How Does Cannabis Affect Appetite?

Cannabis leaf beside cookie with missing bite and stray crumbs

Can our Northglenn smoke shop truly help impact your appetite? And what are the medical advantages, as well as disadvantages, to this superpower?

There are a lot of mumbo jumbo claims made about marijuana that aren’t backed by any science. But THC’s and CBD’s impacts on hunger are actually based in reality.

Cannabis’s impact on appetite can be a major leap forward in the treatment of many diseases and conditions such as eating disorders, obesity, heart disease, and more.

So if you need to gain or lose weight, pick up some heady glass and let marijuana work its magic!

How does cannabis affect hunger?

Cannabis increases how hungry you are by stimulating CB1 (cannabinoid) receptors in your brain. The receptors then release a hormone called ghrelin that triggers hunger. Anyone smoking from our heady glass knows this all too well.

According to one animal study, THC can enhance sensitivity to smell, making the smell of food stronger and more appealing.

Other research points to the fact that some neurons, which typically turn off when we eat, actually don’t turn off when you’re using marijuana.

In addition, THC increases dopamine release, which makes eating more enjoyable. Dopamine also helps control reward and pleasure in the brain, so more dopamine can lower self-control.

To summarize, using glass from our Denver headshop can, indeed, make you very hungry. And it’s scientifically proven.

Does CBD make you lose weight?

There are a lot of wishy-washy claims about CBD and weight loss coming from health and wellness gurus. But is there any merit to them?

Reducing appetite

CBD might aid weight loss, but more studies need to be done to confirm this potential side effect.

Promisingly, a 2012 study found that CBD reduced appetite in rats.

Let’s get into some science! The endocannabinoid system responds to CB1 and CB2 receptors:

  • CB1 receptors are located in the brain and central nervous system. In addition, CB1 receptors become more widespread in the fatty tissue in people with obesity.
  • CB2 receptors are mainly located in the immune system.

CBD teams up with other cannabinoids to activate, or antagonize, these receptors in the body.

CB1 receptor antagonists can help reduce appetite, and stimulating CB2 receptors can reduce food intake. So when CBD activates CB2 and antagonizes CB1, it may result in reduced appetite and food intake.

Turning bad fat into good fat

There is a claim that CBD can help turn white fat into brown fat. White fat increases your risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

A 2016 study found that CBD did, in fact, help convert white fat into brown fat. It additionally helped the body break fats down more efficiently.

CBD also reduced cholesterol levels by 25% in rats with obesity.

What are the benefits of these findings?

Weight gain

Appetite stimulation has great medical significance. While we all know how fun the munchies can be, they can actually seriously help people who need it.

The elderly, cancer patients, and HIV patients all can experience decreased appetites. Consuming cannabis is a holistic way to increase appetite in these patients and avoid weight loss.

Another life-changing treatment is for patients with anorexia. Increasing appetite and snacking can help restore lost weight in the beginning stages of recovering from an eating disorder. In addition, the relaxing effects of marijuana can help with co-occurring symptoms of anxiety.

All that’s needed is some heady glass and a little bud to bring these benefits to fruition!

Weight loss

If you have a weight-related chronic health condition, weight loss can reduce your risk of acquiring lots of further conditions, including:

  • Back pain
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Some kinds of cancer
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Stroke
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure

Benefits can be seen with as little as 5% weight loss.

Some perks of weight loss for overweight people include:

  • Taking less medication
  • Better digestion
  • Getting out of breathless often
  • Improved ability to get around
  • Fewer aches and pains
  • Better sleep
  • More energy

What are the negative aspects of these findings?

Weight gain

Weight gain can be beneficial for some people, but not all.

If you’re at a healthy weight and don’t need to gain any extra pounds, the increased appetite caused by weed may put you in a sticky situation.

If you’re already overweight, it becomes even more of a challenge.

In addition, it may be harder to eat healthier because of all the cravings caused by the munchies. If you’re trying to improve your diet while smoking weed, keep snacks out of reach or have some healthier alternatives already prepared and ready to go!

Weight loss

Any weight-loss tool can be abused, and CBD is no exception.

People go on diets even when they have no health reason to, and often look for outside sources to help them keep the weight down. This is unhealthy behavior that can be part of, or lead to, an eating disorder.

Using CBD for weight loss should be limited to those who genuinely need to lose weight.

Final thoughts

It makes us proud knowing that our mere headshop has the potential to aid monumental medical advances!

While more studies need to take place to say for certain whether marijuana can be used as a treatment for conditions like obesity, cancer, and anorexia, many people are already utilizing cannabis at home for this very reason.

And some states already let some of these conditions, such as cancer, give you access to medical marijuana.

It all just goes to show that there’s more to this plant than just getting high.

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