Updated on August 24th, 2023
Diabetes is a disease where your blood sugar, also called glucose, is too high. Although according to scientific and anecdotal reports, CBD for diabetes is more effective and safer than pharmaceutical medicines, it is still rather unknown.
More than 100 million people in the United States have diabetes or are prediabetic, according to the CDC (Center of Disease Control and Prevention). According to the same report, 30.3 million Americans—nearly 1 in 10—have diabetes.
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030 the number of people with diabetes will double. If we look at the history of diabetes in the last decade, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes jumped by almost 50 percent. This indicates that diabetes is not an ”abstract, mysterious” illness.
According to the CDC nearly 16% of adults diagnosed with diabetes were smokers, nearly 90% were overweight and more than 40% were physically inactive.
Society’s external impacts likely cause diabetes. Since we know that it’s a metabolic disease, by default, we conclude that the highest risk of being diagnosed as diabetic is due to one’s individual lifestyle and nutrition.
From 2011 to 2015, diabetes in canines increased by 32%. Luckily cannabidiol dog oil works just as well for humans as it does for dogs, and a significant improvement of the diabetes condition can be achieved.
CBD Impact on Diabetes
Even though the public is more scared of AIDS, we have more people dying from Diabetes than HIV. It’s no wonder when even an average medically-informed person knows that diabetes causes kidney failure, blindness, amputations, heart failure, and stroke.
Before we jump into the scientific, clinical, and anecdotal studies, let’s start with one of CBD’s effects and CBD oil benefits. Besides commonly known effects like pain relief with CBD, CBD is known as the natural remedy for diabetes.
“Unlike insulin, CBD diabetes treatment may actually suppress and perhaps cure the disease,” – Mark J. Rosenfeld, CEO of ISA Scientific.
Are you interested in knowing what the leading CBD oils for pain and anxiety are? Follow the links for comparison studies.
Laboratory Studies
One of the best and most trusted studies results from many years of research and testing done by scientists Raphael Mechoulam and Ruth Gallily from the Hebrew University. This research clarified that CBD could treat the inflammation caused by a sugar-imbalance in the blood.
At first, scientists focused on discovering how insulin unlocks cells and lets glucose enter so that it can activate the energy that our body needs. Then, they distinguished between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. Also, experiments on rats treated with CBD show the involvement of the endocannabinoid system.
Cannabinoid receptors have been identified in the pancreas, which automatically means it plays a role in decreasing the severity of diabetes. This is the process in which cannabinoid receptors play an essential role in the pancreas, the insulin producer that our body depends on for energy.
Another important and strong evidence from the experiment on rats is that CBD has a positive impact on decreasing inflammation of pancreatic cells. Results from a study conducted on rats with infarcts (areas of dead tissue) due to a blood supply failure showed that after CBD treatment, the infarcts were reduced by 30%.
Diabetes Type 1 and Diabetes Type 2
A study conducted in Israel in 2015, led by Raphael Mechoulam, indicated that the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol could treat both diabetes types 1 and 2. A year later, in 2016, the improved research showed that an experimental CBD treatment reduced inflammation in the pancreas’ microcirculation in mice.
An autoimmune disease study, published in ‘Autoimmunity Journal’, drafts that injections of 5 mg per day of CBD significantly reduced the level of diabetes in mice.
The same team went even further and reported that 60% of the mice treated with CBD remained diabetes-free for 26 weeks compared to those without CBD treatment.
How did CBD succeed in decreasing inflammation in mice? Quite simply, it’s the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol. Another study on rodents at the Medical College of Georgia discovered that the CBD cannabinoid protected eyes from retinal cell death and breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier.
Lead scientist, Dr. Liou explained, “What we believe cannabidiol, as an antioxidant, does is to neutralize the toxic superoxides. Furthermore, it inhibits the self-destructive system and allows the self-produced endogenous cannabinoids to stay there longer by inhibiting the enzyme that destroys them.”
Clinical Studies
First of all, clinical trials confirmed that both CBD and THC are ”safe profile” compounds that can effectively treat a metabolic disorder such as diabetes. THC, being delta-9-THC.
