Is Smoking Marijuana Bad For Diabetics?
In 2005 American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC) proposed that cannabis has some positive benefits for people suffering from diabetes. According to their research Cannabis helps to improve blood circulation in our body and also helps to reduce blood pressure. Cannabis helps us to get relief from neuropathic pain. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2010 shows that people who smokes or take medical marijuana have a good or maintained insulin level as compared to non marijuana users. It also helps to get a higher level of high-density lipoprotein that helps us to protect against heart diseases. Present medical evidences proved that medical marijuana improves insulin resistance. Anti-inflammatory properties of CBD(an active compound of cannabis) helps to treat different health conditions including Diabetes. Use of Medical Marijuana is more helpful to treat type 2 diabetes rather than treating type 1 diabetes. Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Marijuana: A Possible Treatment?
Marijuana is currently legal for medical use in 28 American states and the District of Columbia. There are increasing evidence to support the claims that the Cannabis plant offers many potential medicinal properties for a wide number of diseases and disorders. Although we know that marijuana can be helpful in treating nervous disorders, little research is available on its other healing properties because of the law against using the herb for medicinal use. Because of the regulations and the stigma against marijuana, the opinions are biased. But the early research looks promising between the relationship between marijuana and the metabolic processes of the body is still in a relatively new research phase. Of the many research done on various health problems, one of the newest claims is that marijuana can help prevent diabetes, help treat diabetes, and treat certain complications as a result of diabetes. To clear the stigma about marijuana, this article will cover these following topics: What is Marijuana Marijuana has numerous of nicknames throughout the years. Amongst all the names, it is most commonly known as weed, pot, ganja, Mary Jane, hemp, and Cannabis. It is actually the female flower buds of the plant Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, or a hybrid of both strains (the male flower buds have very minimal psychedelic chemicals if not none). Of the 483 known compounds in the plant, there are 86 canninoid chemicals identified. Of the 86 chemicals, the main psychoactive pharmacological chemical is called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Other cannabinoid chemicals found are cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabaravin (THCV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannbicyclol (CBL). All these cannabinoid chemicals are known to also have psychoactive and pharma Continue reading >>
Cannabis Use May Affect Diabetes Risk In The Middle-aged
"People who use marijuana may be more likely to develop pre-diabetes than those who have never smoked it," The Independent reports, after a US study found a link between long-term cannabis use and pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is defined as having abnormally high blood sugar levels, but not high enough to meet criteria for diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The study enrolled around 3,000 healthy young US adults in the mid-1980s. Over the following years, researchers carried out regular medical assessments and questioned participants about their use of cannabis and other substances. Cannabis use at the 25-year assessment, when the person was now in middle age, was associated with an increased risk of having pre-diabetes. However, there were no significant links between cannabis use and "full-blown" diabetes. The main difficulty with this research is that the study design cannot prove direct cause and effect. Many other health and lifestyle factors could be linked to both cannabis use and diabetes risk, such as diet. Cannabis is a notorious appetite stimulant – know as "the munchies", which often leads users to eat energy-rich, nutritiously poor snacks, such as crisps and sweets. If there is a link, it's possible that diet could be having an effect on diabetes risk, rather than cannabis itself. While the short- and long-term effects of cannabis are not firmly established, the drug has been linked to mental health conditions such as psychosis and physical conditions such as lung cancer. Where did the story come from? The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of California, San Francisco. It received various sources of financial support, including from the US National Institutes of Health. The study was published in the peer-rev Continue reading >>
Marijuana Use May Raise Risk Of Developing High Blood Sugar
MORE Marijuana may raise people's risk of developing prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are abnormally high but not high enough to warrant a diagnosis with type 2 diabetes, a new study finds. In the study, researchers found that people who used large amounts of marijuana during young adulthood were 40 percent more likely to develop prediabetes as middle-age adults than those who had never tried the drug. However, marijuana use was not linked to an increased risk of having type 2 diabetes, according to the study, published today (Sept. 13) in the journal Diabetologia. [Marijuana vs. Alcohol: Which Is Worse for Your Health?] Previous studies looking at marijuana use had found that users have lower rates of diabetes compared with nonusers, said Michael Bancks, a Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota and lead author of the study. But in those studies, both marijuana use and diabetes were assessed at the time, meaning it was unclear whether people were using the drug before they developed diabetes, or afterward, he said. "We felt we could address the potential limitations of previous research and add new information to our understanding of the relationship between marijuana use and subsequent metabolic health," Bancks told Live Science. Diabetes is a metabolic condition. The results of the new study, however, contradict the results of previous studies that found that using marijuana may reduce the risk of developing diabetes, he said. In addition, "it's unclear how marijuana use could place an individual at increased risk for prediabetes, yet not diabetes," the researchers wrote. The researchers offered several reasons to explain this observation. For one, it's possible that people who were more likely to develop diabetes were left out of the study, Continue reading >>
Can A Diabetic Smoke Marijuana?
