Cannabis works in tandem with your endocannabinoid system (ECS) to produce beneficial effects across your body, including reducing stress, pain, and nausea.
Were you aware that cannabis also protects the health of your gut?
By raising the number of beneficial bacteria and decreasing the number of harmful ones, cannabis can affect your gut microbiome. By reducing intestinal inflammation and preserving your gut barrier, this relationship improves gut health in general. Because of this, many states allow medical marijuana for people with gastrointestinal disorders like Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
With an Online Medical Card, learn why cannabis and gut bacteria are a great combination and how to start healing your gut right now.
Understanding the Endocannabinoid System
What physical characteristics do you share with a tightrope walker? When they feel balanced, they both perform at their best. Your body uses internal systems to maintain homeostasis, whereas a tightrope walker uses a long pole and years of training to keep their feet steady.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is one of these vital systems.
The actions of chemical signals known as endocannabinoids and their receptors are included in the ECS. The brain and the rest of the body are home to these receptors, which are referred to as CB1 and CB2 receptors.
Some of your most vital processes are governed by the ECS, including:
- Pain control
- Sleep
- Appetite
- Mood
- Inflammatory and immune responses
- Memory
- Learning
- Internal temperature
In order to restore homeostasis, endocannabinoids interact with either CB1 or CB2 receptors in the affected areas when your body detects that one of these functions has become out of balance. This is referred to as an instantaneous feedback loop.
Different functions are influenced by CB1 and CB2 receptors:
- Your mood and pain perception are primarily regulated by CB1 receptors. When activated, you get a “high” or euphoria along with calming pain relief.
- Your immune system and inflammation are tightly controlled by CB2 receptors. They have the ability to suppress both when activated.
Endocannabinoids are naturally produced by your body (the term “endo” refers to endogenous, or internally originating). Other organisms, like the cannabis plant, also contain cannabinoids.
How Cannabis Interacts with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)
The structures and actions of your natural endocannabinoids are mimicked by the cannabinoids in cannabis. They can affect the internal processes that the ECS controls by activating CB1 and CB2 receptors once they enter the body.
The way that each cannabinoid interacts with the ECS varies. Let’s examine the functions of the two most well-known cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD):
- THC: Both CB1 and CB2 receptors can be activated by the cannabinoid THC. In addition to producing the psychoactive high that most people associate with marijuana, it also reduces inflammation, increases appetite, and relieves pain.
- CBD: The precise way that CBD interacts with the ECS is unknown to researchers. However, because it has no psychoactive effects, they are aware that it does not activate CB1 receptors. Rather, CBD has strong neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects that are good for the body and mind.
Medical marijuana users use cannabinoids and their holistic healing qualities to treat neurological disorders, mental health conditions, chronic pain, and yes, even digestive problems. Your entire ECS, including the gut’s endocannabinoid receptors, is affected by cannabis.
The Gut-Endocannabinoid Axis
Do you recall the previous analogy of the tightrope walker? Your stomach also values balance. The ECS and the gut microbiota are two crucial systems that aid in achieving homeostasis.
A complex world of bacteria and other microscopic organisms is referred to as a microbiome. As new organisms come in and go out, it is always changing. Within the body, microbiomes form symbiotic relationships in which you benefit from their assistance and they benefit you.
Your gut microbiota contains bacteria that support vital immune, neurological, endocrine, and gastrointestinal processes. In particular, they assist:
- Break down essential nutrients
- Recycle bile
- Maintain a healthy gut barrier.
- Manage gut inflammation
- Influence metabolism, blood sugar, and appetite
Without assistance from the ECS, your gut bacteria are unable to carry out all of these functions.
Endocannabinoid receptors are found all over the body, as was previously mentioned. The brain and central nervous system are home to the majority of CB1 receptors, whereas immune tissue contains CB2 receptors. They both reside in the gut.
Many of the protective functions of the bacteria in your gut microbiome are also carried out by the ECS. The ECS:
- Modulates gut barrier permeability: Cannabinoids have the ability to alter the intestinal barrier walls’ permeability by interacting with CB1 receptors in the gut. This stops bigger substances from getting into the stomach and causing damaging inflammation.
- Boosts gut immune responses: By activating CB2 receptors in the gut, the gut’s immune system can fight off infections and reduce inflammation.
Studies reveal that CB2 receptor expression rises when antibiotics eradicate vital gut bacteria. To put it another way, your ECS attempts to compensate for any deficiencies in your gut microbiome.
The following are indicators that your gut microbiota is out of balance:
- Stomach bloating and pain
- Painful gas
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Trouble digesting food
Local and systemic gastrointestinal disorders like the following can result from a disruption in the gut-endocannabinoid axis:
- Intestinal bowel disease (IBD)
- Colitis
- Weight challenges
- Diabetes
Fortunately, cannabis also affects the gut-endocannabinoid axis. Some intestinal problems that your body is unable to resolve on its own can be resolved by it.
Enhancing Gut Health with Cannabis: What You Need to Know
Clinical research has yet to provide a conclusive answer, but the preliminary data suggests that cannabis is good for your gut.
Some researchers think that cannabis’s cannabinoids can enhance gut health in a similar way to how endocannabinoids do so. A healthy gut microbiome depends on inflammation and immunological support, which are provided by both THC and CBD.
According to studies, cannabinoids—particularly THC—can also improve gut health by introducing and eliminating specific microorganisms from the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, THC makes it possible for:
- Fat storage
- Weight loss
- Metabolism
Although the precise relationship between cannabis and gut bacteria is still unknown, medical marijuana has helped patients with GI and digestive disorders by reducing pain and restoring gut balance.
Patients with certain gastrointestinal disorders are currently covered by numerous state medical marijuana programs, including:
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
For more general ailments like nausea, you may also get a medical recommendation. A licensed professional may prescribe marijuana for any ailment they deem “debilitating” and that they think they can cure in many states, including Louisiana.
Top Cannabis Strains for Gut Health and Digestion
Due in part to the large number of strains that are available, cannabis has special therapeutic potential. Strains are frequently bred by cultivators for particular medical purposes, such as assisting your gut bacteria.
Real patients incorporate the following strains into their regimen for gut health:
- Blue Dream: This sativa strain with a high THC content reduces pain like a dream without putting you to sleep. Blue Dream is the best option if you need a digestive boost during the day that calms your body and improves your mood. Additionally, a lot of patients use it to reduce stress, which can help ease some of your GI-related worries.
- Lemon G: This strain only provides sweet, sweet pain relief, despite being named for its potent citrus aroma. Patients with a range of gastrointestinal disorders can benefit from its potent anti-inflammatory properties due to its high THC content.
With a certified clinician’s medical recommendation, you can obtain these strains and more if you reside in a state that has a medical marijuana program. With Online Medical Card, get yours online right now.
Heal Your Gut Naturally with a Medical Marijuana Recommendation from Online Medical Card
Make a virtual appointment with Online Medical Card to find out for sure if cannabis can help with your stomach issues.
Get instant access to cannabis while relaxing in your own home by speaking with a state-licensed medical marijuana clinician about your symptoms. Making an appointment carries no risk; if you are not eligible, you will be refunded in full.
We at Online Medical Card are here to support you throughout your entire healing process. We can assist you with medical card renewal, dispensary pharmacist connections, and individualized product and dosage recommendations. Whether you’re looking to grow 99 plants in CA or need personalized guidance, get in touch to find out more right now.
