Marijuana and Crohn’s Disease: What the Research Shows

Does marijuana help Crohn’s disease? In a 2021 trial of 56 patients, a CBD and THC oil improved symptom scores and quality of life more than placebo over 8 weeks, but gut inflammation did not change. Crohn’s disease is a listed qualifying condition in Florida, so a qualified physician may certify it.

Many people now ask about cannabis products for health problems, though FDA has approved cannabis-derived drugs for only a few uses. For Crohn’s disease, a Cochrane review found the effects of marijuana on this debilitating condition uncertain. Some use medical marijuana through a state program and others buy CBD oil, often depending on what is legal where they live.

What Is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s is a chronic disease marked by inflammation in the digestive tract, and it can disrupt daily life. Symptoms can include abdominal pain and cramps, rectal bleeding or bloody stools, diarrhea and fever.

Crohn’s can look like other digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis, so doctors run tests to rule them out.

Doctors treat Crohn’s with medicines such as corticosteroids, immunosuppressants and biologics, and sometimes surgery. Some people also try cannabis or CBD alongside that care.

Crohn’s also brings complications. Between 30% and 55% of people with Crohn’s need surgery within 10 years of diagnosis, NIDDK says, and the complications it describes include fistulas, abscesses, intestinal blockages and severe malnutrition. Some of these complications, such as an intestinal blockage, can be life-threatening and need hospital care.

Has Medical Marijuana Been Tested for Crohn’s?

The evidence is still early: controlled trials of medical marijuana for Crohn’s disease are recent, and the authors of a 2013 trial wrote that none had been run before theirs. Research on cannabis and CBD for this disease is still small. THC and CBD are not the same: THC causes the high in cannabis, and CBD does not, which is why CBD is sometimes sold where cannabis is not legal.

A 2021 randomized trial in Israel tested an oil with both CBD and THC in 56 patients. After 8 weeks, symptom scores and quality of life improved more on the cannabis oil than on placebo, but blood and stool inflammation markers and the bowel lining on endoscopy did not change.

More studies are needed, and a 2017 randomized trial of low-dose CBD alone in 20 patients found no benefit, so no CBD oil dosage for Crohn’s disease is proven.

Does Cannabis Reduce Crohn’s Inflammation?

Cannabinoids reduce inflammation in some animal models, but in people with Crohn’s, the 2021 trial found no drop in gut inflammation.

Cannabis and CBD do not cure Crohn’s. In a 2013 randomized trial of 21 patients who smoked THC-rich cannabis, 5 of 11 reached remission versus 1 of 10 on placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant, though more had a symptom response (10 of 11 versus 4 of 10). With complications this serious, it is easy to see why people look at cannabis, but staying on proven treatment matters most.

Which Crohn’s Symptoms Has Medical Marijuana Been Studied For?

Cannabis for Crohn’s has been studied for symptoms, not cure. Patients in the 2021 trial of CBD-rich oil and in the 2013 trial of smoked cannabis reported better symptoms, and the 2021 trial also found better quality of life. More people on smoked cannabis had side effects.

More and larger studies are needed to show whether marijuana helps Crohn’s at all. The 2018 Cochrane review mentioned at the top found only 3 trials, with 93 people in all. Until then, the risks deserve as much attention as any benefit.

Finally, Crohn’s disease is a qualifying condition in Florida, which means a qualified physician may certify it after an in-person exam, but talk with your gastroenterologist first and keep your prescribed treatment. No trial cited here showed less gut inflammation, so cannabis cannot be counted on to prevent Crohn’s complications.

Last updated October 16, 2026 by the Dr. Green Relief Editorial Team.

Sources

• Naftali, et al. Oral CBD-rich Cannabis Induces Clinical but Not Endoscopic Response in Patients with Crohn’s Disease, a Randomised Controlled Trial. J Crohns Colitis. 2021
• FDA. FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD)
• Kafil, et al. Cannabis for the treatment of Crohn’s disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018
• MedlinePlus. Abdominal pain
• MedlinePlus. Stools, bloody or tarry
• NIDDK (NIH). Treatment for Crohn’s Disease
• Naftali, et al. Cannabis induces a clinical response in patients with Crohn’s disease: a prospective placebo-controlled study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013
• Naftali, et al. Low-Dose Cannabidiol Is Safe but Not Effective in the Treatment for Crohn’s Disease, a Randomized Controlled Trial. Dig Dis Sci. 2017
• NIDDK (NIH). Your Digestive System and How It Works
• Florida Statutes s. 381.986 (2026). Medical use of marijuana
• NIDDK (NIH). Diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease