Title: Why Smoking Pot Makes You So Hungry
Headings: Why Smoking Pot Makes You So Hungry
Why Smoking Pot Makes You So Hungry
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DISCUSSION

Content: Marijuana's main ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), targets your brain's olfactory bulbs—among other things—and actually make you smell and taste more than usual. These heightened senses stimulate your appetite. At least, this is how it works in mice. For the experiment, the research team fed one group mice THC and then exposed them to banana and almond oils. Once high, the mice spent more time smelling the oils than the control group which did not receive THC. The mice given THC also ate more. They also tried the experiment on mice which had been genetically engineered to lack the cannabinoid receptor in question, and the THC had not effect on those mice. Scientists believe that the same process is at play in humans who smoke pot. The specific receptors at play are part of the brain's endocannabinoid system that controls emotions, pain sensitivity, memory, and appetite, although marijuana affects other parts of the brain as well. This new research is similar to a 2005 study that looked at similar receptors in the hypothalmus that also stimulated hunger, and scientists believe that marijuana's effect on dopamine levels might also play a role.