United States: Tetrahydrocannabinol is rapidly gaining popularity among people with diabetes. A more recent US prevalence study estimated 9 % of adults with diabetes used cannabis in the last month, increasing 33.7 % between 2021 and 2022. About half of the users, 48.9%, were below the age of 50 years.
Cannabis use is also rapidly growing among people aged 65 years or above, most of whom suffer from diabetes and other chronic diseases. In this demographic group there has been a raise of perceived risk associated with regular cannabis use however the data shows another side of the story, they are most vulnerable to emergency department visits for cannabis poisoning.
With legalization remaining a current trend and THC and CBD products increasing in popularity, endocrinologists will without question, come across more patients, regardless of their age, regarding its consumption.
However, with a dearth of comparative evidence-based literature, such endocrinologists helping patients in this area mainly have to fend for themselves. “The evidence on cannabis is limited primarily on account of its scheduling in the United States,” Jay Shubrook, DO, a professor and diabetologist at College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California in Vallejo, informed Medscape’s Medical News.
It was told in the seventies that it falls under schedule I drugs, which is described as ‘’ dangerous’ and ‘’ having no therapeutic value.” This made it rather difficult to access and assess the human trials Premature discontinuation of the trials did not permit elucidation of trial adverse findings.
There was concern on how to address eight SAEs – serious adverse events that were not attributed to the treatment – reported in the previous experiment None of these eight SAEs were linked to the use of the treatment; something that remained a cause of concern on how to address such occurrences in the subsequent experiment .
That will likely change soon. In May 16, 2024, The United States Department of Justice provided a proposal to change the status of marijuana substance from schedule I controlled substance to a schedule III under the CSA nook based on its approval for medical uses. That way, it would be much easier for even more researchers to apply for permission to investigate the impact of marijuana.