Title: Why Marijuana Causes the Munchies
Headings: Marijuana causes the munchies because of an appetite-stimulating hormone that sharpens your sense of smell and taste
Marijuana causes the munchies because of an appetite-stimulating hormone that sharpens your sense of smell and taste
Julia Naftulin
Researchers believe THC stimulates a feeding hormone that increases a person's senses of smell and taste.
Researchers believe THC stimulates a hormone that increases senses of smell and taste
CBD, another well-known cannabinoid, can't cause the munchies
There may be healthy side effects to marijuana usage
THC in marijuana chemically reacts with the brain to enhance a person's appetite.
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Content: Even though you just ate dinner, you can't help but give in to the urge to open that bag of potato chips and eat them all because they taste that good. It's not in your head. Chemical compounds in marijuana react with the brain to enhance appetite, creating what is commonly referred to as "the munchies." It's all connected to the body's endocannabinoid system, which helps regulate the brain, immune system, sexual function, metabolism, and mood. Jeff Chen, director of UCLA's Cannabis Research Initiative, said the endocannabinoid system can be thought of like a series of keyholes. THC, the main chemical compound in marijuana that causes the sensation of being high, is like a key. When a person consumes marijuana, the THC "t urns on the engine of our cells and tells it to do certain things," Chen told INSIDER. One of those things is building an increased appetite. Researchers believe THC stimulates a hormone that increases senses of smell and taste
Research suggests that THC interacts with ghrelin, a hormone secreted by the stomach that stimulates appetite. Synthetic THC has even been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for people with HIV-induced anorexia because of its appetite-enhancing properties.