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.
iStock
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Content: There is still limited research on marijuana's effect on appetite, so we can't say much about dosage for sure. But in 1986, a small study in the journal Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior found that people who used two or three marijuana cigarettes in a single period consumed more calories on average (in the form of more snacks rather than bigger meals) than if they smoked one marijuana cigarette. "We don't know the threshold for increased appetite, but I suspect it comes down to our bodies and tolerance," Chen said. " Some folks consume hundreds of milligrams of THC a day and can walk around, and others are bedridden for 24 hours." CBD, another well-known cannabinoid, can't cause the munchies
Another well-known cannabinoid, CBD, is growing in popularity for its potential to relieve anxiety and chronic pain, but it can't give you the munchies like THC, Chen said. " It looks like rather than fitting in [the keyhole], CBD might actually attach next to the keyhole and make it more difficult for THC to bind to [the keyhole]," he said. That means consuming CBD could actually limit THC's side effects. Read more: Luxury department store Barneys is opening a Beverly Hills head shop with high-end marijuana products, including a $1,500 grinder
There may be healthy side effects to marijuana usage
THC in marijuana chemically reacts with the brain to enhance a person's appetite. iStock
A May 2013 study in The American Journal of Medicine found that people who used marijuana had lower fasting insulin levels, a measure of prediabetes risk, and smaller waist circumferences than those who never used marijuana.