The munchies: Why does weed make you hungry?

CNN
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If you smoke or eat a pot“You may have encountered”Marijuana Snacks, or the desire to eat salty, sweet, or fatty foods rich in carbohydrates when using the medicine.

But what exactly are those? HempRelated cravings for everything? Why does it happen?

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

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is responsible for the “high” feeling that many people experience when using cannabis. But it is also mainly responsible for increasing food cravings in people when taking the drug.

The brain is divided into regions: some regions control our mood, while others influence our appetite, making us eat or stop eating. “Any time we consume a drug, it gets distributed everywhere, so when THC gets into the parts of the brain that affect… Mood, it stimulates euphoria. When THC reaches the area of ​​the brain that affects appetite, “it will motivate you to eat,” Wenk said.

Although research suggests various potential mechanisms, cannabis’ ability to increase appetite is “very well documented,” said Ginger Hultin, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Research on cannabis has revealed that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) stimulates the endocannabinoid system, a complex area of ​​the brain that regulates feeding behavior and energy balance. “It hits some of the primitive areas of the brain, which are the things that control appetite and emotions,” Hultin said.

“THC interacts with receptors in our brain that regulate emotions, pain, and our sense of smell and taste,” said Janice Newell Biskes, a registered dietitian. “It can also boost the release of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin.”

Scientific mechanisms are complex. According to one animal study, by binding to receptors in the brain’s olfactory bulb, THC appears to do this. Enhancing our sensitivity to smellWhich makes food smells stronger and makes us eat more.

Further research revealed that the neurons that normally shut down when eating are in fact… Stimulate more eating when using marijuana. “Neurons that normally control our level of satiety can be hijacked when consuming marijuana,” Wenk said.

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

“Lowering your inhibitions is a big challenge with weed and alcohol,” she said. “People know what they should eat, but suddenly their inhibitions drop, and they’re eating unhealthy foods.”

The effects are intensified among those who carry extra pounds. “In obese people, when they see chocolate malt, it will activate their dopamine system to a greater degree than in people who are not obese,” Wink explained. As a result, “these individuals may be predisposed to have a greater response to snacks.”

Hultin, who helps healthy individuals maintain good eating habits in marijuana-licensed Washington state, has seen how the drug can increase appetite and affect a person’s weight.

“People will say they will use marijuana to relax… but it will increase their appetite for potato chips and ice cream… unhealthy foods that they want to avoid,” she said. She explained that these people are able to link their weight struggles to their use of marijuana.

Consuming marijuana in edibles poses a unique challenge, as edibles can amplify the effects of THC on appetite and weight. For example, Hulten explained that sugary foods like candy, cakes, lollipops, and cookies not only contribute calories, which can lead to weight gain, but they can cause spikes and drops in blood sugar, which can increase cravings.

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

“There’s a really great story with rimonabant,” Wenk said. “Many years ago, researchers thought that if snacking was a result of THC stimulating feeding receptors and urging us to eat high in carbohydrates, why couldn’t we design a drug to block those receptors?”

The researchers sought to test whether they could address the feeding centers that play a role in determining our desire to eat.

“They tested the drug…and people lost weight and gave up their interest in cheeseburgers, fries, alcohol and cigarettes,” Wink said. “They thought this was a great drug!” People have become thinner and given up their addictions!

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

The results revealed that you cannot selectively block some endocannabinoid receptors but not others.

“The euphoria we feel when we eat something delicious or enjoy the company of a loved one involves our brain’s endocannabinoid system saying ‘thank you.’ However, if you block the functioning of this system, you rob you of your ability to feel euphoric all the time.

For people with diseases that cause anorexia, the increased hunger resulting from the drug can be therapeutic. “While some may find this to be an undesirable side effect, appetite stimulation is exactly the result that many elderly patients or those who They suffer from cancer or HIV. After using marijuana for medical purposes.

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

Hultin previously worked as an oncology nutritionist and saw the effects of the drug on cancer patients firsthand. “I’ve literally had patients tell me, ‘I can’t eat unless I use marijuana.’

“When you see someone who is very sick in front of you, and you just want to help them eat, and then they say, ‘I can’t eat without this,’ I say, ‘This might be what you need.’” Hultin said.

Whether you choose to use cannabis or not, perhaps the simplest way to summarize the role marijuana plays in appetite control is that it helps the brain ensure our survival – that is, making sure we eat.

“The brain has only two functions: survival of its owner and procreation,” Wink said. “None of this is possible without eating.”

If you’re concerned about gaining weight when using cannabis, BESIX recommends making sure you have healthy snacks available. “Stocking up popcorn and veggie sticks with hummus, whole-grain crackers with low-fat salsa, and tortilla chips with salsa may satisfy snackers without a lot of sugar and calories.”

Lisa Dreyer is a registered dietitian, author, and CNN health and nutrition contributor.