Whether you are using cannabis for recreational purposes or medical, you must have experienced the munching effect of the herb. Marijuana has gained a fair amount of popularity in the past few years. Today we know more about the therapeutic and medical benefits of cannabis more than ever. You can apply for a medical card after your 420 Evaluations in San Bernardino to legally avail cannabis of managing your condition.
But in a state like California where cannabis is legal for both medicinal and recreational purposes, you can just walk into a dispensary and buy your preferred strain. So munchies are bound to hit you in any case.
I have countless anecdotes along with my regulars, relating to how we ended up in an eatery after our smoke up session. There are both positives and downsides to the munching effect of the herb. It surely can stimulate your appetite and improve your calorie intake, however, not everybody is looking up to that.
But before we get into other aspects of it, let us learn what causes hunger.
Well, a simple explanation as to why you could be hungry is your stomach could be empty. But to dig a little deeper, you need to know the science behind how our gastrointestinal(GI) reacts when we feel hungry.
If we experience a decrease in energy, an inherent chemical is released in our body called ghrelin. Ghrelin causes the hypothalamus in the brain and leads to hunger. It also affects the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of our brain. VTA is responsible for the production of dopamine, which is often called the feel-good neurotransmitter.
Anandamide, which is a neurotransmitter present in our body responsible for the regulation of notation, pleasure, and feeding behavior interacts with THC present in cannabis and causes hunger.
THC is the main ingredient of cannabis that causes high and is responsible for the munching effect too. A 2014 study showed that THC enhances our sense of smell, taste, and also boosts our appetite. Another case study based on rodents, at the Yale School of Medicine in 2015 states that THC tricks us into believing that we are hungry even if we have eaten food.
In other words, THC tricks the hypothalamus which in turn impels you into feeling that you are hungry and can enhance the food intake too.
This part is very useful for patients suffering from malnutrition. The munching effect of cannabis can be beneficial for AIDS patients to boost their impaired appetite due to the disease and restore their natural calorie intake.
THC also enhances your sense of smell and that could be another reason why you tend to eat more when under the influence of cannabis. With an increased sense of smell, the food tastes better and you eat more. Research shows that THC upon interaction with CB1 receptors in our body enhances the sucrose taste, however, it doesn’t alter the salty or bitter taste.
