Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) include chronic diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, and are known to respond to cannabis (marijuana) preparations but there are hundreds of compounds in the plant.
This study was designed to determine which component was most likely to represent the beneficial anti-inflammatory effect seen on bowel conditions. The authors determined that it is most likely THCA, not CBD as many would presume, that gives the most anti-inflammatory effect on colon epithelial cells. THCA is the precursor to THC.
However, they also stated that the fraction which contained THCA worked “similarly” to the whole plant preparation, but not quite as effectively. Medicine is constantly trying to isolate nature to find the “magic bullet”, but this article may be supportive of those who instead prefer to consume nature’s medicine in the whole form, just as nature produced it.
