Cannabis is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, which is the source of the psychoactive compound THC. THC is well-known for the impact it has on a person’s mental state. It is possible to consume cannabis in the form of smoke, vapor, or edibles and is known by a variety of other names, including marijuana, weed, pot, flower, and grass, amongst others. It is now possible to cultivate it to contain a higher percentage of THC, which increases the intensity of the mind-altering effects it has.
As this is a resource for people who have diabetes, we are going to explain what you need to know if you choose to consume items that contain THC despite the fact that you have diabetes.
Where can I find the law?
THC gummies-containing marijuana, commonly known as marijuana containing tetrahydrocannabinol, has been made legal for adults over the age of 21 in 21 states and the District of Columbia in the United States. An additional 18 states have passed legislation to allow medical marijuana, which still requires patients to obtain prior clearance from a licensed medical professional. Find out where in the United States and around the world it is acceptable to do so.
In Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina, the use of marijuana is still considered to be a punishable offense under state law.
Both the possession of marijuana and its use continues to be illegal at the federal level. This legislation applies to acts done on federal property, which includes national parks, property owned by the military, and any other land, landmarks, or buildings that are controlled by the federal government. It is also unwise to drive, fly, or take any other form of interstate transportation while under the influence of marijuana.
Cannabidiol, often known as CBD, is another molecule that may be found in the cannabis plant. THC, on the other hand, behaves very differently from CBD. CBD does not produce any mind-altering effects, and studies are being conducted to investigate the possibility that it may have beneficial effects on inflammation, pain, sleep, and other symptoms in certain people.
CBD may be extracted from cannabis plants and is frequently used in a wide variety of foods, drinks, cosmetics, and other over-the-counter items that are not formally vetted or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CBD is also sometimes added to products that are intended for medical use.
What effects does marijuana have on both the brain and the body?
The quantity of THC that a cannabis plant can contain can be increased through cultivation, which in turn heightens the psychoactive and psychoactive-like effects that cannabis can have on a person. Marijuana use changes the chemicals in your brain and alters the way in which your brain receptors connect with the rest of your body.
Even in states where marijuana usage is authorized for medical purposes, the minimum age for recreational use is still 21 years old. This is one of the reasons why. Around the age of 25, the majority of us still do not have completely formed brains. Introducing a substance that changes one’s state of mind into a brain that is still developing carries more hazards, both immediately and over the long term.
Those under the age of 21 may be permitted to use cannabis for medical purposes, but this must be done with the explicit approval and supervision of a physician. Since THC can have a wide variety of effects on both the brain and the body, anyone who decides to consume marijuana—whether for medical or recreational purposes—should make sure they are in a secure location with trustworthy individuals.
The manner in which your brain and body respond to marijuana can vary significantly from one encounter to the next depending on a wide range of factors, including the following:
- The specific kind (strain) of marijuana
- The amount that you take in.
- The manner in which you used it, such as smoking, vaping, eating, or drinking.
- Your state of mind when you were consuming it in the first place
Other drugs or medications that are now present in your body at the same moment, such as the amount of insulin that is currently present in your system as a result of basal (background) insulin or a recent bolus (given for elevated blood sugar or carbohydrates).
The way that marijuana affects a person is likewise highly variable from one individual to the next. Do not make the assumption that your body will react in the same way as the body of another individual. The subjective effects of marijuana are heavily influenced by the unique chemical make-up of each individual user’s body. In the hours that followed the consumption of marijuana, one may sense…
- Relaxed, mellow, tranquil
- Joyous, delighted, and inventive
- Feeling drowsy and lethargic, as though your body is heavy
- shaky or on edge, like one would feel when their blood sugar is dangerously low
- Those who are chatty but whose thoughts wander
- Stillness, with the internal monologue at a minimum level
- Anxious, apprehensive, and unable to find any sense of serenity inside yourself
- unable to control one’s hunger while yet being parched and hungry
- nauseous and lightheaded
In addition, the presence of marijuana in the system can be detected anywhere from three to thirty days after its use, depending on the strain and the frequency of use. This means that you could potentially fail a drug test for up to a month after your last usage of the substance. It also means that the chemical changes that occur in the brain as a result of consuming marijuana can linger anywhere from three days to a month after use has stopped. Some people report feeling generally relaxed and calmer in the days and weeks following use, while others report feeling either heightened anxiety or brain fog as a result of their use.