I love California. This November, Californians will have the opportunity to vote on a measure that would legalize marijuana use and sale in the state. Adults over the age of 21 would be allowed to carry up to an ounce of marijuana, and they would be allowed to cultivate for personal usage up to 25 square feet of cannabis plants. As of April 2009, 56% of Californians surveyed supported the legalization and taxation of pot. Let me be clear: I like this idea because I think it’s silly to have so much of our criminal justice system tied up with drug charges, and because I giggle at the absurdity of the fact that our state government is essentially saying, “Well, if you can’t beat ’em…” In other words, my reasons for liking this proposal, and for liking California, have nothing to do with the drug itself. In fact, pot itself is a big open question for me– namely: Can a diabetic smoke pot? I don’t mean “can” here as a verb of possibility or survivability. What I mean is– is it a good idea for a type 1 diabetic to smoke pot? How does marijuana affect blood sugar control and management, in terms of both behavior and biology? Lacking any personal experience in the matter, I first turn to the internet to answer these questions. The first thing I note: many other people are wondering the same thing. Rarely does Google pre-fill queries I have about diabetes, but this one Google is all over: “marijuana and diabetes,” “marijuana diabetes type 1,” “marijuana diabetes type 2,” “marijuana diabetes treatment,” and so on. The results of these queries are full of accounts from people with the personal experience I don’t have. There are apparently many message boards, either diabetes-focused or pot-focused, that have touched on the question of whether Continue reading >>
Can Marijuana Improve Blood Sugars In Type 2 Diabetes?
Doctors visits, blood tests and more medications. This is the norm when you’re living with type 2 diabetes. Life becomes a new routine of pricking your finger, worrying if the food you ate is going to spike your sugars and becoming nervous at every little tingle in your fingers and toes. You have to deal with conflicting advice about what you should and shouldn’t eat (hint: diabetic foods are definitely not a good choice). Is it any wonder that there is a higher risk of depression for type 2 diabetics. What if there was a natural solution that might help your mood and your blood sugar control? What are Cannabinoids? This plant goes by so many names, marijuana, maryjane, weed and is the most widely used illicit drug worldwide. What you might not know is that cannabis has a wide range of medicinal benefits. To understand the medicinal uses of cannabis we first need to look at how it works in the body. Our body has it’s own cannabinoid receptors, called the Endocannabinoid system. The system helps regulate a number of processes including appetite, memory, mood, pain, metabolism, blood flow and cell immunity. The active ingredients in cannabis are called cannabinoids, they can act on the endocannabinoid system which is where the medical benefits come from. Cannabis contains around 80 different cannabinoids most of which have not been widely researched as yet. The most well known cannabinoid contained in cannabis is THC. Cannabis: the old kid on the block Actually, humans have been cultivating and using hemp (the plant the cannabis comes from) for over 10,000 years. Evidence shows it is the first agricultural crop our ancestors farmed. Cannabis has also been used medicinally for nearly as long, with Queen Victoria using it regularly. It is the THC component of cannabis Continue reading >>
Top 5 Benefits Of Cannabis For Diabetes
Diabetes is the term for a group of related metabolic disorders characterized by prolonged high blood glucose levels. Diabetes affects almost 400 million people worldwide, resulting in up to five million deaths per year--and its prevalence is rising. Substantial evidence indicates that cannabis may prevent and treat the disease. Diabetes is the term for a group of related metabolic disorders characterized by prolonged high blood glucose levels. Diabetes affects almost 400 million people worldwide, resulting in up to five million deaths per year–and its prevalence is rising. Substantial evidence indicates that cannabis may prevent and treat the disease. Preventative Diabetes is associated with high levels of fasting insulin and insulin resistance, as well as low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). In 2013, the results of a five-year study into the effects of cannabis on fasting insulin and insulin resistance