Treating Diabetes with Cannabis? : DiabetesMine: the all things diabetes blog

Treating Diabetes with Cannabis?

By AmyT on October 26, 2005

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.

via diabetesmine.com