Can Cannabis Treat Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?

It is reported that 1 in 5 Americans may have Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). You can have it, but you don’t with this common disease. Have you ever had heartburn after eating? Or experienced heartburn and/or chest pain before? Heartburn can occur after eating certain foods, especially highly acidic and fatty ones. Overall, however, heartburn is closely associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Research continues and every year new discoveries and treatments for diseases emerge. With great understanding comes better responses, and there is hope that medical marijuana might provide some relief from GERD. Pharmaceutical drugs are often used to treat GERD, but cannabis and various cannabinoids can help treat this disease safely and with less harshness.

What is GERD exactly?

GERD refers to chronic symptoms including mucosal damage originally caused by the abnormal reflux in the body’s esophagus. Many people suffer from acid reflux, which is relatively common and not overly severe. However, chronic acid reflux in the form of GERD can become a serious health problem. Simply put, GERD consists of the return of contents to the body’s stomach, which then returns to the esophagus. GERD occurs when the body’s lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is weak and/or not relaxing properly. When this happens, the contents of the stomach can flow back up into the body’s esophagus.

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In every body there is a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which is located at the entrance of the body’s stomach. Once food enters the stomach, the LES should close to prevent food from splashing back up the esophagus. If the LES doesn’t close properly or open regularly, stomach acid can leak up into the body’s esophagus and cause heartburn.

Usually, the main treatment method for GERD is the use of prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs. However, many prescription drugs cause unwanted side effects. Fortunately, however, various cannabinoids can combat GERD symptoms and negative side effects that come from prescribed GERD medications.

Cannabis = Helping hand for GERD patients

In addition, there is an endocannabinoid system (ECS) in every body, and there are many known functions of this system, including memory, sensation, pain perception, etc. In particular, however, the ECS may have anti-secretory effects on gastric acid in addition to relieving inflammation and mucosal damage, commonly felt by GERD patients. The body’s ECS also has an impact on the body’s transient LES, which can be very helpful for those suffering from GERD.

In general, cannabis contains a variety of medicinal properties, including but not limited to its ability to improve acid reflux. However, one of the most well-known medicinal benefits of cannabis is its analgesic (pain-relieving) properties, which can be useful in the treatment of GERD.

Other medicinal benefits

In addition, cannabis, but CBD specifically contains anti-inflammatory properties, which serves a valuable purpose for GERD sufferers. Recently, the CB2 receptor has been found to downregulate inflammation and hypermotility in disease states. In addition to modulating the intestinal drive, the body’s ECS can also improve intestinal motility in the event of inflammation. In addition, one study focused on the administration of delta(9)-THC in GERD participants. First, it is important to know what TSLERs are before understanding the results of the study. TSLERs are defined as transient relaxation of the sphincter, which is the predominant mechanism seen in GERD patients. TSLERs occur after stomach irritation and bloating and are often cited as the main cause of GERD.

From the study mentioned above, it was discovered that delta(9)-THC significantly reduced the number of TSLERs in the participants, in addition to reducing acid reflux episodes. In addition, the use of delta (9)-THC significantly reduced pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter and swallowing. However, more research needs to be done to better understand the role of the body’s ECS in esophageal function and disease. However, so far, preliminary data show that cannabinoid receptors are potentially useful to reduce TSLERs in GERD patients.

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From a practical standpoint, if you suffer from heartburn, acid reflux, or GERD, try to watch the foods you eat as they can make GERD symptoms worse, especially caffeine and alcohol. If you are interested in giving cannabis a try, it is recommended to consume it orally or sublingually to avoid further irritation. Here’s also a study from the National Library of Medicine on the subject if you want to dig deeper.