The human endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is a mechanism in the body that helps in the control and balance of essential bodily functions like energy balance, hunger, pain, mood, and memory, is the subject of research that is now being undertaken. This research is looking at how CBD and THC impact the ECS and perhaps collaborate with it.
There are several distinct ways to consume marijuana.
The effect that marijuana has on your body is quite variable and can fluctuate significantly depending on how much you use and how you use it. Marijuana may be…
Inhaled: The effects of marijuana on the brain and the body are felt more quickly when the drug is smoked or vaporized. The effects of the drug begin to take effect almost immediately and reach their peak anywhere from a few minutes to an hour later.
People who smoke marijuana indicate that it has a more immediate effect on their blood sugar levels, and that their blood sugar levels begin to decline practically as soon as they finish using it. The effect may be felt for many hours, and the “brain fog” that it causes may remain in the system for up to 72 hours. The intensity will change according on the mode of administration, the amount consumed, and the potency of the marijuana strain.
Be aware that smoking anything, regardless of what it is, can cause damage to your lungs because of the various chemicals that are inhaled throughout the smoking process.
Consumed: Marijuana can be cooked with a fat source such as butter or oil in order to absorb the psychoactive compound known as THC into the fat source, which can then be added to food, candies, or drinks. The effects of marijuana can be more strong and take longer to manifest when it is consumed orally. The effects of intake will normally continue longer than those of inhalation and will reach their peak within thirty minutes to one hour after consumption. After ingestion, you can anticipate feeling high for anywhere between two and eight hours.
Your metabolism, the type of consumable you ate (such as brownies or candies, for example), the amount of marijuana you drank, and the strain of the plant all play a role in determining how long the effects of the drug will last. If you do decide to join, it is recommended that you ease into it and pay close attention to the dosage.
However, the potency of delicacies created outside of a sanctioned dispensary might vary greatly from product to product. delicacies purchased from an official dispensary are required to always have a label indicating the amount of marijuana contained in each edible serving size (typically 10 mg per serving).
Don’t forget to adjust your insulin dosage based on the amount of carbs in the consumable. It’s still food, after all! Be aware that marijuana can increase insulin sensitivity in some people, which means that you may require less insulin than usual as a result of this increased sensitivity.
When it comes to diabetes, what kind of side effects may one anticipate from smoking marijuana?
The use of marijuana has an effect on cognitive performance, which must be taken into consideration and carefully planned for when dealing with a complex chronic illness whose effects might be felt almost instantly. If this is your first time using marijuana, here are some key safety precautions you should take into consideration:
Don’t do so alone. You should make sure that you are with someone you can trust who is aware that you have diabetes, knows how to spot the indications of low and high blood sugar, and promises to remain sober enough to assist you if you require it.
It is important to be aware of your initial blood sugar level as well as the amount of insulin you have on board.
Some people become more sensitive to insulin as a result of marijuana use, which can make the symptoms of low or high blood sugar feel more worse. When someone has consumed marijuana, they may have feelings that are comparable to those of having low blood sugar. Continuous glucose monitoring, often known as a CGM, or frequent blood sugar checks with a meter are both excellent ways to keep track of your blood sugar levels. In the event that your blood sugar drops dangerously low, you should keep fast-acting glucose and glucagon on available. Make sure that the people you are with are aware of what to do in the event that you experience a severe low.
Get going slowly. The effects of marijuana vary from person to person, and the effects you get from different strains of marijuana will also vary. Start out very cautiously, become familiar with how marijuana affects your system, and avoid making the assumption that just because you’ve experimented with it a few times in the past that it will always have the same effect on you.
What members of the diabetic community would like for you to understand:
In addition to the fundamental aspects that have already been covered, the diabetic community has provided the following supplementary concerns and recommendations that should be kept in mind:
Be conscious of the possibility of changed perception
If you are under the influence of a mind-altering substance, just like when you are under the influence of alcohol, you may not be able to discern whether you are experiencing “low” or “high” feelings in relation to your blood glucose levels. Be aware of the possibility that your overall perception is incorrect or deficient.
“I was sure that I was going to die. I was sure that I required an ambulance at that moment. I didn’t bolus after eating something like three McChickens, and my blood sugar was 450 when I woke up.
Because I am so fortunate to have a CGM, whenever I am high, I make it a point to keep a tight eye on my blood sugar. On two separate occasions, my blood glucose level was somewhere around 150 mg/dL and it was slowly going down, but I felt really low; my vision was blurry, and I had the sensation that I was about to drop out. The first time, I was able to keep my consciousness, but on the second occasion, I blacked out and fell to the ground with a significant amount of force. As soon as I came to a few seconds later, I noticed that my blood sugar was plummeting FAST, despite the fact that I only had one unit of insulin on board. Because my blood sugar level ended up being at around 70 mg/dL with double down arrows, I ended up needing to drink an entire carton of juice. It appears that the only time it occurs is when I smoke a little bit too much. However, my body will act as if I am really low on fuel even when I am not. This is a very strange phenomenon. It wasn’t just that I felt down; my body actually acted like I was down as well.
Make sure you regularly check your sugar levels in your blood.
Because of your altered perception, it is important that you monitor your blood sugar at regular intervals to ensure that you are within a safe range. Additionally, you should make sure that you are around by individuals who are able to assist you in the event that you encounter blood sugar levels that are either extremely high or extremely low when high.
“Smoking always has the effect of naturally lowering my blood sugar. I light up, and then it simply gradually decreases, so I always have to be cautious to either suspend my pump or have some sugar before I smoke.
“I am usually so terrified of having a low after drinking that I never really enjoy myself because I feel so nervous… Because smoke does not include any sugar or carbohydrates, it does not have the same effect as eating sweets or eating a lot of carbs, which is a rapid rise in mood followed by a rapid decline. I find that smoking helps me feel more in control of my type 1 diabetes (T1D) than drinking does. For this reason, I prefer smoking to drinking.
When you have the munchies, adjust your insulin dosage, but do it very carefully.
Because marijuana can produce feelings of hunger, you could be tempted to eat a lot of food; therefore, you should ensure that you give yourself enough insulin to account for everything you intend to ingest. Because your mental state will be affected when you are high, it may make sense to establish a plan before you get high. Get your snacks ready, and write down the total number of carbohydrates in each snack, as well as the insulin dose that corresponds to it, on a piece of sticky note or on your phone. Or, to put it another way, if you’re going to smoke weed in a certain location, don’t stock it with snacks that are high in carbohydrates; instead, try eating things like apples, carrots, and other such foods.
“When I smoke, I end up getting the munchies and eating everything in sight, which causes my blood glucose (BG) to go up to unhealthy levels.”
When this happens, I get what I like to refer to as the “gradual munchies. I just sort of snack on things slowly over a long period of time, and because I never eat more than a handful of anything at once, I never calculate carbs correctly or administer the appropriate quantity of insulin. This results in me having high blood sugar. My blood glucose levels consistently wind up being too high.
Inform your chosen healthcare professional.
We are aware that you find this one to be terrifying. However, your healthcare practitioner, particularly the individual or group that you see for your diabetic care, can assist you in formulating a schedule for the times at which you will ingest marijuana. They will be able to assist you in determining patterns of blood sugar levels around consumption and devise a strategy for administering insulin when you are under the influence of THC. This is necessary because each individual’s body reacts differently to insulin.
“I usually feel like I’m going to get “in trouble” with my endo, but in really, she has been non-judgmental, and she is just here to help me from a medical point of view. Is it better if I smoke in her presence? No. However, she assists me in formulating a strategy that will keep me secure in the event that I do.
The bare essentials
When consuming any substance, it is important to be conscious of both your surroundings and your own body. Take further care to ensure your safety and keep yourself in a position to successfully manage your diabetes. Also, keep in mind that you shouldn’t feel compelled to test out something that you aren’t confident in doing so if you can help it. You, and only you, will be responsible for making the decision.