Can Cannabis Help Prevent Diabetes? What the Research Actually Says

Cannabis as preventive medicine?

There's no solid proof that cannabis prevents diabetes. Some observational research links current weed use to lower fasting insulin and less insulin resistance, but another large study tied it to a higher risk of prediabetes, so doctors don't recommend cannabis for diabetes prevention. The cannabis plant contains chemical compounds called cannabinoids with a range of effects, including a bigger appetite and less pain and inflammation — so what do we actually know?

Even though some early research suggests medical cannabis may help with blood sugar control and insulin resistance, doctors generally don't recommend weed for preventing diabetes. That's because most of the studies don't meet the bar for medical research: medical cannabis hasn't been tested in large controlled trials in people with type 2 diabetes, and most of what we have are observational studies.

What do the studies say?

Those observational studies can still offer clues about how cannabis might affect diabetes. For example, a study published in July 2013 in The American Journal of Medicine looked at nearly 600 adults who were current cannabis users and about 2,000 who had used it in the past. After an overnight fast, the participants had their blood drawn and other health markers checked, like blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). Compared with people who had never used cannabis, current users had 16% lower fasting insulin levels and 17% lower insulin resistance scores, respectively.

Based on these early findings, the authors noted that specific cannabinoid receptors in the body may help improve insulin sensitivity. People who use cannabis eat more calories on average, yet they also tend to have a lower BMI. One possible explanation: earlier research found that when obese mice were given cannabis, the rodents lost weight and their beta cells, which make insulin, worked better. And finally, cannabis use may also influence a protein called adiponectin, which is linked to better insulin sensitivity.

A study published in December 2015 in Diabetologia found a completely different link between cannabis use and diabetes risk. In that research, people who were current users as young adults were 65% more likely to develop prediabetes by middle age than those who had never used. Keep in mind that both studies relied on people reporting their cannabis habits accurately and honestly, which can skew the results.

One of the first major reports published by the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC) claimed that cannabis may offer the following benefits for people with diabetes:

-Stabilizing blood sugar levels.

-Anti-inflammatory action that may help calm some of the arterial inflammation common in diabetes.

-“Neuroprotective” effects that may help with nerve inflammation.

-Acting as a vasodilator to help keep blood vessels open and improve circulation.

-Helping lower blood pressure over time.

-Being used in topical creams to ease neuropathic pain and tingling in the hands and feet.

The bottom line: studies keep getting bigger and more precise, but medicine still isn't ready to vouch for cannabis's effects on diabetes. What all this shows is that more research is needed before patients can feel confident about cannabis- and cannabinoid-based treatments. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, talk to your doctor before adding cannabis to the mix.