‘The munchies’ is the colloquial term for the fierce hunger and cravings that are often experienced when people consume cannabis. Depending on who you ask, this could be a side-effect or a therapeutic benefit, and there is real science behind it.
This extreme urge to eat after using cannabis is not imaginary. It’s a measurable cognitive response that, in many studies of cannabis users, occurs regardless of age, gender or recent consumption of food. In simple terms, THC tricks our brains into thinking we are starving, even if we may have just eaten.
The human brain produces its own cannabinoids that assist in modulating mood, pain, memory, and (you guessed it!) appetite. THC effectively binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, essentially mimicking these endogenous compounds.
A team of researchers at the University of Bordeaux discovered that in mice, THC binds to receptors in the brain’s olfactory bulb, which is responsible for animals’ sense of smell. This caused an increased ability of the mice to smell food and led them to eat more of it. Hence, the research suggests that one of the reasons ‘the munchies’ occur is because we smell and taste food more intensely after cannabis consumption.
Prior research has also shown that THC acts on a region of the hypothalamus (which is involved in a variety of metabolic processes) and increases the release of dopamine. This, in turn, leads to the often-reported increase in the sensation of pleasure that occurs when people eat when they are ‘high’.
Another interesting effect that THC has on the hypothalamus is the increase in production of Ghrelin. Ghrelin is often called the hunger hormone and plays a major role in appetite, meal initiation, and food intake.
All this is to say, ‘the munchies’ from cannabis use is very much a real thing, and offers a variety of different areas for researchers to explore. For example, if the endocannabinoid system is so involved in appetite and eating, perhaps finding ways to modulate it could be an avenue for exploring weight control.
As it stands, ‘the munchies’ effect of medicinal cannabis can help increase the appetite of cancer patients and those with HIV who suffer from an inability to adequately eat. For other medicinal cannabis patients, it is a side-effect they may need to be conscious of if they are concerned about their own health, and may have to make considerations if continuing to use medicinal cannabis. This might include being mindful of their food intake, or simply ensuring snacks are not in plain sight.
Either way, cannabis is truly an amazing plant. The more we research it, the more we learn about the workings of our own human bodies, and we may be able to create treatment protocols for a variety of conditions in the future.
