Is Weed The New Secret to Successful Dieting?

Most people associate smoking weed with getting the munchies, or what the field of medicine refers to as “short-term hyperphagia.” But what if we told you that puffing on some sticky stuff may actually help those having trouble with dieting or weight gain?

Preclinical trial data, published in the journal PLOS One, suggests long-term cannabis consumers (chronic tokers) are less likely to struggle with keeping off excess pounds, as opposed to non-smokers.

The trial’s researchers, from the University of Calgary and at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Ontario, examined the effects of administering tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to adult male laboratory mice.

The Method

The study administered small doses of THC or “vehicle” (similar to a placebo) to both diet-induced obese (DIO) and lean lab mice on a daily basis.

The trial’s investigators measured the following:

• Body weight
• Fat mass
• Energy intake
• Locomotor activity
• Whole gut transit
• Gut microbiota

The Final Results

The trial’s researchers found DIO mice that were administered a daily dose of THC showed a noteworthy reduction in weight gain, fat mass gain and energy intake. The lean lab mice, however, showed no reduction in those same areas of interest.

In addition, researchers discovered “THC had no effect on locomotor activity or whole gut transit in either lean or DIO mice.”

The trial’s findings are consistent with population-based surveys which conclude that cannabis users with a history of long-term consumption are typically associated with lower obesity rates.

To be specific, a review of over “50,000 eligible respondents” age 18 or older revealed that “prevalence of obesity was significantly lower in cannabis users than in nonusers.”

It seems as if there isn’t anything that cannabis can’t do, right?

That’s just one more reason to love weed, in my book. 😉