The areas of the brain that regulate the desire to eat are known to be stimulated by cannabis.
Those who have recently used cannabis frequently experience “the munchies,” a common symptom. Cannabis also has a tendency to have varied effects on different people, and this has proven to be highly true in terms of hunger stimulation.
In patients with illnesses like HIV/AIDS or cancer, where other medications or treatments may dangerously reduce appetite, cannabis is frequently advised for weight growth. Recent research suggests that regular cannabis use may result in a decreased total body mass index. These findings suggest that frequent cannabis use in some form may aid persons who struggle with their weight to promote weight loss.
Cannabis Use & Boosted Appetite
Researchers Randy and Lori Sansone sought to ascertain how and to what extent cannabis promotes appetite in patients with cancer or HIV/AIDS in a 2014 study that was published in Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience. According to their findings, even if cannabis did help these individuals feel more hungry, it only did so to a moderate extent; megestrol worked better in this regard. The study also discovered that acute cannabis use increases hunger, especially in underweight people. Patients who use cannabis also experience an increase in hunger because of the brain’s cannabinoid receptors.
Since scientists now understand what “turns on” the need to eat while using cannabis, it stands to reason that they might be able to control what “turns off” feeding behaviour, resulting in a process of weight loss reduction through cannabis use.
Cannabis and a Decline in Appetite
The Sansones claim that this has been achieved in rats by pharmacologically inhibiting the CB receptors, which lowers food intake and weight growth. (CB receptor antagonists block the receptors, allowing one to ascertain whether cannabinoid receptors play a role in a certain behaviour, in this example, eating.)
The Sansones discovered during their 2014 study that medical cannabis use might be a sign of low body mass index, a characteristic that doctors and other healthcare professionals value as a sign of general bodily wellness in humans. Rimonabant and taranabant are two other weight-loss medications for obese individuals, however the Sansones discovered that both medications could cause “adverse and severe psychological symptoms,” such as suicidal thoughts and urges.
