Here’s a post from my very first year of blogging that continues to pop up in Google searches with surprising regularity. I suppose the mysteries of the medicinal qualities of ‘pot’ will never cease to fascinate. Have a look at what I discovered back then, and do let us know if you’ve got anything more up-to-date to share here.
Treating Diabetes with Cannabis?
I’m grinning. Can you see me? Via a tip from Simon of Power and Control I’ve learned that cannabis (yep: pot, grass, weed, ganja…) can be used to treat diabetes. But no, really. This is legit! Check out a new research paper from the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC).
This paper posits that cannabis can have the following benefits for diabetes patients:
* 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
* finally, cannabis helps still diabetic “restless leg syndrom” (RLS), so the patient can sleep better: “it is recommended that patients use a vaporizer or smoked cannabis to aid in falling asleep.”
Now I have no idea how this has been received in the medical community, but that is one heck of a long list of potential health benefits! Where do I sign up for the clinical studies? (wink 
)
Simon concludes: “If the stuff wasn’t illegal it would be considered a medical super-miracle given all the problems it treats.” Check them all out at LetFreedomGrow.com.
What a wayback.
You just never know in life, eh?
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But what about the munchies??? Can you say “Bolus accordingly?”
Kelly K
Huh. That makes total sense. I just hate being stoned all the time. There’s no medical marijuana in NYS. I wonder if they make a lo THC version or is the THC that works the miracles? I actually don’t get the munchies – I get satiated faster – less hungry. I could probably get a script for marinol. I wonder if it would be as effective.
Marijuana also blunts the ability to sense hypogylcemia.
Just to clarify the above–not being able to sense hypoglycemic events, as we know, is extremely dangerous.
It’s not the same thing — by design — but it is possible to legally purchase and consume shelled hempseed. I frequently add it to my yogurt in place of ground flax seed.
I smoke marijuana once in a while and notice some of the benefits. My sugars are quite a bit more stable, not as many spikes, etc… One thing to keep in mind is- Test, Test, Test. Ive had a few hypo moments while stoned, and its no fun…Being high masks the feeling of wacky blood sugars, and your perception of time is quite altered. Dont get too lit, and be safe.
cannibis certainly has a lot of beneficial qualities to it and is widely used in alternative or oriental medicine circles. i wasn’t aware that it would alleviate some of the issues for diabetes sufferers however i will let some friends of mine know! thanks!
Just think if you mix in some cinnamon… I is proabably a cure.
My mom has suffered from Type 2 diabetes since 20 years ago. Can you suggest the best method to fight off the battle?
Its really best quality product. It reduce bone strength in young people, it may protect against osteoporosis, a weakening of the bones, in later life.
I dont smoke it but did years ago of course haha. Funny thing for me is I have neuropathy and my boss actually said maybe I should try the Herb. I told hubby about the remark and he scored me a pinner ( really thin one) and I took two hoots off it when my feet were tingling like a live wire was hitting them and shocks were hitting me in different spots. Wierd thing is with in two minutes or less My feet were totally nice and warm with no tingles and no zaps. I had to look down at them to see that they were still there. I did not need to be high at all is what is so strange about the whole thing and some think you have to be when they hear it is a medicine. I still dont do it much cos it is a risk buying it but I have a couple rolled up that just wait for my worst moments. I hated the drugs that were prescribed for it mostly cos I forget to take them and they only work if they are constantly used as prescribed, which might be why I had hardly any results. Weed is not a constant need if you are using it only when the “ugly” comes to visit.
I’ve been a type 1 for 25 years and smoked most my adult years since it was a great stress reducer for me. I’ve had a California 215 script since cannabit became legal for medical use. But I recently quit once an ER doctor told me cannibis might be the culprit behind my uncontrollable vomiting episodes. For the last 8 years I had been suffering from nausea and resulting uncontrollable vomiting that went on for hours until I was given enough ER meds to quell the episode and knock me out. Top Bay Area endocrinologists and local doctors could find nothing wrong with my GI tract since that was where they were looking for answers. It was determined that gastroperesis was in play. They all had known I smoked cannabis. In 2008 I was admitted 5 times to the ER for my problem. The common information is cannibis helps control nausea and it did for me. Well, I got on the web to investigate information relating to cannabis use and hyperemesis and found out there were others experiencing what is called cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). The brain and spleen house cannabinoid cell recepters allowing THC to work its magic. For some of us who smoke too much, it backfires. Beware, read up. You will find the AMA is clueless but other countries have conducted studies. Since I quit, my morning nausea has completely stopped. How ironic that I was using cannabis to control my A.M. nausea but in the background it was causing me such agony.
As far as the nausea and vomiting…to one of the comments made…have you been tested for Celiac Disease? It is gluten intolerance and I’ve read that up to 16% of T1 diabetics have it and do not know it. Most doctors do not test for it because they are unfamiliar with it. Drug companies do not inform doctors of the disease because the only ‘cure’ for it is a gluten free diet. Both are auto-immune diseases, genetic, and both are located on the same allele in your chromosomes. It’s worth looking into.