Cannabinoids have been found to reduce gastrointestinal motility in clinical trials. This means that the modulation of the intestinal endogenous cannabinoid system may be a useful target for treating gastrointestinal motility disorders. CBD from hemp has been used to relax hypermotility states in animal models, and it also has anti-emetic and anti-nausea effects due to its action on 5-HT1A receptors. Other studies have suggested that CBD can help relieve gastrointestinal inflammation and protect the intestinal barrier by interacting with G-protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR5) in enterocytes.
In a study that looked at the effects of CBD on intestinal biopsies of human subjects with ulcerative colitis and on the intestinal segments of mice with LPS-induced intestinal inflammation, CBD counteracted reactive enteric gliosis by reducing astroglial signaling (neurotrophin S100B), which reduces mast cells and macrophages in the intestine. CBD treatment also reduced TNF-α expression. These results were found in both animal and human cell models. It is often thought that consuming CBD may increase diarrhea, but current studies suggest that taking CBD may actually decrease intestinal motility in people with IBS.
If you want to avoid THC altogether or if you're taking a drug test, it may be best to avoid using CBD products. Research on hemp often focuses on the interaction of CBD with the endocannabinoid system (more specifically, the CB2 receptors) to modulate pain, inflammation, addiction, mood and psychosis, mental health disorders and, more recently, cancer. Keep reading to learn more about how CBD can help treat gastrointestinal symptoms of IBS. Some researchers have even suggested that CBD be explored as a candidate for a new class of drugs for irritable bowel diseases.
Not only could CBD directly regulate the endocannabinoid system, but research indicates that it may alter endogenous levels of endocannabinoids by inhibiting fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the enzyme that degrades a key endogenous endocannabinoid, arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA). Another area of CBD research that is promising but less well known is its effects on the gastrointestinal tract and its potential to help control symptoms associated with various gastrointestinal disorders. There isn't much research on CBD for pancreatitis yet, but some studies suggest that it may help with nausea and inflammation. Because of this, full-spectrum CBD products might be better at relieving symptoms than broad-spectrum CBD or isolated CBD.
However, CBD products containing more than 0.3 percent THC still fall within the legal definition of marijuana, making them illegal at the federal level, but legal under some state laws.