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: " 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. Chen said these findings could simply mean that people who are generally healthier also happen to use marijuana more often, not that marijuana causes people to become healthier. Read more: A man's heart attack may have been triggered by a cannabis lollipop that was 12 times stronger than a typical joint
Chen added that compounds like THC interact with the metabolism. That could have something to do with previous findings that marijuana has little to no effect on body weight, but more research needs to be done to say for sure. FOLLOW US: