It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of your munchies after using cannabis. It is brought about by a complicated interplay between exogenous cannabinoids like THC and the body’s own endocannabinoid system (ECS).
Cannabis has been shown by researchers to have a number of therapeutic benefits that could help treat a variety of illnesses. You must have a medical marijuana card if you want to use medical marijuana as part of your prescribed treatment plan. To apply for your card, get in contact with an MMJ card doctor.
Anyone who has ever had the munchies understands the power of the experience—from the flavors to the cravings to the overall satisfaction that comes from devouring sugary and salty snacks. Fortunately, as cannabis research advances, our understanding of the relationship between cannabis and hunger is beginning to improve.
How Normal Hunger Signals Function
Although hunger is felt in the stomach, it is controlled by the brain. The exchange of numerous intricate chemical signals occurs between your body and brain. The hypothalamus, which controls the chemical signals that activate upon smell, taste, and vision, is where it all begins.
Your brain’s neurotransmitters linked to food are excited and activated just by thinking about food. The hypothalamus contains two types of neurons: those that stimulate hunger and those that inhibit it.
Hormones are released during food digestion and play a role in the process of hunger. Carbohydrates break down into glucose, fat into fatty acids, and protein into amino acids. This mechanism controls the synthesis of hormones and signals the brain when it is full or needs more fuel. Hormones called ghrelin and leptin circulate in the bloodstream and are involved in generating and suppressing neurons in the hypothalamus that are responsible for hunger.
Ghrelin levels rise in the blood and activate the hypothalamic neurons that promote hunger when blood sugar levels fall and you become hungry. Blood levels of leptin rise when you feel full, activating the hypothalamic neuron that suppresses appetite. Therefore, you feel hungry when your ghrelin levels are high and satiated when your leptin levels are high, which causes you to stop eating.
How Cannabis Influences Hunger
Cannabis interacts with the body’s natural systems that regulate hunger, which is why it is so effective at taking control of your hunger pangs, and for muscle relaxation, buy indica weed. Using the olfactory system, the endocannabinoid system enhances odor detection in fasted mice, leading to an increase in food intake.
The National Center for Biotechnology (NCBI) describes the ECS as a widespread neuromodulatory system that is vital to the central nervous system. Cannabinoid receptors and endogenous cannabinoids make up the ECS. In addition to the intrinsic effects that the ECS has on our body’s natural systems, it facilitates the binding of exogenous cannabinoids, such as THC, to our cannabinoid receptors, which results in an amazing array of diverse effects.
Food tastes and smells better because THC binds to CB1 receptors in the olfactory bulb of the brain, which causes hunger.
This was demonstrated in a mouse study by a group of neuroscientists under the direction of Edgar Soria-Gómez and Giovanni Marsicano. Compared to mice not exposed to THC, mice exposed to THC were significantly more drawn to odorous banana and almond oils. The researchers found that the olfactory bulbs of these mice produced endocannabinoids when they fasted and got hungry. This indicates that the same biological processes are used to persuade mice that are naturally hungry and mice that have THC to stimulate their appetite.
Because ECS is already involved in the process of hunger, THC effectively mimics the natural feeling of hunger. To put it simply, THC doesn’t always cause hunger. Nevertheless, it greatly amplifies the pleasurable experiences associated with consuming salty and sweet snacks by stimulating the brain’s olfactory bulb. Since the same experiment was conducted with genetically altered mice lacking cannabinoid receptors, this clarification is essential. Neither their appetite nor their sense of smell increased when they were given THC.
THC also interferes with the chemical cues that alert the brain to fullness, which keeps you from feeling satisfied. When the stomach is full, the brain receives a signal from the hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. THC silences these chemical signals. THC makes food taste and smell better, reduces feelings of fullness, and makes it more difficult to resist having a snack attack.
Managing Hunger When Using Cannabis
While there are many intricate chemical processes at work, the fact remains that smoking increases your chances of feeling hungry. There is a relationship between your level of THC consumption and your level of hunger. When it comes to hunger, THC is a chemical trickster that makes food seem irresistible.
THC is used to help patients become more hungry and gain weight because of this. Cannabis has been used by eating disorder sufferers and chemotherapy patients to boost their appetite and gain on vital weight that helps them fight their illnesses.
Nonetheless, a lot of cannabis users are concerned about gaining weight due to their snacking tendencies. Although it might seem common sense that frequent cannabis users constantly get the munchies, which causes unintended weight gain, that isn’t always the case. An NCBI study spanning three years discovered a negative correlation between cannabis use and obesity, as well as an increase in the association between cannabis and body mass index (BMI).
In addition, the NCBI offers a wealth of information that dissects and examines every theory put forth to explain why cannabis users generally have lower rates of obesity than non-users.
The ability of cannabinoids like CBD to control insulin levels is one major explanation. Comparing cannabis to other pharmaceutical or surgical weight-loss methods, the data indicates that it can be an effective tool. Additionally, it lessens the number of deaths from drug overdoses and shields users against chronic illnesses linked to obesity.
Snacks for When You Have the Munchies
Thus, there are strategies to lessen the strong cravings for salty and sweet foods that will unavoidably strike if you use cannabis frequently. One strategy is to plan your meals around your smoking schedule. That way, when the cravings for pizza strike—perhaps after seeing Domino’s commercial for the third time—you’ll have a tasty and nutritious meal ready.
It can help you know what kinds of healthy snacks to stock up on since you’ll probably be craving sweet and salty foods. Trail mix is fantastic because it avoids highly processed foods and offers a wonderful balance of sweet and salty flavors. Nuts’ nourishing fatty acids make them an excellent way to stave off a snack attack.
Rice bowls, wraps, and burrito bowls are also great options for munchy food prep. These are very satisfying options that can be adjusted to meet different dietary requirements. The recipes are very flexible. Blends of flavorful beans, rice, vegetables, and protein give the body a healthy substitute for any boxed junk food you can buy at the grocery store.
Key Takeaway
In addition, you should be aware that if you wish to use marijuana for medical reasons, you must have a medical marijuana card. Using a telemedicine platform, you can easily apply for your medical card online while relaxing in the comfort of your own home.