How marijuana helps with constipation

If you’re struggling to have regular, healthy bowel movements, you might want to try smoking marijuana. According to a new study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, those who smoked weed recently were less likely to suffer from constipation.

Scientists still don’t fully understand how cannabis affects the gastrointestinal system and digestive process. However, to better understand the association, the researchers identified American adults who had completed the drug use and bowel movements questionnaires in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey over a six-year period from 2005 to 2010. The researchers then used the Bristol Stool Form Scale to analyze a person’s likelihood of having chronic constipation or diarrhea due to recent marijuana use.

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According to the study, recent weed use was associated with a 30% lower risk of constipation. Also, the prevalence of constipation was lower among those who used marijuana recently than among those who had never used or used it in the past. These results held up when the scientists adjusted for demographic factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

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However, there was no association with recent smoking and diarrhea symptoms.

“Our analysis is the first population-based human clinical study of marijuana and gut function that provides important insights into the overall effect of the various components of the marijuana plant on constipation,” the study authors write. “Due to the high prevalence and burden of constipation combined with the increasing availability of recreational and medicinal cannabis, more studies are needed to determine how whole cannabis use, different strains of marijuana, and frequency of marijuana use affect their apparent effects have constipation.”

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Previous research on the effects of marijuana on the gastrointestinal system has been conflicting. While the authors found an association between recreational marijuana use and constipation, other studies came to different conclusions.

“Current evidence suggests that cannabinoids slow intestinal transit through effects on the CB1 receptor,” the researchers wrote. “However, in a recent clinical study, hemp seed pills were reported to improve constipation symptoms in patients with functional constipation, suggesting that the summative action of the individual cannabinoids in the marijuana plant may have a unique effect on gut motility.”