How Cannabis Can Affect Your Liver
Based on recently conducted studies, it is possible to conclude that the relationship between cannabis and the human liver can be somewhat complicated and may vary depending on the hepatic condition involved
Research on how cannabis affects the human liver is still quite limited, but from the studies that have been done, we know that the relationship between the two can be somewhat complicated and can vary depending on the liver condition involved.
For most healthy individuals, cannabis use shouldn't cause liver complications and may even play a protective role against the development of alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
>>> Sechat offers free service for patients and medical prescribers of Medicinal Cannabis
For those with more severe liver problems, however, or those taking other medications, caution should be taken to ensure you are helping and not harming your liver.
Although medicine still has many questions about medicinal cannabis and the liver, here is what science can tell us.
How cannabis interacts with the liver
To understand the effects of cannabis on the liver, we have to start with an explanation of how the liver is affected by the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS modulates many of the most important functions of the human body - such as sleep, energy, memory, hunger, inflammation, and mood, to name just a few - and helps keep them in homeostasis or internal balance.
>>> Find out how the cheapest Medicinal Cannabis oil in Brazil will be sold
The endocannabinoid system can be activated by common cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, such as THC and CBD, but our body also naturally produces its own cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) - and they also activate the ECS.
Studies show that the activation of certain endocannabinoid receptors can worsen cirrhosis, potentiating factors such as fibrogenesis, fibrosis, ascites, and steatosis. Activating a different endocannabinoid receptor, however, seems to have the opposite effect, neutralizing fibrosis, steatosis, collagen deposition, and inflammation - promoting a healthy liver.
Endocannabinoids have also been shown to affect liver cirrhosis. Some may even act against fibrogenesis, improving liver health. Therefore, researchers are looking to further explore endocannabinoids as a potential target for liver disease treatment.
>>> There is no link between cannabis use and cognitive decline in the elderly, new study shows
The benefits of cannabis for liver health
Existing research on the endocannabinoid system shows that the activation of its receptors via endocannabinoids can have a significant impact on the liver - helping or hindering its progress. So, how does cannabis, a plant that activates these same receptors, affect the liver?
First and foremost, it is important to note that research on medicinal cannabis and the liver is still in its early stages, and the effects of cannabis on the liver have been studied mainly in populations with various types of liver diseases - unhealthy livers. That said, a small study looked at the influence of chronic cannabis use on liver function in general.
In this study, researchers found no significant differences in liver function for those with higher levels of THC markers in the blood - but they found slightly better liver function for those with higher levels of THC-OH. This research was limited due to a small sample size, but it suggests that chronic medicinal cannabis use does not negatively affect liver health for healthy individuals.
Risk factors for cannabis and the liver
For other liver-related conditions, however, cannabis use may have more complicated interactions. Chronic hepatitis C virus, for example, may be aggravated by cannabis use. Animal studies show that cannabis can actually worsen hepatic fibrosis and steatosis in hepatitis C. Human studies show that plant use can lead to antiviral immunity suppression in hepatitis C patients. Additionally, studies in hepatitis C patients found that the risk of steatosis was predicted by daily cannabis smoking.
On the other hand, other studies have reported positive effects for hepatitis C patients using cannabis. A 2018 study found that hepatitis C patients using cannabis had lower cirrhosis levels and lower total health costs than non-users. Another study found that hepatitis C patients who used cannabis were better at adhering to antiviral treatment and therefore had better virological outcomes. Therefore, for patients with this condition, cannabis may be either helpful or harmful.
In addition to studies on hepatitis C, other concerns about cannabis and the liver come from a study with CBD and mice. In this study, a high dose of CBD led to the death of some of the rats. Researchers noted increased liver enzymes and liver size in the rats that died. Other researchers, however, pointed out some problematic methodological issues in the study.
On one hand, the CBD dose administered was extremely high - a dose 100 times higher than the maximum recommended dose for Epidiolex, the only CBD-based medication approved by the FDA for humans. But more importantly, the CBD was extracted using hexane - a solvent with known neurotoxic properties. It is unclear if hexane was a factor in the rats' deaths.
Furthermore, the sample size was only six mice, which is too small to have much statistical significance. The study researchers reported that 75% of the rats died - which would mean 4.5 rats died. Since this is an impossibility, we can wonder what other errors were made in this study. More research is needed to confirm or discredit these findings.
Another important area of risk management related to cannabis and the liver is drug interactions. Cannabis can interact with the enzymes that metabolize the drug in the liver, which, if taken with certain medications, can make them more or less potent and effective. Additionally, certain drugs can make cannabis more or less potent.
Although there have been few studies on these drug interactions, we can deduce from what we know about pharmacology that certain medications are more likely to have these interactions. For example, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, fluconazole, clarithromycin, verapamil, itraconazole, voriconazole, and ketoconazole are more likely to increase THC and CBD blood concentrations by inhibiting their elimination from the body. On the other hand, rifampicin has been reported to reduce THC blood levels by 20-40% and CBD levels by 50-60%.
In conclusion, cannabis use is growing in popularity, and this should come as no surprise, considering its wide range of health benefits. Still, while research is still limited, there are some interesting studies showing the risks and benefits of cannabis use on the liver. For healthy individuals, cannabis should not have a significant impact on liver function - it may even play a protective role against the development of alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, for those with hepatitis C, or those using certain medications, cannabis use may cause complications.