If you are among the millions of Americans who have been diagnosed with diabetes, you might wonder whether you can manage your condition with cannabidiol (CBD). Diabetes has become an increasingly prevalent condition in the U.S., and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued the National Diabetes Statistics Report. The CDC found that an estimated 130 million adults in the U.S. are either living with diabetes or pre-diabetes [1].

While there are standard treatments used for diabetes, you might have heard that some people are using CBD to try to manage their symptoms. CBD is derived from hemp or cannabis plants, but it doesn’t make people feel high. Currently, research is being conducted to see if CBD might help to reduce inflammation and nerve pain and control blood sugar.
While it might have a role in diabetes management, the research is still not complete. The only condition for which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CBD to treat is certain forms of childhood epilepsy. There is no comprehensive research on CBD and diabetes, so its effectiveness for the condition remains to be determined.

Understanding CBD

CBD is an active chemical in the cannabis plant that is derived from hemp. This substance does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive chemical in marijuana that causes people to feel high. CBD was believed to be an inactive ingredient for decades, but research has demonstrated that it might offer certain health benefits.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved CBD under the brand name Epidiolex in 2018 to treat rare forms of intractable childhood epilepsy [2]. However, CBD has not been approved to treat other conditions. Researchers are currently in the early stages of looking at other potential benefits of CBD, including the relief of chronic pain, inflammation, insomnia, and anxiety.

What the Research Shows About CBD and Diabetes

To date, the majority of studies looking at the effect of CBD on diabetes have been animal studies conducted with rats and mice. However, the differences between human and animal physiology and other factors such as laboratory conditions can affect the results of animal studies. Even though CBD might have been demonstrated to work for animal populations, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will have a similar effect on humans. A few studies have shown promise, but more research needs to be completed.

Study of the Effects of CBD on Non-Obese Diabetic Mice

In one study that was conducted in 2006, researchers looked at the effects of CBD on normal-weight mice to see whether the substance might reduce the incidence of diabetes [3]. They found that mice who received CBD had an incidence of diabetes of 30% as compared to an incidence of 86% among mice in the control group that did not receive CBD. The researchers found that CBD inhibited the production of cytokine, an inflammatory agent, and could potentially reduce inflammation associated with diabetes. However, the study only looked at the effects of CBD on mice and might not be extrapolated to humans.

Study of CBD’s Effects on Diabetic Cardiomyopathy in Mice

Another study that was conducted in 2010 looked at the effects of CBD on signaling pathways involved in diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice [4]. Researchers found that mice that received CBD showed reduced inflammation, cellular death, cardiac fibrosis, and oxidative stress. They also found that CBD may mitigate cardiac dysfunction and the related signaling pathways. However, since this study used mouse models, it does not show that CBD in humans would have the same effects.

Small Study on the Effects of CBD and THCV on Blood Glucose Levels

In 2016, British researchers conducted a small study of 62 adults with type 2 diabetes [5]. The study was double-blind and included a control group that received a placebo. The participants were randomly assigned to five different groups over a study period of 13 weeks, including the following:

• 100 mg of CBD two times per day
• 5 mg of THCV (another non-psychoactive ingredient in the cannabis plant) two times per day
• 100 mg of CBD + 5 mg of THCV two times per day
• 5 mg of CBD + 5 mg THCV two times per day
• Placebo two times per day

The researchers found that THCV showed significant reductions in blood glucose levels but did not find the same result for CBD. They found that the participants tolerated both CBD and THCV well.
Study of Cannabis Use, Insulin Resistance, and Obesity

Researchers in one study looked at cannabis use among Inuit participants to determine whether it might be related to obesity and insulin resistance [6]. However, this study looked at the use of marijuana instead of CBD. The participants included 786 Inuit adults who were surveyed about their use of cannabis over the last year. The researchers found that those who reported using cannabis were significantly likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI). They also found an indirect effect on insulin resistance through reduced BMI. However, this study relied on self-reports of marijuana use and did not look at the potential effects of CBD.

Takeaways

The fact that there are few studies on the effects of CBD on people with type 2 diabetes means that more research needs to be conducted before its effectiveness can be determined. CBD is available in multiple forms, but they are not regulated by the FDA for the treatment of diabetes. While there might be anecdotal reports about the use of CBD for diabetes, more evidence-based, randomized, controlled studies need to be conducted.

Before you start using CBD for diabetes, you need to speak with your doctor. CBD might interact with certain medications you might be taking, so you should talk to your doctor before adding it to your treatment regimen.

If you speak to your doctor and get the okay to try CBD as a potential option for alleviating the symptoms of diabetes, you need to obtain CBD from a reliable source like Sugar Bottom Hemp. Our CBD products are farm-grown and analyzed by a third-party, certified lab. To learn more about our full line of CBD products, contact us today.

Bibliography

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). National Diabetes Statistics Report website. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html .

[2] Food and Drug Administration (2018). FDA Approves First Drug Comprised of an Active Ingredient Derived from Marijuana to Treat Rare, Severe Forms of Epilepsy. FDA News Release, June 25, 2018. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-drug-comprised-active-ingredient-derived-marijuana-treat-rare-severe-forms

[3] Weiss, L., Zeira, M., Reich, S., Har-Noy, M., Mechoulam, R., Slavin, S., & Gallily, R. (2006). Cannabidiol lowers the incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice. Autoimmunity, 39(2), 143-151. https://doi.org/10.1080/08916930500356674

[4] Rajesh, M., Mukhopadhyay, P., Bátkai, S., Patel, V., Saito, K., Matsumoto, S., … & Pacher, P. (2010). Cannabidiol attenuates cardiac dysfunction, oxidative stress, fibrosis, and inflammatory and cell death signaling pathways in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 56(25), 2115-2125. https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2010.07.033

[5] Jadoon, K. A., Ratcliffe, S. H., Barrett, D. A., Thomas, E. L., Stott, C., Bell, J. D., … & Tan, G. D. (2016). Efficacy and safety of cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabivarin on glycemic and lipid parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group pilot study. Diabetes Care, 39(10), 1777-1786. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc16-0650

[6] Ngueta, G., Bélanger, R. E., Laouan‐Sidi, E. A., & Lucas, M. (2015). Cannabis use in relation to obesity and insulin resistance in the Inuit population. Obesity, 23(2), 290-295. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20973