were published in the American Journal of Medicine. Of the 4,657 respondents, 2,554 had used cannabis in their lifetime (579 were current users and 1,975 were past users) and 2,103 had never used the drug. The researchers found that current users of cannabis had 16% lower fasting insulin levels than respondents who had never used cannabis, as well as having 17% lower levels of insulin resistance and higher levels of HDL-C. Respondents who had used cannabis in their lifetime but were not current users showed similar but less pronounced associations, indicating that the protective effect of cannabis fades with time. The researchers also ran analyses on the data that excluded individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Even after excluding diabetics, current cannabis users were found to exhibit reduced fasting insulin and insulin resistance levels, indica Continue reading >>
Marijuana And Type 1 Diabetes
Warning: Content within discusses drugs that are illegal in some jurisdictions. Beyond Type 1 in no way encourages illegal activity and would like to remind its readers that marijuana usage continues to be an offense under US federal law. From Cheech and Chong to Nancy Botwin on Weeds, marijuana has had its share of the spotlight over the years. Legislative consensus is “half baked” with 28 states having legalized medical marijuana (eight of which legalized it for recreational purposes, ages 21+). That means in more than half the states in the US, you can use pot medicinally. Legal or not, depending on where you live and what your ailment or aim is, it doesn’t mean “everybody must get stoned.” It does mean though, if you’re going to “puff the magic dragon,” you should know a few things first. Like dude…what about marijuana and Type 1 diabetes? These are the must-knows and things to consider when it comes to ganja. What’s the law? Find out where it’s legal in the US according to CNN. What are the side effects of marijuana? Like any other drug, marijuana is a mind-altering substance, which is to say, you act, think or feel differently on it. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical known to cause marijuana’s psychological effects. Some report feeling no effect, but this is uncommon. Different stains (types) of marijuana and different ways in which to consume it can also produce varying effects. While your reaction is individual, you should know the wide range of side effects that you could experience when under the influence of marijuana. You could feel… relaxed euphoric sleepy talkative anxious paranoid thirsty hungry What are the long-term effects of marijuana? Because marijuana is not legal under federal law in the US and in other parts o Continue reading >>
Diabetes Type 1 Patient Smoking Marijuana
nonah31750 over a year ago Hi, diabetes type one is very serious condition. I can understand your friend is under a lot of stress because of her situation. However, marijuana is definitely not the answer. She may think that this substance is helping her, but I believe she is wrong. Marijuana is an illegal substance so therefore there are not any valid studies that show it can help with lowering blood glucose level. You have every right to worry about her condition. I think you should try talking to her about her habit and the effects of marijuana smoking. This is a drug that alters person's state of mind. Under the influence of marijuana your friend can even endanger her health, because she might forget to take her insulin injection on time. If she refuses to listen to you, you shouldn't hesitate to talk to her parents. Believe me, it is for her own good. Guest over a year ago Actually it is not true that marijuana does not help. It does not alter one's state of mind, nor is it habitual. You need to look at research being done. I don't have the facts on hand, but I would definitely look into otehr points of view before I went and told my 19 year old friends parents that she is smoking weed. The knee-jerk reactions to say that marijuana is bad and lump it in with hard dcrugs like heroin, etc. is really disengenuous at best. Go to your university and do some research, especially from countries where it has been researched quite a bit, like the Netherlands. BTW I have type II diabetes and I find it helps relieve the pressure off my eyes to smoke medical marijuana. Guest over a year ago I am diabetic and have neurothapy. My doctor put me on nurontin which helps but the only thing that stops the pain is smoking marijuana. If you dont smoke marijuana and you think it is bad b Continue reading >>
Treating Diabetes With Cannabis?
