get started with medical cannabis

First, I assume you are in a legal state…

Get your medical card — Crohns, GERD and other bowel disorders are often covered under state medical marijuana laws. Try edibles, but beware — most have sugar, refined super-sugar corn syrup inside, which tends to destroy my bowels for days. I’ve had good luck with low-sugar banana bread, but I tend to avoid the sweet treats. Indica strains of cannabis helps my crohns a lot — ask medical dispensary professionals for recommended strains to ease nausea, inflammation and provide a night-time sedative. And experiment with different strains yourself, some sativa/indica hybrid mixes are rather relaxing, but also give me a creative boost for writing this web site! Buy a good vaporizer — $200-$300 depending on your situation. Good portable vaporizers: Pax ($280), Arizer Air ($260), Crafty ($340), or the budget Magic Flight ($120). Have serious medical issues and medicate multiple times a day? Look at reliable desktop vapes like: Da Buddha ($190) or Volcano ($480), which offers a bag for folks with sensitive lungs. Go slow and stay safe. You can always have more!