Can Using Cannabis Decrease Diabetes Risk?

ORLANDO, Florida — Cannabis users may have a “healthier inflammatory cytokine profile, better insulin sensitivity, and higher levels of physical activity than nonusers,” all of which can be linked to a potentially lower risk for diabetes, ongoing research suggested.

In the findings from the ongoing SONIC trial, Angela Bryan, PhD, professor and codirector of CUChange at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, and colleagues hypothesized that “those inflammatory profiles would improve over the course of 4 weeks, particularly for those using a CBD [cannabidiol] as opposed to a THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] product.”

She presented the findings at the 2024 annual American Diabetes Association 84th Scientific Sessions.

Other recent work by Bryan and her colleagues focused on the public health implications of cannabis legalization. One study examined the acute effects of legal-market cannabis on regular users’ subjective responses while running and found that cannabis use prior to exercise may lead to more enjoyment and runner’s high symptoms, although it also led to feelings of greater exertion. The positive effects could make exercise more appealing to individuals — including those with or at risk for diabetes — who might not otherwise engage in it, Bryan suggested.

Another study found that CBD-dominant forms of cannabis were associated with acute tension reduction, which might lead to longer-term reductions in anxiety. Bryan said the findings could be relevant in the context of diabetes distress.

‘Complicated’ Connection to Diabetes

In the SONIC study, participants who were regular cannabis users had an average age of 30 years and had body mass index (BMI) in the healthy range; 86% were White individuals, and 59% were men. They were matched with a similar group of individuals who had not used cannabis for at least a year. At baseline, participants’ NSDR Healthy Eating Index score overall was 51.24, showing a “need for improvement/poor diet.” 

“Folks were maybe not killing it in the dietary domain,” Bryan acknowledged. “However, they were absolutely killing it in the physical activity domain.”

The researchers did oral glucose tolerance tests to calculate participants’ Matsuda index of insulin sensitivity and measured inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6 (IL6), IL1 beta, IL12, interferon gamma, IL4, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). In a “randomized encouragement” design, users were assigned to purchase and use a flower product for 4 weeks, however much they wanted. They completed daily assessments of their cannabis use, alcohol use, diet, and physical activity.

Between-group eating patterns were similar over the 4 weeks, with cannabis users reporting “marginally” more servings of salty snacks and food relative to nonusers. None of the daily associations were moderated by which cannabis product was used.

At 4 weeks, the team repeated the tests and, surprisingly, found no change in participants’ inflammatory markers. But what “popped out,” she said, was the “stark difference” between users and nonusers, with users having significantly lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers, circulating cytokines than the nonusers.

An exception were levels of MCP-1, which increased over time in the users but didn’t change in nonusers. Bryan said the finding is “perplexing” and asked the audience for thoughts, especially given that MCP-1 levels are positively associated with diabetes.

After controlling for BMI and inflammation, “we saw absolutely no effects of group or group by time interaction on the Matsuda index of insulin sensitivity,” she said. “Seemingly, there are no chronic effects of cannabis use on insulin sensitivity.”

Regarding limitations, Bryan acknowledged that the study is being conducted with “a very healthy sample of individuals who exercise a lot, and that might be factoring into our results, especially on insulin sensitivity.” The team could not use “gold standard” randomization because of the schedule-1 status of CannaVan cannabis, and the MCP-1 findings are difficult to interpret.

Furthermore, she noted, “our day-to-day level data show only slight differences in behavior between those who use cannabis and those who don’t and also very slight differences between users’ behavior on days that they use vs days that they don’t.”

“I think all of this put together shows us that the relationship between cannabis use and potential implications for diabetes is a lot more complicated than just couch to couchlock [very deep relaxation/sedation] or runner’s high,” she said.

Bring On the CannaVan

The team’s next step, currently underway, is to get an acute response to cannabis with an oral glucose tolerance test that’s done immediately after the participant uses a product. Since cannabis is a schedule-1 drug, it can’t be taken into the laboratory. Therefore, the researchers are using a CannaVan — a mobile lab. “We drive it to their homes, they come out, we draw blood, and we send them back into their homes to use as much of their product as they want,” Bryan explained. “They come back out to the van. They do all the follow-up assessments. We take blood again to verify their exposure. And that’s how we collect those data.”

“Invite me back next year, and I will tell you what we found,” she quipped.

Bryan had no disclosures to report. 

Marilynn Larkin, MA, is an award-winning medical writer and editor whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Medscape Medical News and its sister publication MDedge, The Lancet (where she was a contributing editor), and Reuters Health.

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