Type 2 diabetes is a health condition involving a problem with the way the human body regulates and uses sugar/glucose as fuel. New research from Iran found CBD/THC may be helpful in regulating sugar levels.

Type 2 diabetes differs from type 1 diabetes in that the latter is a genetic condition that is typically detected early in life, whereas the former is considered to be a lifestyle-related condition that develops over time.

As of 2020, it was estimated that over ‘462 million individuals are affected by type 2 diabetes, corresponding to 6.28% of the world’s population.’ Common treatments and strategies for combating type 2 diabetes include eating healthier, exercising, losing weight, insulin therapy, and blood sugar monitoring.

Researchers in Iran recently conducted a study involving a sublingual spray containing CBD and THC to see if it helped patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Below is more information about the study via a news release from NORML:

Tehran, Iran: Diabetic patients administered a sublingual spray containing CBD and THC show improvements in their blood sugar and cholesterol levels, according to placebo-controlled data published in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research.

A team of Iranian investigators evaluated the efficacy of a proprietary formulation of plant-derived CBD/THC compared to placebo in a cohort of 50 patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients utilized the spray twice daily for eight weeks. The sublingual formulation contained a ten-to-one ratio of CBD to THC.

Compared to placebo, cannabinoid therapy was associated with a “statistically significant decline in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, FBS [fasting blood glucose levels], Hb [hemoglobin] A1C, and insulin secretion … at the end of the 8-week treatment period. … [T]here were no statistically significant differences in reported adverse effects between the two groups.”

Researchers concluded: “In the present study, we demonstrated that sublingual administration of [a CBD/THC] spray, … twice daily through an eight-week treatment period could effectively improve the patient’s lipid profile and glucose tolerance. … Based on these observations, the combination of CBD/Δ9-THC regimen could be a new therapeutic regimen for controlling the lipid profile and glycemic state of DM [type 2 diabetic] patients.”

Clinical trial data has previously shown that the administration of the cannabinoid THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) decreases fasting glucose levels in type 2 diabetics.

Population-based studies have reported that cannabis consumers typically possess lower BMI and other favorable indices related to diabetic control. Observational studies have also shown that the past use of cannabis is significantly associated with lower odds of diabetes in adults.

Full text of the study, “A phase I randomized, placebo-controlled study on efficacy and safety profile of a sublingually administered cannabidiol/delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (10: 1) regimen in diabetes Type 2 patients,” appears in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. Additional information on cannabinoids and diabetes is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated here with special permission.