Title: The science behind munchies: cannabis and your appetite | Examine.com
Headings: The science behind munchies: cannabis and your appetite
The science behind munchies: cannabis and your appetite
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid in cannabis, can bind the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and thus promote overeating and weight gain. This effect, detrimental to most people, can prove beneficial under certain medical conditions, such as cancer and HIV-associated wasting syndrome.
How cannabis works
Does cannabis cause weight gain?
Cannabis for weight gain in clinical populations
HIV-associated wasting syndrome
Cancer-associated cachexia
Anorexia nervosa
CB1: the key to weight loss?
Bottom line
💊 Get unbiased supplement information
References

Content: We have a strict editorial process . This page features 32 references. All factual claims are followed by specifically-applicable references. Click here to see the full set of references for this page. Written by Michael Hull
Last Updated: Apr 17, 2019
Tags: marijuana
appetite
cannabis
Cannabis (aka marijuana) is a popular recreational drug that also has a variety of potential medicinal uses, from boosting appetite to reducing nausea and anxiety. [ 1] In cancer patients, cannabis may help ease the pain associated with chemotherapy while simultaneously increasing appetite (a serious side effect of chemotherapy being nausea). [ 1]
Aside from euphoria, this increase in appetite is probably cannabis best-known effect — you might refer to it as “the munchies”. Historical sources indicate that people as early as 300 BCE knew that cannabis stimulated appetite, especially for sweet and savory food. [