A study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting reports that cannabis use may nearly quadruple the risk of developing diabetes, based on analysis of health data from over 4 million adults.

The research analyzed electronic health records from 54 healthcare organizations, identifying 96,795 cannabis users and matching them with over 4 million healthy controls, followed over five years.

Results showed that 2.2% of cannabis users developed diabetes compared to 0.6% of non-users, indicating a significant association even after adjusting for various lifestyle and health risk factors.

The researchers suggest that the increased risk may be linked to insulin resistance and unhealthy dietary behaviors among cannabis users.

While the potential mechanisms behind this increased risk involve insulin resistance and dietary habits, more research is needed to clarify causality and biological effects.

However, the study has limitations, including its retrospective design, potential misclassification of cannabis exposure, reliance on self-reported data, and lack of detailed information on consumption patterns.

The authors acknowledge these limitations and note that factors like confounding variables and incomplete data on cannabis use could influence the findings.

As cannabis becomes more widely available and socially accepted, the study highlights the importance of metabolic monitoring and public health messaging.

Healthcare providers are urged to discuss cannabis use with patients to better assess and manage the risk of developing diabetes, especially in regions where cannabis legalization is expanding.