CBD reduces small intestine contractions

Cannabis has been used medicinally for centuries to treat a variety of disorders, including those associated with the gastrointestinal tract. The discovery of our bodies' own “cannabis-like molecules” and associated receptors and metabolic machinery—collectively called the endocannabinoid system—enabled investigations into the physiological relevance for the system and provided the field with evidence of a critical function for this endogenous signalling pathway in health and disease.

The endocannabinoid system is ubiquitously expressed throughout the rodent and human body and serves a multitude of physiological roles, including the regulation of gastrointestinal function. Activating cannabinoid receptors within the gut inhibits peristalsis and gastric acid secretion and enhances food intake.

Evidence also suggests that dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system might play a role in intestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, as well as obesity. For example, single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes for constituents of the endocannabinoid system—including fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the degradative enzyme for the endocannabinoid, anandamide, and cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R)—are associated with increased colonic transport and irritable bowel syndrome. Indeed, pharmacological treatment in humans with the general cannabinoid receptor agonist, dronabinol, decreased postprandial colonic motility, and the efficacy of this treatment was altered in subjects with gene variants of FAAH or CB1R.

Yes, CBD has been shown to reduce small intestine contractions by having a relaxing effect on smooth muscles in the digestive system. This has been demonstrated in studies on conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which can cause muscle spasms and cramping in the small intestine. CBD's interaction with the body's endocannabinoid system is thought to be responsible for its effects on the digestive system, including its ability to reduce small intestine contractions.

To function, the intestine must absorb nutrients but also send food onward. The ability to move food onward is called “motility” and is driven by timed contraction of the intestinal muscle. The gut interacts with the brain to determine the pace of contraction and therefore, food motility. Unfortunately, sometimes the timing of contractions can go haywire. Cannabinoids, whether naturally occurring endocannabinoids or externally administered cannabinoids, have been shown to reduce motility in a dose-dependent matter. In other words, the more cannabinoids supplied, the slower the food moves through the gastrointestinal system (to a point). Scientists who initially observed this effect dug deeper by applying cannabinoid receptor antagonists to block effects from cannabinoid receptors. While the CB2 receptor blocker had no effect, the CB1 receptor blocker caused motility to resume as if cannabinoids had not been applied, indicating that these motility effects occur in response to activation of the CB1 receptor. Since the body’s two main endocannabinoids, anandamide (body’s version of THC) and 2-AG, both bind to the CB1 receptor, both are capable of influencing motility in the intestine.