Here, OilsBySimpson Founder Kevin Simpson and Clinical Professor, Consultant Physician and Research Director, Filip Krag Knop, explain what we know so far about CBD’s effect on Type 2 diabetes and why running a clinical trial is so important
From soothing eczema to reducing back pain, there’s been much discussion around the medical benefits of cannabidiol (CBD). Now, the spotlight has turned to the potentially transformative power of CBD oil on Type 2 diabetes. In this interview, OilsBySimpson Founder Kevin Simpson explains what we know so far about CBD’s effect on Type 2 diabetes and why running a clinical trial is so important.
The first step
Back in 2009, things weren’t great for Kevin. “I was miserable” he remembers. “I had so much anxiety and depression that I hardly left the house.”
This impacted Kevin’s physical health, too. “The antidepressants and anxiety medicine I was taking left me feeling like a zombie. I was tired all the time, barely exercising and constantly hungry – even after I’d eaten.” As a result, Kevin’s weight slowly crept up and he developed Type 2 diabetes.
Yet it was this sedentary lifestyle that led Kevin to make a discovery that would change his life. “I needed something to focus my mind and block out my anxiety. So I started researching a lot online – about all kinds of topics at first.”
It was during this time that Kevin’s thoughts turned to cannabis. “I was thinking about the different effects it has had on me in the past and realised there must be more to cannabis than just THC – the psychoactive element that gives users a high. I started to think maybe this ‘other’ part had the potential to make me feel better.”
Finding hope
Fuelled by this, Kevin began to focus his research on cannabis and its link to anxiety and depression. “I found a review of a medical study that said CBD could help with these conditions. It fascinated me because we often hear that cannabis is responsible for causing psychosis, but did it actually have the potential to improve our mental health instead?”
Although he was keen to test CBD for himself, Kevin hit a hurdle. “Back then, you had to buy CBD from the U.S. and it cost about fifteen times what it does now. I’d been out of work for five years due to my ill health, so I simply couldn’t afford it.”
Reaching a breakthrough
Then, out of the blue, Kevin found a solution. “I’m a God-believing guy” he chuckles “and I prayed that someone would start making CBD oil in Denmark, or even Europe. Then, two days later, I found [certified organic CBD oil producer] Endoca!”
Kevin called Henry, Endoca’s CEO and founder and, after a long chat, he ordered some CBD oil. The result? “It worked fantastically!”
“I realised the anxiety had gone when I first went outside. I could hear birds singing, and people smiled at me and I smiled back. I was paying attention to all the little details I usually missed. CBD oil helped my anxiety and depression more than I could ever have hoped for.”
It was at Kevin’s next appointment with his psychiatrist that his beliefs were confirmed. “He asked me, ‘Kevin, what’s happened to you? I’ve not seen you this relaxed ever’. I told him it was the CBD oil and he was stunned. Shortly after, he said I was ready to come off my anxiety medication and antidepressants.”
A second lease of life
But that wasn’t the only effect CBD oil had on Kevin. “I was hoping for some relief from my anxiety and depression, but I also did an at-home test of my blood sugar levels and I was shocked by the results.”
As a Type 2 diabetes sufferer, Kevin took insulin to regulate his blood sugar levels. “I did the test after starting CBD oil and it said I was about 5 MMOL/L. People without diabetes are normally between 4 and 8, but I was usually somewhere between 22 and 25. Even my insulin couldn’t get me down to 5!”
Surprised, Kevin called his doctor to ask for advice. “I asked him whether I should take my insulin as usual, but he said that if I did, my blood sugar would drop to below 4 MMOL/L, which would be dangerous. He said I needed to either take the insulin or the CBD oil, but not both.”
Delighted with the effects it was having on his health, Kevin chose to stick with the CBD oil. “I saw my doctor three weeks later and he took a blood sugar level test himself.
I could barely believe my ears when he told me I didn’t have diabetes anymore!”
“At this point, I was still overweight, so I didn’t understand how it was possible. If you start losing weight and eating well, you can treat diabetes over time, but this happened within just three weeks.”
For Kevin, this news was life-changing. “If you grow old with Type 2 diabetes, doctors often warn that you might go blind or need to have a leg amputated. To no longer have this hanging over me made me feel free. With the help of the CBD oil, my body was now regulating itself in a way I never thought was possible.”
The chance to make a difference
Filled with determination to help others in the same situation, Kevin set up a Facebook group in 2011 for people with similar conditions. “I started by adding a few people I knew, then more and more people joined and wanted to help.” It was around this time that Kevin also founded the online CBD retailer OilsBySimpson.
“Today, we have three full-time staff and four volunteers. But what makes us different is that we’re all sick people who have created better lives, thanks to CBD oil. We wanted something that was built by living ambassadors for what CBD oil could do, not millionaires.”
Kevin’s motivation for setting up the business is simple. “Our focus is to help as many sick people as possible. CBD oil has given me my life back and I want to do everything I can to help others feel the same.”
In 2013, Kevin found Filip on LinkedIn. Kevin notes, “I thought he was a really good researcher, doctor and professor in his field, so I was keen to share my story with him.”
Now, Kevin and Filip want to run a clinical trial to investigate the link between CBD oil and Type 2 diabetes. As Filip explains, “CBD oil may have the ability to act via multiple receptors in the body, but whether or not it can target our glucose metabolism and the pathophysiological traits of Type 2 diabetes is still in question. There’s a real need to provide reliable data, to understand whether CBD oil has the potential to treat Type 2 diabetes.”
What the trial would mean
According to diabetes.co.uk, an estimated 415 million people globally – or 1 in 11 adults – now live with the disease. And Type 2 diabetes is by far the most prevalent form. The site estimates that in the UK, 10% of the NHS annual budget goes towards treating diabetes, which equates to around £9 billion per year.
“I realised the anxiety had gone when I first went outside. I could hear birds singing, and people smiled at me and I smiled back. I was paying attention to all the little details I usually missed. CBD oil helped my anxiety and depression more than I could ever have hoped for.”
As Kevin emphasises, “in the western world, we have lots of people suffering from Type 2 diabetes – it’s one of our biggest health concerns. All the states in the European Union (EU) are spending money on helping to get treatment for sufferers, but even when you start people on medicine like insulin, it’s not fixing anything else in the body. It’s not helping people change their lifestyles.”
Kevin hopes that a clinical trial would not only allow them to replicate his experience – and the experiences of others – but could also impact how much money is currently being spent on Type 2 diabetes treatment. As he puts it, “hemp is so much cheaper”.
Filip remains open-minded and keen to see what the trial may hold. “If it turns out CBD oil has a positive effect on Type 2 diabetes, it would be extremely interesting and could make it worth pursuing as a potential treatment for glucose-metabolic diseases.”
“Ultimately, a huge amount of work lies ahead. But we need to start somewhere. Without data from well-controlled clinical studies, the field will move nowhere.”
What can you do to help?
While Kevin and Filip are clear about the benefits of running a clinical trial, what is less certain is how it will be paid for. As Kevin explains, “we desperately need funding from the EU and EU Member States if we’re going to run the study. All and any help would be much appreciated.”
To find out more about Kevin’s story and how you can support the clinical trial, please email info@oilsbysimpson.dk
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