Let’s face it: No one wants to talk about irritable bowel syndrome. Yet it affects between 7% and 10% of the world’s population. Twice as many women than men suffer from IBS. Cannabis can greatly help this chronic condition that comes and goes depending on many factors, predominantly emotional stress.

Irritable bowel syndrome affects the large intestine, and the symptoms can be severe. The most common symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain, gas, bloating, cramping, diarrhea and constipation. Some people suffer from painful abdominal spasms as well. Poor diet and stress can make symptoms even more unbearable, and they can even trigger attacks.

Treatments include dietary and lifestyle changes, stress-management techniques, and medicine for pain, diarrhea, or constipation.

Many IBS sufferers find that cannabis can relieve symptoms such as cramping, abdominal pain and spasms, and irregularity of bowel movements. It also increases the appetite and decreases nausea. Marijuana is an anti-inflammatory, which helps the painful inflammation of the bowel. Studies have shown that cells that react to cannabinoid compounds play an important role in normal gut function as well as the immune system’s inflammatory response.

Cannabis is a known anxiety and stress reliever, so it makes perfect sense that it would help with IBS in this way. Managed stress can help to reduce sudden attacks. For an effective, natural approach to IBS, change your diet, practice relaxing exercises, and smoke some cannabis to relieve anxiety and stress.