SCIENCE

Study: Medical Marijuana Laws Associated With Decreased Obesity

by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Posted on December 1, 2015

The enactment of statewide laws permitting the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes is associated with an annual reduction in obesity-related medical costs, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Health Economics. Researchers reported, “[T]he enforcement of MMLs (medical marijuana laws) is associated with a 2% to 6% decline in the probability of obesity. … Our estimates suggest that MMLs induce a $58 to $115 per-person annual reduction in obesity-related medical costs.”

SCIENCE

Study: Marijuana Consumers Less Likely To Suffer From Metabolic Syndrome

by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Posted on November 13, 2015

Current consumers of cannabis are 50 percent less likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome as compared to those who have never used the substance, according to findings published online ahead of print in The American Journal of Medicine. Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and abdominal fat, which are linked to increased risk of heart disease and/or type 2 diabetes, among other serious health consequences.

SCIENCE

Study: Cannabis Users Less Likely To Be Obese, Possess Lower Diabetes Risk

by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Posted on August 12, 2015

A history of cannabis use is associated with a lower likelihood of obesity and diabetes, according to population-based data published in the journal Obesity. Authors concluded: “In this large cross-sectional adult survey with high prevalence of both substance use and obesity, cannabis use in the past year was associated with lower BMI, lower percentage fat mass, lower fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR. … The inverse association observed in our work supports evidence from a larger proportion of previous cross-sectional and follow-up investigations.”

ACTIVISM

Study: Vaporized Cannabis Mitigates Treatment-Resistant Diabetic Neuropathy

by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Posted on April 7, 2015

Vaporized cannabis mitigates pain intensity in diabetic subjects in dose-dependent manner, according to clinical trial data published online ahead of print in The Journal of Pain. Authors reported: “This small, short-term, placebo-controlled trial of inhaled cannabis demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in diabetic peripheral neuropathy pain in patients with treatment-refractory pain. … Overall, our finding of an analgesic effect of cannabis is consistent with other trials of cannabis in diverse neuropathic pain syndromes.”

SCIENCE

Even More Science Suggesting That Cannabinoids May Halt Diabetes

by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Posted on June 10, 2013

Preclinical study data published online in the scientific journal Nutrition & Diabetes reports that tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) — a naturally occurring analogue of THC — possesses positive metabolic effects in animal models of obesity. Researchers concluded: “Based on these data, it can be suggested that THCV may be useful for the treatment of the metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes (adult onset diabetes), either alone or in combination with existing treatments.”

SCIENCE

Study: Regular Cannabis Use Associated With Reduced Risk Factors For Type 2 Diabetes

by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Posted on May 15, 2013

Subjects who regularly consume cannabis possess favorable indices related to diabetic control as compared to occasional consumers or non-users, according to trial data published today online in the American Journal of Medicine. Commenting on the study, Editor-in-Chief Joseph S. Alpert, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, said: “These are indeed remarkable observations that are supported, as the authors note, by basic science experiments that came to similar conclusions.”