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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Researchers believe THC stimulates a feeding hormone that increases a person's senses of smell and taste. 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.