Have you ever wondered if smoking weed could help you manage IBD? What are the benefits of the drug? What are the risks? I have created this two part series to take a deeper look into IBD and cannabis use.
This is part two of the series where we will examine the negative sides of smoking weed for IBD. To read part one, on the positive aspects, click here.
I have used cannabis extensively to help me manage my IBD. This article is going to discuss some of the negative impacts that I have found over the years. Including:
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Cannabis and IBD symptoms
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Effects on your breathing
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Addiction
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Side effects of cannabis
CANNABIS AND IBD SYMPTOMS
The number one issue that I have with smoking cannabis for managing IBD symptoms is that it can work too well. What I mean by this is that it does a very good job of masking a lot of IBD symptoms.
Cannabis has been proven to help with pain, nausea, and appetite in IBD patients. But weed cannot induce remission in IBD patients. This means that it cannot actually heal your body.
When you are trying to truly heal your body, this can be an issue. In order to truly heal, you must be in tune with what is happening inside your body. You must be able to feel your body.
And cannabis can mask these symptoms. It works almost too well.
When you are in a full on flare, I have found cannabis to be extremely helpful. But if you are looking to move past flares, and truly heal. You must be able to feel what your body is telling you.
If you eat something, then smoke weed afterwards to avoid pain and nausea. It can be difficult to tell if what you have eaten has hurt your intestines.
If you are constantly smoking weed to cover up your symptoms,. Then you will never be able to be fully in tune with your body. And, I believe that in order to fully heal, you must be in tune with your body.
You need to be able to feel small changes, small improvements, and small setbacks. You need to understand how each meal, each activity, and each emotion affects your body.
And smoking cannabis will mask these feelings.
EFFECTS ON BREATHING
I can personally attest to how smoking weed can affect your breathing. If you smoke a lot, then your respiratory system is going to be affected.
The American Lung Association has found that smoking marijuana causes chronic bronchitis, and can injure the cell linings of large airways. If you are a heavy marijuana smoker I have found that it can create a ‘heavy’ feeling in your lungs. And it can make any coughs or colds that you may catch, more difficult to heal.
Eating THC and or CBD can eliminate the negative effects caused by smoking marijuana. But you are still left to face the other negative consequences described in this article.
ADDICTION
Marijuana is not addictive in the same way that cocaine, meth, or other harmful drugs can be. But marijuana can be addictive in its own right.
It has been found that up to 30% of regular marijuana users have ‘marijuana use disorder’. Which means addiction, and dependence. Often users in this category experience withdrawal symptoms, when they stop smoking. These include irritability, trouble sleeping, and loss of appetite.
I have found that there is another important factor of addiction with IBD and cannabis use. When I was using marijuana heavily to manage IBD, I was smoking it preemptively to manage my symptoms.
Meaning that I was smoking it before I even experienced symptoms. I knew that smoking weed would reduce my chances of feeling nauseous, or running to the toilet. So I would smoke to avoid ever reaching that stage.
I reached a place where I was smoking cannabis because I was afraid how I would feel if I did not smoke weed.
When I did stop smoking, I definitely felt withdrawals. Lack of appetite, poor sleep patterns, and irritability. Although all of these symptoms went away within two weeks of me stopping smoking. And keep in mind that I was a heavy weed smoking literally for years.
SIDE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS
I also experienced other side effects from using weed heavily to manage my IBD. It is well known that weed can make you feel forgetful, and a bit absentminded. I have definitely experienced this, and would often loose track of my thoughts. Or simple tasks would take me longer to complete, as my concentration would wander.
Although I always considered myself to be a ‘productive smoker’. My productivity is still much better now that I do not smoke weed. When I would smoke, I found it easier to just sit on the couch, or complete easier tasks.
I would also never drive my car after smoking. So that meant that I would have to rely on my partner to drive me places. In this way it did take away a bit of my independence.
Altough he never complained, I also think that me smoking weed took a slight toll on my partner. It would be concerned with a cough would not heal. Or when I felt the need to smoke weed, even when I wasn’t feeling sick. (Again, because I was addicted to the lack of IBD symptoms I would experience while high.)
Overall I can see that there is a real benefit to using cannabis to manage the symptoms of an IBD flare. But there are some dangers in using it long-term to manage your condition.
It can prevent you from being truly in tune with your body. Which is essential aspect of healing. It can cause respiratory issues, and damage your lungs. And there are certain elements of cannabis use that can become addictive.