Does Medical Marijuana Really Help with Diabetes?

Reportedly, many people use medical marijuana for ailments such as chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and more. However, does medical marijuana really help with diabetes? Well, according to studies, it may be effective for treating diabetes, as well as the symptomatic expression of diabetes.

In this article, we will talk about the possible benefits of medical marijuana for diabetics, the illness and its complications, and how you can incorporate marijuana into your lifestyle.

Medical Marijuana – Overview

Marijuana is a more common term for the cannabis plant. In reality, it refers to the cannabis plant, which also includes the hemp plant as a classifying species. When you use the plant for medicinal purposes instead of its notorious recreational use, it is medical marijuana. Despite the bad stigma that surrounds them, the cannabinoid compounds of the plant can prove to be vital for your health.

The two phytocannabinoids in the marijuana plant are THC and CBD. Both of these compounds make up most of the plant’s chemical properties. Although both are cannabinoids, they differ drastically in properties. THC is the component that gives the marijuana plant its psychoactive tendencies. Alternatively, CBD is a non-psychoactive substance with loads of beneficial properties.

Both the cannabinoids affect the body’s natural endocannabinoid system in positive ways. This system consists of receptors; the cannabinoids bind to these receptors. Thus, they improve some of the vital processes of the body, including the regulation of blood sugar level, which is emphatic for diabetes prevention.

Diabetes

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a common and concerning health condition that results in an increase in glucose levels in a patient. In other words, a person with diabetes has a higher glucose level in their body than the optimum amount because the body fails to produce a sufficient amount of insulin.

Insulin is the essential chemical that regulates glucose inside the body. The majority of the population suffers from Type 2 diabetes, in which their body does not produce enough insulin. In comparison, in the more critical Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce any insulin at all.

Marijuana and Diabetes

Recent experiments and studies on the marijuana plant have shown significant results that indicate that CBD and THC both can be effective in treating diabetes. Apart from the conclusive data coming from animal research, you can also find many anecdotal perspectives of people and their experience of marijuana use for the treatment of the symptoms of diabetes.

These include the consumption of THC for better sleep since it makes you feel drowsy. Additionally, consuming CBD-rich products can reduce inflammation and chronic pain of diabetes, and it has also proven to improve the mobility issues that diabetic patients encounter.

The international data that CBD may prevent the onset of this disease in the first place is much more promising. CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties can produce resounding outcomes for people who suffer from diabetes. Experiments on lab rats have also shown that CBD consumption lowered the probabilities of diabetes. [1]

Furthermore, research also shows CBD as responsible for fat browning, which means that it converts the white fat inside the body to brown fat, which is much easier to burn. As a result, CBD consumption can help a person lose weight more easily and metabolize sugar more efficiently. Also, the consumption of medical marijuana can stabilize blood sugar levels in some people.

Does Medical Marijuana for Diabetes

Does Marijuana Promote Weight Gain and Diabetes?

It is important to address this myth that cannabis consumption can lead to obesity – this is far from the truth. The average person who consumes marijuana daily may consume more calories than non-consumers. Data shows that they have a lower body mass index and a reduced risk of diabetes and obesity.

In a recent study, the data showed astounding results of cannabis users compared to non-cannabis users. The sample size of the test subjects was around 18000. This study tested the liability of diabetes of the participants. The results revealed:

  • Cannabis users had a better percentage of HDL cholesterol in their system (HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol that fights against diabetes.)
  • Cannabis users had lower insulin resistance than non-users, which means that their bodies did not resist the flow of insulin.
  • The positive effects of cannabis were lasting and still present even after the discontinuation of marijuana use.

Side Effects of Medical Marijuana

Just like anything, medical marijuana also comes with some side effects that may not fare well with new users. Most of these side effects are THC-related, which means that you can avoid them by consuming products that only contain CBD since it has little to no side effects.

The consumption of THC can result in an increase in pulse rate, increased appetite, dry mouth, droopy eyes, light-headedness, problems with functioning, and notorious paranoia. For people vulnerable to these psychoactive effects, CBD oil serves as a much safer alternative.

CBD Oil

CBD oil is a marijuana plant extract that has either a minuscule amount or no THC present in it. This product, therefore, provides all the benefits of CBD without the intoxicating effects of THC. Most people consume this directly by mixing a few drops in water, while others prefer to inhale it by vaporizing it. Apart from the more common methods, you can also find CBD oils infused in many edibles, creams, and medicines as well.

How to Consume Medical Marijuana for Diabetes?

For diabetic patients who are considering CBD for their condition, usually the recommended dosing limit is 2-3 times a day at a minimum. After two to three weeks of CBD consumption, get a personal check on your current diabetes condition, and increase your dose or frequency according to your improvements. There are no standard consumption rules that you will have to follow like other pharmaceutical drugs. Instead, you need to self-analyze and observe the effects and decide the amount that works best for you.

Patients may experience the benefits of CBD immediately if they seek to treat the ongoing symptoms that come with diabetes, such as pain or sleeplessness. In terms of insulin imbalance or sensitivity, the effect of CBD may come after long-term use of the product.

Things to be Careful of

Before you invest in a CBD or medical marijuana product for your diabetes problems, you should also consider a few other factors. With diabetes, nutritional intake with other natural holistic treatments matters. Cannabinoid molecules can help diabetics; however, a healthy lifestyle involving mobility and nutrition is essential.

Make sure that the CBD product you purchase online has certification, which proves that it has been third-party lab-tested. This ensures that the product contains all the ingredients that it claims without any contaminants or harmful substances. Products of reputable companies will often have this certification, so if you are buying from a renowned brand, you shouldn’t worry.

Conclusion

We hope that this article manages to answers questions such as, “Does medical marijuana really help with diabetes?” Your experiences using medical marijuana and CBD oils for diabetes are of great value to us. We would love to hear all about that, so please give your comment below. Your insights on this wondrous natural treatment will help other like-minded individuals who are also seeking a natural treatment for diabetes.

References:

Springer Link: The Expanded Endocannabinoid System/Endocannabinoidome as a Potential Target for Treating Diabetes Mellitus. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11892-019-1248-9

Science Direct: Neuroprotective and Blood-Retinal Barrier-Preserving Effects of Cannabidiol in Experimental Diabetes. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000294401062086X

Research Gate: Diabetes and Cannabis: Myth or Reality. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria-Gunturiz/publication/330815011_Diabetes_and_Cannabis_Myth_or_Reality/links/5e7bd337299bf1a91b7a86ea/Diabetes-and-Cannabis-Myth-or-Reality.pdf

Springer Link: Cannabidiol Promotes Browning in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11010-016-2702-5

NCBI: Cannabis Use as Risk or Protection for Type 2 Diabetes: A Longitudinal Study of 18 000 Swedish Men and Women. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5098083/

 

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