Every day is a struggle when you are suffering from ulcerative colitis. It is a form of chronic and inflammatory bowel disease that affects the colon and rectum. The exact cause of ulcerative colitis is still unknown. Ulcerative colitis mainly occurs in adults aged between 30 and 40 years. The classic symptom of ulcerative colitis is bloody diarrhea. The disease is managed mainly by 5-aminosalicylic acid drugs, immunosuppressants, and steroids. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6487890/)

Due to its long course, ulcerative colitis can cause a negative influence on people’s quality of life. Also, this disease cannot be cured but can only be controlled. Therefore, alternative treatment options may be of benefit. A common alternative is the therapeutic utilization of marijuana. It has been reported that 97% of patients with ulcerative colitis found marijuana effective in improving their pain, appetite and diarrhea. (https://academic.oup.com/crohnscolitis360/article/2/2/otaa016/5821008)

A recent study also established that patients with ulcerative colitis received benefit and alleviation of symptoms from marijuana.   (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.685289/full)

A randomized controlled trial concluded that short term treatment with marijuana brought about disease remission and enhancement of quality of life in many patients with ulcerative colitis. (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0246871)

Marijuana may have a role in the treatment paradigm of ulcerative colitis. Anyone with ulcerative colitis could consider marijuana as an alternative therapy for their symptom management in discussion with their healthcare provider.