Cannabis and Gut Microbiome

Medical cannabis has been increasingly legalized and prescribed in the United States. As per NSCL, 37 states allow the use of medical marijuana as of Feb 2022. In recent studies, cannabinoid compounds have been studied to improve gut microbiome aka gut health.

Cannabis has complex compounds and smoking or consuming marijuana can be intoxicating and even dangerous with long-term use. In medical use, the drug is carefully prescribed by the treating doctor for many health benefits. It’s important to note that medically prescribed medical marijuana and cannabis based drugs are specially developed to deliver benefits for specific conditions. It is not advisable to self-treat with medical cannabis, always consult your doctor first.

Once the scientists understood how various compounds found in marijuana act on the body, new pharmacological solutions were developed including studies and trials that use cannabis for microbiome health.

How does Cannabis affect the body?

Marijuana consists of many different compounds the two most popular are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD).

Marijuana has an effect on the human body because our body has the endocannabinoid system.^​1​ Different parts of our body and different cells have receptors for compounds called cannabinoids found in marijuana.

Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found throughout the body in varying amounts.^​2​ There are different amounts and types of these receptors within the digestive system as well. We can see different effects of cannabinoids on the gut compared to oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, liver or the pancreas.

There’s so many different targets so depending on where the receptors are, specific cannabinoids can modulate inflammation response, immune system, motility and pain perception among many others.

How cannabis based drugs work with gut microbiome

It has been confirmed in animal models that THC in cannabis causes changes in gut microbiota and potentially contributes to chronic THC-induced actions on body weight in obesity.^​3​ THC has been found to prevent high fat diet induced increase in weight and fat.

An interesting cell study shows how cannabinoids can improve the intestinal resistance to infections, prevent inflammation and maintain a healthy intestine.^​4​ This shows just how good a tonic medical cannabis can be for gut health.

A healthy gut means a healthier brain. In 2016^​5​, a study from the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology in University of South Carolina School of Medicine suggests that  TCH and CBD treatments can suppress neuroinflammation by promoting healthy gut microbiota. CBD and THC have been extensive studied to reverse the brain damage caused by alcohol use.^​6​

Unhealthy microbiota can lead to depression and inhibit neurogenesis. As per a study by the nature communications – chronic stress, diet and gut microbiota generate a loop that contributes to depression via the endocannabinoid system. Therefore, the medical cannabis solutions for gut health and brain health naturally focus on optimizing the endocannabinoid system as it plays such an important role in modulating stress and boost resilience in the brain.

More studies are needed for a better understanding of the compounds found in medical cannabis and their connection with gut microbiome and establishing treatment protocols.