Can Cannabis Aid Weight Loss?

Marijuana and munchies go hand-in-hand — a truth known by cannabis consumers, and researchers who’ve long found a link between cannabis and appetite.

Evidence shows that, when ingested, cannabis triggers receptors in our brains, which then release hormones. Some of these hormones are responsible for regulating hunger.

While these hormones help to suppress and stimulate hunger, most cannabis users feel the latter.

However, even if cannabis does increases appetite, multiple studies have suggested that consumption won’t necessarily result in weight gain, but rather, weight loss. One such study, published in the “American Journal of Epidemiology”, found cannabis users are less likely to be obese.

Other studies also find users to have slimmer waistlines, lower BMIs and lower cholesterol levels.

So, how could this be? Researchers point to THC — the plant’s most famous chemical compound, the one that produces the “high”. In order to test this theory, scientists have compared the weight of mice with THC in their systems. Studies concluded that obese mice lost weight, while it didn’t affect mice at regular weights. “The researchers hypothesized that this was because THC caused changes in the gut microbiome that helped regulate weight loss and digestion,” noted the article.

The research has been replicated all over the world. Results are consistent even when controlling different variables, such as age, gender, or ailment.