But we also need this kind of studies and trials for D8 THC. If you want to know what D8 is, search for delta 8 THC Wiki.
Clinical trials also confirmed that CBD plays a major role in decreasing and treating both diabetes type 1 and type 2.
When it comes to diabetes type 1, one of the studies in the US also confirmed this. Patients who were treated with cannabis had 16% lower fasting insulin levels, and 17% of insulin resistance. The examined non-users didn’t experience the same progress. The rest of the studies in this category also endorsed the fact that CBD is a stronger antioxidant than vitamin E or C.
A UK research team launched a clinical pilot trial to examine the CBD effect in type 2 diabetes patients.
The method they used was a placebo-controlled and double-blinded format. The examined group received a dosage of 100 mg twice daily for the duration of 13 weeks. The targets were patients with type 2 diabetes.
The results were great; a change in HDL-cholesterol concentration, insulin sensitivity, body weight, glycemic control, lipid profile and very important markers of inflammation were observed.
A British company GW Pharmaceuticals also included CBD in a type 2 diabetes trial. The results showed an improved insulin response and greater pancreatic cell function as well as significantly reduced blood pressure levels.
A study under the name “Marijuana in the Management of Diabetes” confirmed that cannabis users are less likely to become obese. Additionally, another finding is that cannabis or CBD users develop “good cholesterol” and have better carbohydrate metabolism than non-users.
Clinical Trials in the Pipeline
Based in Israel, ISA Scientific has launched a global collaboration and licensing agreement in order to advance CBD therapies. In a statement, ISA Scientific CEO Mark J. Rosenfeld said, “The licensing agreement is very well timed because our Phase 1 clinical trials on dosing and safety are now underway in Israel and arrangements for Phase 2 trials for treating diabetes are in process.”
Anecdotal Studies
CBD hemp oil is a life-savior and this has been and is still being confirmed by strong anecdotal evidence. The result that, patients find to be the most impressive is that CBD is the key factor for establishing homeostasis, in other words; stable internal functioning despite fluctuations in the external environment.
One of the patient stories is about C.W., a 36 years old man in California diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He is living proof that Cannabis and CBD helped him with the complications such as “Diabetic Retinopathy”. With the advice of a doctor and with an official recommendation for using marijuana, this patient took control of his blood sugar and other diabetic complications.
The treatment confirmed CBD’s effect of reducing oxidative stress on the nervous and circulatory systems. Time Magazine reports the endorsement by the Harvard Med School researcher Murray Mittleman that current diabetic patients on CBD treatment witness a gradually normalized blood-sugar level.
CBD Oil Dosage for Diabetes
On this site, we always indicate the dosage amount in milligrams CBD. The number of drops varies per product because of different concentration levels. If you take the number of milligrams as your dosage unity, the concentration does not matter. For the same milligram dosage, the number of drops may vary depending on brand and type.
With very high dosage levels and low concentration oils, you will have to take many drops. Therefore, often in these situations, people use higher concentration oils. Besides that, almost always, the higher concentration oils are more priceworthy.
The first thing that a patient should consider when it comes to dosage for CBD diabetes treatment is the severity of the condition. People with mild issues require less dosage than those with more severe conditions.
CBD Dosage for Mild Diabetes Symptoms
For Mild diabetes conditions, people usually take 40 to 50 milligrams of CBD daily and monitor their blood sugar level. Based on that, they either increase or decrease with 10-20 mg steps or maintain the same dosage level if they are satisfied with the results.
CBD Dosage for Severe Diabetes Symptoms
For severe diabetes conditions, people usually start with 100 or 150 milligrams of CBD daily and monitor their blood sugar level, just like described above. Based on your blood sugar level, you should be able to start decreasing the insulin amounts. Often, diabetes patients can eliminate insulin intake after gradually having reduced their insulin.
To maintain your health balance or homeostasis, a dosage of 20 to 25 mg is typical as a maintenance dosage. Because it is impossible to overdose on CBD, you can safely experiment with the dosage level, monitoring the effects and your blood sugar level.
General dosage guidelines are as follows:
- Start small.
- Monitor.
- Increase if the improvement dynamics are too weak until you see good improvement dynamics.
- Decrease when you see strong improvement dynamics and monitor to keep the same dynamics with less dosage.
- Keep the same dosage level if you see good improvement dynamics and decreasing results in weakening dynamics.
Glaucoma:
A single CBD dose of 20-40 mg under the tongue. Amounts greater than 40 mg may increase eye pressure.
There are many methods of CBD use. The most common way is in the form of oil or tincture, where CBD should be first held under the tongue to be absorbed in the mouth for at least one minute before swallowing. This method of intake is called sublingual intake.
With sublingual intake, some of the CBD taken will go through the digestive system, but most of it will be absorbed by your body directly, shortening the effect lead time. Other oral methods include capsules, mouth strips, and edibles such as chocolate bars.
Many people also enjoy using CBD oil via vaporizers or inhalers. This near-instant delivery method can be pretty effective but not as long-lasting as sublingual and oral intake. Others use CBD oil by topical skin absorption via lotions, balms, creams, or patches.
Producers often indicate the amount of CBD in different ways on the packaging. They often show the number of milligrams of CBD and the total amount of drops in the bottle.
So if you wonder How many drops of CBD oil should I take, use our CBD calculator.
Besides CBD, THC oil concentrate dosage could help to boost the effects of CBD even further. But there are many other cannabis products. We compared, for example, THC pills vs. edibles, two consumption methods both suitable for diabetes.
For cancer treatment, people often use RSO oil with CBD oil.
Success Stories of Diabetes Patients
We have carefully collected CBD testimonials for this particular condition to serve as proof and inspiration to others. Do not hesitate to record your own experience and share it with us so we can add it to this list and help thousands more patients.
Overview of Scientific Studies and Reports
If you are interested in the medical proof and not scared of reading through some professional medical jargon, check out the studies below.
Scientific Reseach Studies on Diabetes
- 2006/01 – Neuroprotective and blood-retinal barrier-preserving effects of CBD in experimental diabetes
- 2006/03 – CBD lowers incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice
- 2008/01 – Cannabidiol arrests onset of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice
- 2008/08 – The endocannabinoid system in obesity and type 2 diabetes
- 2010/03 – Diabetic retinopathy: Role of inflammation and potential therapies for anti-inflammation
- 2010/03 – Cannabinoid modulation in a model of murine type I diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain
- 2010/12 – CBD attenuates cardiac dysfunction, oxidative stress, fibrosis, inflammatory and cell death in diabetes
- 2011/00 – Cannabinoids and endocannabinoids in metabolic disorders with focus on diabetes
- 2012/02 – The endocannabinoid system and plant-derived cannabinoids in diabetes and diabetic complications
- 2013/07 – The impact of marijuana use on glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance among US adults
- 2013/11 – Cannabinoids alter endothelial function in the Zucker rat model of type 2 diabetes
- 2014/01 – Biochemical and immunohistochemical changes in delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-treated type 2 diabetic rats
- 2016/00 – Experimental cannabidiol treatment reduces early pancreatic inflammation in type 1 diabetes
- 2016/10 – Efficacy and Safety of CBD and THC-V on Glycemic and Lipid Parameters in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
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Male, Type 2 diabetic for 30 years; age 76, 260 lbs, active somewhat and work as a home inspector; on metformin, insulin 45 units a day more or less as needed, and glimipiride. Now just starting to have foot pain from nephropathy. this is super annoying. Good vision; no other symptoms. Keep blood sugar at about 120. Very seldom let it get over 150. What type of Cannabidiol do I need and where can I get it. Is it legal in SC? Thanks.
Hi T Williams, There are a lot of brands but the most important things are that your cannabidiol is full-spectrum and organic. Read our reviews so you can determine yourself which one to buy. CBD is legal in any of the States, so in South Carolina as well.
Good luck and all the best.
Please keep us posted on the improvements and which brand and strength you ended up buying.