I am still grinning. Can you see me? Over 10 years back in 2005, we published a brief post here at the ‘Mine about how cannabis (yep: pot, grass, weed, ganja...) can be used to treat diabetes. Really, completely legit! And people have been flocking here ever since to learn more. Now, at the kickoff of 2016, we’re updating that post with a bunch more detail. Seriously, there is a growing body of research (OK, much of it in animals) showing that cannabis can have a number of positive effects on diabetes. It begins with that original 2005 research paper that we highlighted from the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC), which purported that cannabis can have the following benefits for PWDs (people with diabetes): stabilizing blood sugars (confirmed via "a large body of anecdotal evidence building among diabetes sufferers") anti-inflammatory action that may help quell some of the arterial inflammation common in diabetes "neuroprotective" effects that help thwart inflammation of nerves and reduce the pain of neuropathy by activating receptors in the body and brain "anti-spasmodic agents" help relieve muscle cramps and the pain of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders acts as a "vasodilator" to help keep blood vessels open and improve circulation contributes to lower blood pressure over time, which is vital for diabetics substituting cannabis butter and oil in foods "benefits cardiac and arterial health in general" it can also be used to make topical creams to relieve neuropathic pain and tingling in hands and feet helps calm diabetic "restless leg syndrome" (RLS), so the patient can sleep better: "it is recommended that patients use a vaporizer or smoked cannabis to aid in falling asleep" Evidence for all of this still stands, and has in fact been corroborated and buil Continue reading >>
Metabolic Effects Of Chronic Cannabis Smoking
OBJECTIVE We examined if chronic cannabis smoking is associated with hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, reduced β-cell function, or dyslipidemia in healthy individuals. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In a cross-sectional, case-control study, we studied cannabis smokers (n = 30; women, 12; men, 18; 27 ± 8 years) and control subjects (n = 30) matched for age, sex, ethnicity, and BMI (27 ± 6). Abdominal fat depots and intrahepatic fat content were quantified by magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, respectively. Insulin-sensitivity indices and various aspects of β-cell function were derived from oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). RESULTS Self-reported cannabis use was: 9.5 (2–38) years; joints/day: 6 (3–30) [median (range)]. Carbohydrate intake and percent calories from carbohydrates, but not total energy intake, were significantly higher in cannabis smokers. There were no group differences in percent total body fat, or hepatic fat, but cannabis smokers had a higher percent abdominal visceral fat (18 ± 9 vs. 12 ± 5%; P = 0.004). Cannabis smokers had lower plasma HDL cholesterol (49 ± 14 vs. 55 ± 13 mg/dL; P = 0.02), but fasting levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, or free fatty acids (FFA) were not different. Adipocyte insulin resistance index and percent FFA suppression during an OGTT was lower (P < 0.05) in cannabis smokers. However, oral glucose insulin sensitivity index, measures of β-cell function, or incretin concentrations did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Chronic cannabis smoking was associated with visceral adiposity and adipose tissue insulin resistance but not with hepatic steatosis, insulin insensitivity, impaired pancreatic β-cell function, or glucose intol Continue reading >>
Marijuana And Diabetes: Can The Two Work Together?
In the United States alone more than 30 million people are currently living with diabetes. That’s nearly 10 percent of the entire population. What’s worse is that two out of every three of those 30 million people will die from the disease (or it’s associated complications.) In this post we’ll explore the intricacies of how marijuana and diabetes interact with one another. What you’ll learn in this post: (Click any of the section titles below to jump right to it) Types of Diabetes Type 1 Diabetes, also known as “Juvenile Diabetes,” is actually a genetic condition in which the pancreas is incapable of creating sufficient amounts of insulin to meet the body’s needs. As a result, patients with type 1 diabetes often require insulin injections multiple times, every single day of their life. With type 2 diabetes, more widely known as “Adult Onset,” the body does produce insulin, it just doesn’t produce it properly. And that “improper” insulin production signals the pancreas to produce even more – more than the body needs, or can process. Feast or famine. With one out of every ten Americans affected, researchers are working hard to help patients better manage the potentially life-threatening disease, which from this perspective means taking a hard look at how marijuana and diabetes engage each other. The Research In 2005, the American Alliance for Medical Marijuana released a groundbreaking report detailing five key areas where medical marijuana was believed to benefit people living with diabetes. The AAMC stated that: cannabis was believed capable of stabilizing blood sugar; since cannabis was “neuro-protective” in nature, it was capable of reducing neuropathic pain by activating receptors located in the body and the brain; cannabis helps to kee Continue reading >>
