In November 2018 researchers from Canada published their review of the medical scientific literature to assess the use of cannabis and cannabinoids in ulcerative colitis. Only two studies involving 92 individuals were included in the review. One study compared 10 weeks of cannabidiol capsules with placebo in individuals with mild to moderate ulcerative colities, and the second compared 8 weeks of two cannabis cigarettes per day to placebo in individuals with ulcerative colitis who had not responded to conventional medical treatment. The first study was rated as low risk of bias and the second study rated as high risk. Results showed that the effects of cannabis and cannabidiol on ulcerative colitis was inconclusive although it was noted that those individuals using the cannabis cigarettes did appear to have a reduced disease activity index score compared to those using the placebo cigarettes. Further studies are therefore required. Different doses of cannabis and routes of administration should be investigated.
Kafil TS et al. Cannabis for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Nov 8;11:CD012954.