Hereditary cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Looking for oil that would benefit. Oth
Hi Diane, We recommend a quality full-spectrum CBD like CBDPure 600 (https://idweeds.net/cbdpure-sb). Follow the dosage instructions in the diabetes article depending on the severity of your symptoms. These dosage levels should also be enough to gradually balance your cholesterol levels (consistent use is important).
Please share with us your progress and results as we are eager to hear from patients what dosage worked best for them so other people can benefit from it too.
I’m new to this .I used the calculator.i want to try the 40 mg dose.its telling me like 53 drops. Is that a day throughout the day.like I’m lost. Especially if i want to mix into my vape.any feed back please. Like what size bottle should I buy?
Hi Carlos, There are many CBD oils and tinctures in terms of concentration. The problem that you are facing -having too many drops to take for your moderate dosing of 40mg- indicates you are using an oil or tincture with a low concentration of CBD. From the limited info we have, I guess that you have a 60 ml (2 oz) bottle with 900 mg of CBD.
But, for example, your dosage of 40 mg with Cannabidiol Life 3000 would mean 8 drops, because it has 3000 mg of CBD in a 30 ml (1oz) bottle.. This oil is however mainly for sublingual intake. Make sure the oil you use is suitable for vaping and/or you have the right vaporizer. With higher dosages, people usually don’t choose to vape as the only intake method, because they would have to vape basically all day. Therefore, often people take it sublingually as the main treatment and vape only as a supportive treatment on the side with smaller amounts. This is usually effective for conditions involving the lungs, throat etc. CBD is most effective if you can bring it as close as possible to the source of the problem. For example with problems in the lower GI tract, vaping wouldn’t be the most effective option, but suppositories and even oral intake would be better in this case.
Hope this clears your question. Please share with us your progress and results as people all over the world will benefit from it too.
Hi! I just recently lost my health insurence. I am a type 1 diabetic. I was on an insulin pump before I lost my insurence but since I can no longer afford it, I am back to self injected shots and metformin. I way about 180. What dosage would you sugest?
Hi, on Metformin we cannot give any dosage recommendations. CBD dosages that have worked for diabetes patients with mild symptoms are 40-50 mg per day, taken in two or three takings. Severe diabetes is treated with higher dosages depending on the severity and person. If you have severe symptoms start with 100 mg and incrementally increase (10 mg every 4 days) while monitoring your blood sugar level as you always do. You should see a gradually reduced need for the Metformin. When your blood sugar level remains stable only using CBD you can gradually reduce in small steps to find the minimum dosage level that you need.
Please share with us your progress and the dosage level that works best for you, so other people can benefit from it too.
Hello, I am trying to have my dad start using CBD. Type 2 diabetes using metformin 500mg 2x day. I have a few questions hopefully someone can help me.
Should he stop using metformin once he start using CBD?
Does he have stop using metformin?
What can happen if he uses CBD and continues using metformin?
Please gime as much information as you can, I have searched for answers but It is not clear to me on what to do.
Hi Lian, People with diabetes (type 2 and type 1 alike) keep on using their insulin or other medications like Metformin, but ramp it down whilst ramping up CBD usage. This is done by monitoring the blood-sugar level daily.
To answer your specific questions:
Should he stop using metformin once he starts using CBD? – Not immediately. His dosage of 500 mg Metformin indicates he has mild diabetes and his CBD dosage will probably need to be between 40 and 50 mg a day. So he should start with 40 mg and daily monitor his blood-sugar levels, which should be kept in-line by reducing Metformin. Do this for about 2 weeks and see if he still needs Metformin to keep his blood-sugar levels OK. If the blood-sugar levels are OK and he is off Metformin, he found his CBD dosing level. If he still needs to take a little Metformin, increase the CBD dosing to 50 mg daily and reduce the Metformin by monitoring as described above. If he still needs some Metformin after that, go to 60 mg CBD daily, monitor etc. etc.
Does he have to stop using metformin? – Many patients reported having completely stopped diabetes medication after they found the right CBD dosage level.
What can happen if he uses CBD and continues using metformin? – If he uses both in parallel without monitoring, his blood-sugar levels will move out of the desired range. This is not recommended. Follow the recommendations in the Dosage section of the diabetes article.
