The phenomenon associated with cannabis known as “the munchies” is supported by research and may have medical applications, according to the findings of a recent study. Conducted by researchers at Washington State University and the University of Calgary, the study found that appetite stimulation associated with cannabis use occurs regardless of sex, age, weight, or recent food consumption.
Carrie Cuttler, a WSU psychology professor and director of The Health and Cognition (THC) Lab at WSU, said that the study’s findings have potential clinical applications for a wide range of medical conditions.
“There are a lot of different diseases, conditions, and disorders associated with wasting syndromes and lack of appetite, and this study really supports the idea that cannabis can be used medicinally to increase appetite in people who have conditions like HIV, AIDS, or who are on chemotherapy,” Cuttler said in a WSU Insider report on the study.
Collaborative Research Studied Humans and Rats
The study, published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was led by Cuttler and College of Veterinary Medicine professor Ryan McLaughlin. They conducted their research in collaboration with Calgary researchers Matthew Hill and Catherine Hume, who ran a similar series of studies using a rat model.
The human trial included 82 volunteer subjects aged 21 to 62 who lived in the Pullman, Washington area. Each participant was randomly selected to vape either 20 or 40 milligrams of cannabis or a cannabis placebo. Subjects who vaped the placebo served as a control group for the study. Subjects were then offered different food and allowed them to choose what to consume.
“The human study found irrespective of body mass index, time of last food consumption, sex or how much cannabis was consumed, human participants who used cannabis during the trial ate significantly more food,” McLaughlin said.
The researchers observed that participants found some food options, which included carbohydrates, fatty snack foods, and proteins, more appealing than others.
“Beef jerky was one of the No. 1 things intoxicated people gravitated toward, which I don’t understand. Honestly, I would have thought chocolate, chips, Rice Krispies treats — things like that,” Cuttler said, adding that many participants rated water as one of the most desirable items.
The animal study conducted at the University of Calgary examined appetite in rats. Similar to the human study, researchers exposed the rats to cannabis in a controlled environment and then offered them different food options. The rats had to operate a lever to receive food. The researchers found that rats under the influence of cannabis consistently pulled levers, regardless of which food was offered.
“The sober animals are kind of like, ‘I’m full. Why do I care?’ They don’t put in any effort at all,” said Hill. “They barely work in any capacity to get access to food. But you get them stoned again, and even though they’re now full and they’ve eaten, they go right back as if they’re starving.”
Notably, the two trials produced similar results.
“The same thing we saw in the humans we saw in the rats. We kind of thought it would make them want to eat carb-rich foods, but that didn’t seem to be the case. It just seemed to be any food,” Hill said.
The researchers noted that the body’s endocannabinoid system produces compounds (known as endocannabinoids) that help regulate a range of functions and processes, including appetite, mood, pain response, and memory, helping the body to maintain balance.
“That’s what the natural endocannabinoid system does in the hypothalamus,” McLaughlin said. “But THC hijacks that entire system. So even though you’re not necessarily hungry, THC can stimulate cannabinoid receptors in the brain and make you feel hungry.”
Findings Could Spur New Treatments for Appetite Loss
The research also yielded significant information about cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Pharmacology studies at the University of Calgary that blocked cannabinoid receptors in the peripheral nervous system in rats failed to curb appetite, but blocking those same cannabinoid receptors in the brain did.
“That’s what really gives us the opportunity to look at whether this is something brain-mediated or gut-mediated, and this generally shows ‘the munchies’ are mediated by the brain,” McLaughlin said.
Because hunger originates from receptors in the brain, researchers believe the study’s findings could lead to new treatments for people with appetite loss.
“There’s very little documentation of the munchies phenomenon, but this paper really starts to tap into some of the mechanisms that might be responsible,” Cuttler said.
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