effects of smoking marijuana and being diabetic

[cheechee]

Hi
I am new here and i hope i am not breaking any rules but my question ia about what effects smoking pot (marijuana) will have on my son (20yrs old) who is diabetic. I am not 100% sure that he is doing this but am sure he has tried it at least once and i want to be able to give him all the correct information about the dangers he is putting himself in before i speak with him about this.
Of course there is the effects which will happen whether he had diabeties or not but i would be grateful for any advice which anyone may have on this subject.

[con40lp]

As a college student and a type I for almost a year now, I have not noticed any detriment effects of pot on my BG control. Although I don't smoke very often (few times a month), I do go out with friends to bars, etc but my sticking to only the few beers I can drink without worring about my BG swinging up or down, I am able to forget about the disease and have a good time out. Also, as long as you're mentally strong enough to stick with your diet, you'll do fine.

[ulgrid]

As far as the effects of marijuana on diabetes well- it is not going to hurt as cited by http://www.ihop-net.org/UniPub/iHOP/pm/12720881.html?nr=10&pmid=18092149 in short it enables insulin to be produced at least to a small scale.

The effects of marijuana on circulation, well it helps regulate blood, be that in a cancerous tumor (where you REALLY want regulation) or in your eyes which are faultering. It helps keep things at their normal levels

While I am sad to hear Godardess that your boyfriend recently was diagnosed I am sure it was a long time in the making and would be in worse shape if he had not started.

[mike2461]

does weed lower the blood sugar has anybody done studies on this my son who has type one smokes and i would like to know what brings on the munchies is it a side effect of thc please some scientific answers not politics or rough opinions

[godardess]

My husband was recently told that he is "borderline" Type II diabetic. He has been smoking pot (legally here in California) for the past year rather heavily. At about the same time as his diagnosis, he started having tingling sensations in his left leg, as if his leg/foot is asleep. This has been going on for the past two or three weeks.

Since he had been smoking pot prior to his fasting glucose tolerance test, we are concerned that this might have affected the results. Our doctor wasn't sure about the results and gave him metformin, but he hasn't been taking it because he is not fully convinced of the diabetes diagnosis, and we are concerned that if he starts taking the medication that it could create more of a problem.

So my questions here are numerous. How does marijuana affect blood sugar levels? Does it raise or lower it? Does it have any affect on circulation, or nerves in the legs/feet?

Does anyone have any experience with using edibles and their effects on blood sugar?

I am really worried about this, and would like some solid information so we can make appropriate decisions regarding his health.

Thanks

[jltrulock]

I have been diabetic type 1 for over 20 years, diagnosed when I was 7 years old. Due to that, my doctors, parents and others thoroughly implanted that drinking alcohol was one of the worst choices i could make. When I reached my teens, my doctor looked at me and said "Are you drinking with your friends?" I answered on occasion. He looked at me with a tear in is eye from my answer and said, if you have to do something like everyone in this world to reduce stress, the best thing is marijuana, and that this is completely off the record but as a friend.

I didn't not take that as medical advise or approval, i had already experimented with it and other real drugs like cocaine, LSD, mushrooms, xtacy etc. You name it i tried it all other than smoking crack or shooting up heroin. After all my experimentation it was marijuana that actually helped reduce pain in my lower extremities in my legs and pressure behind my eyes. I don't suffer from neuropathy but the potential is always there. When i was younger i did stuff for fun, now it's more for pain and stress relief.

Most people come home after work and have a drink, which is very very bad for diabetics. Sure smoking weed isn't the best thing either but their are upsides to the actual THC, just wikipedia THC. If anything, without munching out, it has lowered my blood sugar after smoking somewhat. Not greatly but enough to know that it did. Also my blood flow in my legs improved and nerval pain was reduced.

Also, being diabetic and having a great set of parents made me grow up a little faster. When i was 14 i took opportunities that came my way in order to be able to support myself while in school. My parents are not rich, more like poor, but they always provided for us (thier children) by them being so adamant about my future health, i was able to get a jump start my career and college life, something i would not have been able to do drinking alcohol all the time. Marijuana is not like alcohol, you can function in society when you are "stoned" but you can not when you are drunk. Don't get me wrong, doing nothing is the healtheir thing, but who does nothing? Everybody has their weakness, wether it be sugar, caffine, carbs, drugs, alcohol, weed. Who made who God and put a value system in place that was given to us by our creator. Everything in moderation is good, it is what is taught by all major religions and philosophies, and abuseing anything can be bad.

[redly]

I've been smoking reefer since 1969 and have had no ill effects from it.  I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and continue to smoke.  over th e years I've learned to dicipline my self well enough that now that i am diabetic and have to watch what I eat when I get the "munchies" i'm still careful about what and how much I eat.
As to the legality well I just use discretion.  I don't sell it, I don't give it to minors and basically just keep it to my self.  I will continue to smoke it till I  die and advocate the use and legalization of it through annonymous donations to NORML because I see nothing wrong with it.  The biggest arguement I get from anybody (including the medical community) is " It's illegal"