Because this is an issue many people are dealing with, we would appreciate it if you would keep us informed on your father’s progress. Sharing is caring.
We all seem to have a lot of questions, but I don’;t see ANY answers. NOW WHAT? I have type 2 diabetes as well as a pretty bad case of COPD & know absolutely nothing about how much of my oil I should start with or how much to work UP to.
Hi Rick, First of all, you need to make sure you have the right oil. We always recommend full-spectrum CBD oil that is 100% organic, like CBDPure 600 or Cannabidiol Life 3000. Full Spectrum because, the other cannabinoids enhance the CBD healing properties, like reducing airway inflammation and bronchodilation, which is important for your COPD.
Start with 50 mg daily (2x 25mg, morning and evening). Monitor the effects for 3 days and increase to 100 mg daily if the effects are positive but moderate. For your severe case of COPD you will probably need to take 100 mg for 3 weeks. During that time you can also gradually start reducing your insulin intake, whilst continuously monitoring your blood-sugar levels. After 3 weeks, depending on the reduction of your COPD, you can start reducing the CBD oil dosage by 25mg every 3 days, whilst monitoring both your COPD and blood-sugar levels and find the right maintenance dosage level that is enough to keep the COPD under control and your blood-sugar levels OK, with a minimum or no insulin intake. If needed you can also continue on the higher dosage for one or several weeks to further reduce your COPD, and than start reducing to find your maintenance dosage level. Hope this gives you the answers you are looking for and please let us know how it works out and what dosage levels worked best for you.
What could help you even quicker in your case is to vaporize CBD oil as well. We found reports it helps relaxing the lungs and you should also benefit directly from hemps anti-inflammatory properties. The closer hemp reaches your condition, the better. Please let us know how it goes.
How many mg’s in the jell caps and how often?
Which brand?
I am on 100 units of toujeo. And 25 units of humalog at each meal plus metformin twice a day. Just started CBD-XRP how much should I take. I have been doing half a dropper twice a day. Please help
20 mg daily of CBDPure 600.
I am type 1. weigh 170 pounds. On insulin pump using fiasp. I would like to use cbd capsules. What would be a starter dousage?
20 mg daily of CBDPure 600.
Hi I am type one diabetic, I would like to know when and by how much I start to reduce my insulin measurements and is it for fast acting and long acting insulin.
Keep using CBDPure 600 for at least 2 weeks and gradually reduce you insuline intake to see how your body reacts. Let us know how it works for you.
Hi
diabetes 2 and metformin 2 x 500 mg a day.
weight 211 lbs
how to calculate the different cbd percentage to dosage a day – starting with 3& solution – someone to help me?
how to get rid of metformin
how long period on cbd
thanks for input in advance
Start with the recommended dosage of 20 mg daily and use for at least 3 months. Let us know how it works for you.
i weigh 200..i take 25 units of lantus and 1.8 of victoza. how much should I take daily to see results. Thank you
20 mg is the daily recommendation. Which condition are you treating?
I just found out I’m a diabetic I weigh 140 5″0 what should I start with and how about this CBD OIL capsules
You can start with the liposomal CBD (https://idweeds.net/sol-cbd-liposomal) as it has the highest bio availability. Start with 5 pumps stired into a glass of water twice a day. If no improvement is noticed within a week, you can safely increase the dosage until you feel a difference.
How much cod oil did James take for diabetes
You should simply start with the standard recommended dosage, in case you don’t see enough change you can safely increase the dosage without ever overdosing. Everyone is different so you need to find your own threshold.
James mentioned being on metformin and some other things… when you are on meds like metformin, and you begin taking CBD oil, do you discontinue the metformin and let the oil do its trick so you know what it’s doing without having the metformin also in your system??
If you are taking metformin already then consult your doctor before quitting your current meds. Otherwise it’s best if you aren’t already on any meds to see for yourself if it’s all you need.
I’m on actors plus metformin and januvia. After taking cdb oil my blood sugar in the mornings is 125. I very happy with the results. I’m 6 feet tall and im also losing weight
How much did u take daily?
Hi James,
Was the CBD oil you were taking, 15%CBD+CBDa Not Heated Oil ?