The use of medical cannabis improved the symptoms of people with eating disorders, according to the findings of a recent study by Australian researchers. The study, which was published this month in the Journal of Eating Disorders, determined that cannabis use appears to have a “positive outcome” for individuals affected by the conditions.
“Cannabis is widely used by people with eating disorders and is widely perceived as beneficial in restrictive and food-averse, but not binge, eating disorder subtypes,” the authors of the study wrote.
Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and others, are serious psychiatric conditions that disrupt eating behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. The National Eating Disorders Association reports that 9% of the U.S. population will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime, with lifetime prevalence estimated at 8.6% among females and 4.07% among males. Standard treatment generally includes psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, and medical monitoring, depending on individual needs.
Study Involved More Than 7,500 Participants
To complete the study, researchers at the University of Sydney surveyed more than 7,500 people with a diagnosed or self-reported eating disorder, including 3,000 people who had used cannabis in the previous twelve months. The survey included respondents from 76 countries, with most residing in Australia (29.7%), the United Kingdom (21.7%), and the United States (17.6%).
“Cannabis received the highest mean ratings of any drug for improving ED symptoms” among people with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, anorexia nervosa, and other specified feeding and eating disorders, the study found. Those with an unspecified feeding or eating disorder “also reported a favorable rating,” Marijuana Moment reported.
Among those with anorexia nervosa, “cannabis use drove reductions in food-related anxiety and guilt, which, together with appetite stimulation, helped normalize their eating,” the researchers wrote. “The gastroprotective and antinausea properties of cannabis appear to provide additional therapeutic benefits over and above those provided by appetite stimulation and anxiety reduction.”
For people living with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), a condition marked by low interest in eating and strong sensory-based aversions to food, the researchers described a “transformational effect of cannabis” tied to “increased appetite and enhanced ability to recognize hunger cues.”
“The higher frequency of daily cannabis use amongst those with ARFID may well reflect self-medication for these therapeutic benefits,” they wrote. “Indeed, daily use of cannabis flower was generally associated with higher ED symptom improvement scores relative to intermittent use, suggesting that symptom improvement may drive frequency of use.”
Respondents diagnosed with binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa “provided lower ratings” for the effectiveness of cannabis, a pattern the authors suggest may stem from the way “the appetite-stimulating properties of THC may exacerbate binge/purge symptomatology.”
Cannabis Linked to Improved Mental Health Among Study Participants
When study subjects were asked open-ended questions, the researchers noted that “general mental health was self-reported as improved by cannabis in most respondents regardless of diagnosis.” They also reported benefits such as improved ability to eat, better awareness of hunger cues, reduced guilt tied to their eating disorder, less nausea, and diminished food-related anxiety.
“Our findings suggest that cannabis is widely used by individuals with an ED or disordered eating and that naturalistic use of cannabis is self-reported as having a positive outcome on ED symptoms,” the researchers wrote.
However, “a substantial number described mixed experiences of both improvement and exacerbation of ED symptoms,” the study found.
Daily use of cannabis flower was linked to greater improvements in eating disorder scores than intermittent use, but the study found no broader differences based on cannabis product type or cannabinoid profile.
The authors cautioned that the self‑reported, naturalistic design limits causal interpretation, noting that “future clinical trials of cannabis products are warranted in eating disorders.”
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