The Munchies: Why Does Weed Make You Hungry?

CNN
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If you smoke or eat weed, you may have encountered the “marijuana munchies,” or cravings for salty, sweet, or fatty carbohydrate foods while taking the drug.

But what exactly are those cannabis-related cravings about? Why do they happen?

You can blame them on the active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

THC is responsible for the ‘high’ that many people experience when using cannabis. But it is also primarily responsible for the increase in food cravings that people get when they take the drug.

The brain is divided into regions: some areas determine our mood, while others influence our appetite, causing us to eat or stop eating. Every time we consume a drug, it is distributed everywhere, so when THC enters the parts of the brain that affect mood, it stimulates euphoria, explains Gary Wenk, director of neuroscience undergraduate programs at Ohio State University and author of ‘Your Brain on Food’. .” And when THC reaches the part of the brain that affects appetite, it will “stimulate you to eat,” Wenk said.

Although research points to several possible mechanisms, cannabis’s ability to increase appetite is “very well documented,” says Ginger Hultin, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Research with cannabis has shown that THC stimulates the endocannabinoid system, a complex part of the brain that regulates nutritional behavior and energy balance. “It affects some primitive parts of the brain, things that control appetite and emotions,” Hultin said.

“THC interacts with receptors in our brains that regulate emotions, pain, and our senses of smell and taste,” says Janice Newell Bissex, a registered dietitian. “It can also promote the release of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger.”

The scientific mechanisms are complex. According to one animal study, by binding to receptors in the olfactory bulb in the brain, THC appears to increase our sensitivity to smell, which would make the aromas of food more powerful and cause us to eat more.

Other research has found that neurons that normally shut down during eating actually stimulate more eating when marijuana is used. “The neurons that normally control our satiety levels can be usurped when marijuana is consumed,” Wenk said.

THC also increases the release of dopamine, which increases the pleasure of eating, Bissex explains. In addition to making eating more enjoyable, dopamine — a brain chemical that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers — can reduce inhibitions, Hultin explains.

“Reducing inhibitions is a big challenge when it comes to marijuana and alcohol,” she says. “People know what they should eat, but suddenly their inhibitions are gone and they eat unhealthy food.”

The effects are enhanced in those who carry extra pounds. “If they see a chocolate malt in obese people, it will activate their dopamine system to a greater extent than in non-obese individuals,” Wenk explains. The result is that “these individuals may be primed to have a greater munchie response.”

Hultin, who helps healthy people maintain good eating habits in marijuana-legalized Washington state, has seen how the drug can increase appetite and affect weight.

“People will say they use marijuana to relax… but it will increase their cravings for chips and ice cream… and unhealthy foods that they want to avoid,” she said. These people are able to link their weight problems to their marijuana use, she explained.

Consuming marijuana in food poses a unique challenge because edibles can enhance the effects of THC on appetite and weight. For example, sugary edibles like candies, cookies, lollipops and brownies not only contribute calories, which can result in weight gain, but they can also cause highs and lows in blood sugar levels, which can increase cravings, Hultin explained.

The research into the effects of cannabis on appetite has not gone unnoticed by the pharmaceutical industry.

“There’s a very fascinating story about the drug rimonabant,” Wenk said. “Many years ago, researchers thought that if the munchies are due to THC stimulating food receptors and causing us to eat a lot of carbohydrates, why can’t we design a drug to block those receptors?”

Researchers tried to test whether they could manipulate nutritional centers that play a role in determining our urge to eat.

“They tested the drug … and people lost weight and gave up interest in cheeseburgers, fries, alcohol and cigarettes,” Wenk said. “They thought, ‘This is a great drug!’ People became thinner and gave up their addictions!”

But researchers soon realized that it wasn’t safe to continuously block all of a person’s endocannabinoid receptors, which control mood and feeding behavior. “People became depressed and started committing suicide,” Wenk said. Clinical trials were halted and the drug was withdrawn from the market.

The findings showed that you cannot selectively block some endocannabinoid receptors and not others.

“The euphoria we experience when we eat a treat or enjoy the company of a loved one has to do with our brain’s internal endocannabanoid system saying ‘thank you.’ However, if you block the functioning of this system, you take away your ability to continually feel joy,” Wenk said.

For people with diseases that dull the appetite, the increased hunger produced by the drug can be therapeutic. “While some may consider this an unwanted side effect, appetite stimulation is exactly the result that many elderly patients or those suffering from cancer or HIV are looking for,” explains Bissex, who recently became a holistic cannabis practitioner after studying the had seen her father’s chronic pain decrease. after using marijuana for medicinal purposes.

“My father tried cannabis when traditional painkillers were marginally effective and caused terrible side effects, including constipation and fatigue. Not only did he get relief from his pain, but he also saw a welcome increase in appetite,” she said.

Hultin previously worked as an oncology dietitian and saw first-hand the effects of the drug on cancer patients. “I’ve had patients who literally said to me, ‘I can’t eat unless I use marijuana.’

“When you see someone who is so sick and you just want to help him eat, and he says, ‘I can’t eat without this,’ I say, ‘Maybe this is what you need.'” said Hultin.

Whether you choose to use marijuana or not, the simplest way to summarize the role marijuana plays in controlling appetite is that it helps the brain survive – that is, ensure that we eat.

“The brain has only two jobs: the survival of its owner and reproduction,” Wenk said. “Neither of these things is possible without eating.”

If you’re concerned about weight gain when using cannabis, Bissex recommends making sure healthy snacks are available. “Stocking up on popcorn, veggie sticks with hummus, whole-grain crackers with a low-fat dip, and tortilla chips with salsa can satisfy the munchies without taking in too much sugar and calories.”

Lisa Drayer is a nutritionist, author and CNN health and nutrition contributor.