Introductory Guide To Cannabis And Appetite
We’d be lying if we were to say there weren’t myriad cliches surrounding cannabis and its impacts on the appetite.
Such reductive stereotypes involve empty pizza boxes and endless candy wrappers strewn along a floor. One unnamed television show had a character accidentally dose an edible and dip BBQ potato chips into chocolate pudding.
It’s funny, sure.
Yet, these farcical caricatures don’t quite reflect the massive difference medicinal cannabis can make in someone’s life by improving their appetite.
Even before delving into the medicinal benefits, the effects THC has on our experiences with food can be highly enriching and can broaden our horizons. Why do you think some chefs love to infuse cannabis into their cooking?
Truthfully, there’s so much more to cannabis—namely, its benefits—than the stereotypes of old would have you believe.
The above notion applies doubly to medical cannabis, which can aid patients struggling with various conditions and related symptoms involving their appetite.
The Science Behind Cannabis’s Relationship With Our Appetites
Cannabis research reveals how THC—the plant’s psychoactive component—stimulates and triggers responses within the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This complex segment of the human brain bears responsibility for feeding behavior and energy balance regulation[1].
Experts describe the ECS portion of the brain as ‘primitive,’ controlling our most guttural instincts.
These THC-influenced areas in our brain regulate pain, emotions, and our sense of taste and smell. A prevailing belief exists that THC consumption aids in releasing the ghrelin hormone, triggering a feeling of hunger.
So, yes, the “munchies” are very much part of cannabis culture.
However, as a medicinal cannabis dispensary, our concerns go beyond general “weed culture” and focus more on how these attributes can improve our customers’ quality of life. In this vein, cannabis’s hunger-inducing properties have many uses.
After all, many people suffer from health issues that make eating highly difficult, whether the affliction is of the body or mind. Cannabis can help directly counteract these symptoms.
We’ll end this section with our disclaimer: While we’re a medicinal cannabis dispensary, this article isn’t providing medical advice. We’ve compiled our expertise in cannabis with supplemental research to provide you with a resource. Only accept medical advice from professional healthcare providers.
Cannabis For Nausea And Appetite
As the Mayo Clinic points out, cannabis’s use in a medical context often revolves around offsetting nausea and vomiting.
These appetite-suppressing symptoms can stem from weight and appetite loss in HIV/AIDS patients, cancer treatments, muscle spasms, chronic pain, and epilepsy [2].
We can’t possibly overstate the value cannabis prescriptions can have for these patients.
Given the battles they face, they need the nutrients from their food. Medicinal cannabis provides them with a steady stomach to hold down food, better equipping them to balance their treatments, symptoms, strong meds, and day-to-day living.
Medical Cannabis For Eating Disorders
Mounting research suggests a relationship between impaired endocannabinoid systems and eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia is impaired [3].
A study involving 30 women with bulimia and anorexia proved how those dealing with these conditions had underactive insula, which calibrates food tastes with our emotional responses to eating.
The insula—and its effects—encapsulate flavor, oral texture, and other physical characteristics of food. It also impacts our hunger levels and the rewarding traits of food.
Furthermore, the insula processes stomach pH, intestinal tension (e.g., constipation), body temperature, pain, and other sensations dictating how we feel.
In addition, the insula is responsible for our sensory experience while eating, emotional responses to eating, and thoughts about why or why we shouldn’t be eating.
The endocannabinoid system controls how much pleasure we feel from a sensory experience. We are motivated to repeat the behavior of eating when we feel pleasure from it.
Inappropriate emotional responses to food combined with obsessive behaviors surrounding eating tend to correlate with endocannabinoid system dysfunction.
It’s worth noting there are caveats involved here. Eating disorders are a tightrope walk. Some doctors might be hesitant to prescribe medicinal cannabis for people who have anorexia or bulimia because it could encourage binge eating, which is also a form of disordered eating.
Cannabis And Appetite: What Types Of Cannabis Will Make You The Most Hungry
Cannabis with higher THC content will make you hungrier [4]. That’s a straightforward guiding post if you need medicinal marijuana to increase your appetite or to treat appetite-suppressing symptoms.
While some high-THC sativa strains are available on the market, indica strains are generally richer in THC. Thus, they’re more conducive to enhancing your appetite.
For instance, our Planet of the Grapes indica at Kelly’s Green explicitly states in the product description that it will increase your appetite.
Our concentrates, like the Wavelength Amplitude Cherry Pie Cartridges (typically reserved for more experienced customers), have high THC levels too. In fact, the one we’re suggesting is just shy of 58% THC. It’s bound to stimulate hunger in those who need it most.
None of what we’ve said is to suggest going gung-ho with potency if you’re inexperienced with medicinal cannabis.
A reasonable middle ground is something like our Southern Crop Dirty Brew Prerolls. They contain 19.3% THC, a substantial psychoactive punch that will bolster your hunger without being too overpowering.
Still, new medicinal cannabis users, beware—19.3% might be too potent at this stage of the game.
Seek something with between 12% to 16% THC when you’re starting to experiment with medicinal cannabis to increase your appetite.
In Summary
Are you struggling to hold your food down due to a medical condition? Or do you have an eating disorder you’re attempting to manage or overcome?
In these instances, your doctor might have already prescribed your medicinal cannabis.
Kelly’s Green has whatever cannabis you need for any medicinal issue—including problems with your appetite.
We’re here to help you with our expertise, passion, and knowledge base about our medicinal cannabis products—each cultivated with care and the utmost skill.
Peruse our menu today to see what we might have for you, and contact us with any questions about our carefully curated medicinal strains.
Sources
- https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/20/health/munchies-weed-hungry-high-wellness/index.html#:~:text=The%20science%20behind%20the%20marijuana%20munchies&text=%E2%80%9CTHC%20interacts%20with%20receptors%20in,ghrelin%2C%20which%20stimulates%20hunger.%E2%80%9D
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-marijuana/art-20364974#:~:text=The%20herb%20is%20typically%20used,chronic%20pain%20and%20muscle%20spasms.
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-brain-food/201204/the-connection-between-anorexia-bulimia-and-marijuana
- https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/cannabis/why-does-weed-make-you-hungry