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: REUTERS/Adrees Latif
An enhanced appetite, or what people commonly refer to as "the munchies," is an often-cited side effect of marijuana. The munchies occur due to a chemical reaction the brain has when it interacts with THC, the main psychoactive component in marijuana. Researchers believe THC stimulates a feeding hormone that increases senses of smell and taste. You're sitting on your couch, sharing marijuana with friends, when all of a sudden you feel it: you're really, really hungry. 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.