The results are clear despite the smoke: junk food sales go up when pot’s legal.
Potato chip, cookie and ice cream sales all increased in Colorado, Oregon and Washington as recreational marijuana became legal in those states, according to a recent study.
Specifically, chip sales increased 5.3%, while cookie sales climbed 4.1% and ice cream purchases increased 3.1% in the aftermath of legalization, professors from the University of Connecticut and Georgia State University determined using monthly retail scanner data from 2006 to 2016.
“The increase in sales starts at the time of the legislation becomes effective,” said the findings, published in Social Science Research Network. Afterwards, the snacking spurt decreased slightly for ice cream and chips, but not for cookies, according to the results.
“A widespread urban myth is that marijuana consumption is associated with the so-called munchies, namely an irresistible urge to consume large amounts of snack or junk food, such as ice cream, cookies, candies, and the like,” the researchers wrote.
A widespread urban myth is that marijuana consumption is associated with the ‘munchies,’ an irresistible urge to consume large amounts of snacks.
In fact, when researchers at Boston University looked at current offerings at national chains like McDonald’s MCD, +0.15% Wendy’s WEN, +1.41% and Burger King QSR, +0.05% and compared them to menus from the 1980s, the calorie counts had climbed noticeably, they determined.
The calories are rising even as chains and food manufacturers try to also introduce more healthful,plant-based options amid America’s continuing obesity epidemic.
Fast food and snack product giants like Yum! Brands YUM, +0.11% Frito-Lay PEP, -0.62% and McDonald’s could not be immediately reached for comment. SNAC International, a snack food industry trade association, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.