Why smoking grass gives you cravings – blaming your hormones

The Munchies

Like everyone who has ever tasted the devil's herb (aka cannabis) can attest, one of the side effects is a sudden and strong desire for the food – especially candy. However, although this effect has been observed for decades, its cause and mechanism were not known. But with the increase in cannabis legalization measures (for recreational and medical purposes), the understanding of "the nibbling effect" became even more important.

"We all know that the use of cannabis affects appetite. about how or why, "said Jon Davis, Ph.D., a researcher in the Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience of Washington State. "By studying the exposure to cannabis plant matter, the most consumed form, we find genetic and physiological events in the body that allow cannabis to change or disable eating behavior."

Scientists already knew that the psychological effects of cannabis (the "high") are caused by a family of compounds called cannabinoids, especially delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). But the ability of THC to stimulate appetite is much less well understood.

The Hunger Hormone

Davis and his colleagues designed a study on rats with a vapor exposure system to mimic cannabis use. In this way, they were able to control the dosage, which was closely monitored throughout the study. First, the researchers observed that even a brief exposure to cannabis encouraged rats to eat a meal – even just after eating.

"We discovered that exposure to cannabis caused more small meals," Davis said. "But there is a delay before it takes effect."

Next, the team observed an outbreak of a hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin, often called the "hunger hormone," regulates appetite and plays an important role in the distribution and rate of use of energy. When the stomach is empty, ghrelin is secreted as a message to the brain indicating that it is time to look for food. It seems that cannabis stimulates the secretion of ghrelin, which makes us hungry.

In order to confirm that it was the increased appetite, the researchers then administered a second drug that inhibits the production of ghrelin.

Of course, there are some distinctions to make here. For starters, there is a study on rats, and there is no guarantee that the same effect will occur in the same way in humans – although Davis is cautiously convinced that this will be the case. Secondly, there is a myriad of different cannabis strains, each with its own THC concentration and individual characteristics. In this study, the researchers only used marijuana grown at the University of Mississippi, which has an extremely low THC concentration (about 7.8%). Commercial marijuana often has THC levels above 20%. This makes it more difficult to badess whether the effect is uniform on all strains, or how it can relate to other properties like THC content.

However, this is still a compelling argument in the case of the medicinal use of cannabis. While some of the alleged benefits of the drug have certainly been overestimated, there are still arguments in favor of some medical properties of marijuana – in this case, Davis says, as a way to promote appetite. Patients undergoing large clinical treatments often find it difficult to maintain a healthy appetite.

"In our lab, we are trying to determine if the effect of THC concentrations could produce different results, which means that they might be eating a little earlier. or delay the diet a little longer, "said Davis to Inverse." That said, I am absolutely convinced that when people will inhale or spray marijuana, they will have an increase in appetite

Results are currently under study

Scientific Reference: Investigating the Neuroendocrine and Behavioral Controls of Cannabis-induced Food Behavior JF Davis, PQ Choi, J Kunze, P Wahl, University of State of Washington Pullman Presented in July 2018, Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, Bonita Springs, Florida

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