According to Israeli research, medical cannabis can alleviate diabetic neuropathy and stabilize blood sugar levels.

Diabetes is a multisystem disease often accompanied by various complications, one of which is diabetic neuropathy. Approximately 50% of people with diabetes will experience diabetic neuropathy at some point in their lives. This condition results from nerve damage caused by persistent high blood sugar levels, manifesting as pain and sensory abnormalities.
 Medically, diabetic polyneuropathy is typically classified into two types: in asymmetric polyneuropathy, pathological changes in small blood vessels lead to impaired nerve impulse transmission; whereas in the more common symmetric type, elevated blood glucose levels likely directly damage nerve cells. Generally, the longer the duration of diabetes, the higher the probability of developing polyneuropathy.
 Treatment is often challenging because opioid medications carry high addiction risks and offer limited efficacy for chronic neuropathic pain. Other pain relievers frequently fail to provide sufficient relief. 
A recent long-term Israeli study indicates that Medical Cannabis, acting through the endocannabinoid system, significantly reduces pain and provides neuroprotection with minimal side effects. Adding medical cannabis to standard therapies not only alleviates pain but also improves blood glucose levels.

Medical Cannabis for the Treatment of Diabetic Neuropathy

This study enrolled 50 patients with refractory diabetic neuropathy to evaluate the long-term efficacy of using inhaled medical cannabis as an adjunctive treatment for painful diabetic neuropathy that has not responded to other treatments. All participants had undergone at least three conventional treatments that had failed. The patients were administered medical cannabis containing 20% THC and less than 1% CBD via inhalation using a nebulizer.
Inhalation was chosen to ensure a rapid onset during acute pain episodes. Cannabis typically takes effect within minutes and lasts two to four hours. It targets CB1 and CB2 receptors, and dosing is adjusted according to each patient's needs. Participants underwent up to five years of follow-up to evaluate the long-term effects of medical cannabis therapy.
Researchers used standardized scales to periodically assess patients' pain perception and motor dysfunction. These scales included the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS). The BPI scored the type and intensity of neuropathic pain on a 10-point scale, and the LANSS rated pain and abnormal sensations on a scale from 0 to 24.
Additionally, the researchers documented long-term changes in the participants' blood glucose levels, as measured by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values. HbA1c reflects the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is glycated with sugar, thereby indicating average blood glucose levels over the preceding eight to twelve weeks. Healthy individuals typically maintain HbA1c levels below 5.7%.

There was a significant reduction in pain and a decrease in opioid use.

The study results are encouraging. At baseline, participants had an average Brief Pain Inventory score of 9, which decreased to 2 following medical cannabis treatment. Perceived functional impairment also decreased significantly, from an average of 7.5 to 2.2. Similarly, scores on the Leeds Neuropathic Symptom and Sign Evaluation Scale decreased from 19.4 to 10.2.
Thus, medical cannabis has been demonstrated to be a highly effective adjunctive therapy for alleviating pain and significantly improving patients' quality of life.
Additionally, the average glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level decreased from 9.77% to 7.79%, indicating improved blood glucose control. Another positive effect was a significant reduction in participants' opioid usage, with the greatest decrease amounting to 62 morphine equivalents. The morphine equivalent measure quantifies the required opioid dosage to achieve the therapeutic effect of a specific morphine dose.

Reliable results and exceptional safety are guaranteed.

This medical cannabis therapy was very safe. Only 15.4% of patients reported mild side effects, such as dry mouth. Efficacy remained stable throughout the observation period, and blood glucose levels remained stable in all subjects. This is undoubtedly good news for patients, as opioids are known to induce significant tolerance, often requiring escalating doses that amplify side effect harm.
Researchers speculate that the neuroprotective properties of medical cannabis may slow the progression of nerve damage. However, the exact mechanism by which activation of CB1 and CB2 receptors alleviates symptoms of diabetic neuropathy remains unclear.
Furthermore, many experts contend that, of all the medical applications of cannabis, the treatment of neuropathic pain has been studied most thoroughly. Multiple scientific studies have concluded that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in medical cannabis, effectively alleviates neuropathic pain, even with long-term use. Most importantly, THC does not produce the severe side effects associated with traditional pain medications. 

To our knowledge, CB2 receptors play a crucial role in this process. When stimulated by THC, these receptors effectively alleviate pain caused by neurological disorders and the inflammation often triggered by such dysfunctions.
However, due to the observational design of this study, these findings represent only associative results. Future randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to confirm efficacy and determine optimal usage protocols. Additionally, limitations such as single-center bias and small sample size (n = 52) must be addressed. Incorporating larger-scale biomarker analyses, such as endogenous cannabinoid levels, into future studies will enhance our understanding of these processes, elucidate their mechanisms of action, and improve the precision of cannabis therapies, allowing for the development of more personalized treatment plans.