Marijuana And Diabetes: Benefits, Disadvantages, And Legality
Marijuana has been used medicinally for thousands of years, although many people use it as a recreational drug too. Research now indicates marijuana may have medicinal properties that can provide benefits for diabetes, as well as other health conditions. After alcohol, marijuana (also known as cannabis) is the most commonly used drug in the world. The United Nations World Drug Report 2016 estimate there are 182.5 million users globally. This article explores the medicinal properties of marijuana and how its use might benefit people with diabetes. It also examines the potential downsides of using marijuana for people who have diabetes and what the legal status of the drug is. Contents of this article: Medicinal properties of marijuana Compounds in marijuana are believed to be responsible for the health benefits associated with the plant. These are called cannabinoids. Cannabinoids interact with receptors found in the central nervous system of the body. This can affect a number of processes such as: mood pain memory coordination appetite Of all the cannabinoids in marijuana, THC and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most commonly studied. THC is the main psychoactive component in cannabis, producing the "high" associated with the drug. CBD is not considered psychoactive, but has a number of medicinal uses. As such, it is of interest to those considering marijuana for medical use. Medical marijuana and synthetic drugs The term "medical marijuana" means the use of the whole, unprocessed cannabis plant (or extracts from it) to treat certain health conditions. It should be noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved marijuana as a safe and effective drug for any condition. The FDA has, however, approved the following medications containing synthetic versio Continue reading >>
Marijuana Users May Be More Likely To Develop Diabetes, Research Finds
Marijuana users may be more likely to develop diabetes, research finds New research suggests that people who use marijuana may be more likely to develop prediabetes than those who have never smoked it / Getty Adults who used marijuana were 65% more likely to have poor sugar control People who use marijuana may be more likely to develop prediabetes than those who have never smoked it, according to new research. A sample of more than 3,000 people in America found that adults who currently used marijuana were 65 per cent more likely to have poor sugar control which can lead to type 2 diabetes. Those who no longer smoked the drug but had used it 100 times or more in their lifetime had a 49 per cent greater chance of developing the condition. The link was not affected by BMI and waist circumference, the paper published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) found. The authors, led by the University of Minnesota School of Public Healths Mike Bancks, said: Marijuana use, by status or lifetime frequency, was not associated with incidence or presence of diabetes after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Unexpected successful people who have admitted to smoking cannabis Unexpected successful people who have admitted to smoking cannabis "As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I dont think it is more dangerous than alcohol. "Look, I have never made a secret of the fact that I have tried marijuana... About 50,000 times." "It was jolly nice. But apparently it is very different these days. Much stronger. I've become very illiberal about it. I don't want my kids to ta Continue reading >>
Marijuana Use Linked To Prediabetes
Does cannabis protect against blood sugar problems…or ignite them? Several big population studies hint at an intriguing association between marijuana and lower risk for type 2 diabetes. But a recent University of Minnesota study has uncovered 49-65% higher odds for prediabetes in current smokers and former “heavy” users. The study was published in the September issue of the journal Diabetologia. Researchers used data from the large, on-going CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study, which is studying heart disease development in 5,115 black and Caucasian women and men over several decades. For this study, they looked at associations between marijuana use and blood-sugar levels in a group of 3,034 study volunteers 25 years after the study began in the mid-1980s. They also looked at 3,151 volunteers who did not have prediabetes or diabetes in 1992-1993 to see, in follow-up exams, how blood sugar levels changed for pot users and abstainers. Overall, marijuana use dropped from 28% at the start of the study to 12% by 2010. By then, current smokers had a 65% higher risk for prediabetes. And former users who smoked or otherwise ingested marijuana at least 100 times in the past had a 49% higher risk for prediabetes. But pot wasn’t associated with higher risk for full-blown type 2 diabetes. “Marijuana may have a more noticeable impact on glycemic metabolism in the prediabetes range compared with the diabetes range,” says lead researcher Michael Bancks, a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. In contrast, traditional risk factors like obesity may overshadow the effects of marijuana in people who do develop diabetes, he adds. THC and A1c Nearly 19 million Americans use marijuana. But “despite the growing movem Continue reading >>
