Lean and Green

The common
assumption is that smoking cannabis leads to “the munchies,” and proceed to
consume as many calories as possible in order to be satiated. Logically, if
someone eats a lot, obesity is inevitable. Does this mean that cannabis smokers
are destined for greatness? Scientists at the
University of Nebraska, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center have determined that the answer is, “No.”

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In
2012 an abstract published in the journal Phytomedicine described an
experiment where scientists dosed obese lab rats with tetrahydrocannabinol, one
of the active ingredients in cannabis. The rats eventually lost weight because,
according to the abstract, “…results suggest that the cannabis extract protects
pancreatic islets against the negative effects of obesity.”

Two
years later another study, published in The American Journal of Medicine,
described how scientists analyzed the data on more than 2,000 cannabis smokers,
and 2,000 non-smokers, to research similar connections between cannabis and
obesity. Researchers focused on the two demographics processed sugar in
comparison to one another.

Usually,
when we ingest sugar, we also produce insulin to balance out the chemical
process. When individuals take in too much sugar for too long, there is a
chance that this process can become damaged, resulting in conditions such as
type-2 diabetes and morbid obesity, as well as a host of other problems.

In contrast to the non-smokers, cannabis smokers processed sugar
in a healthier manner, resulting in leaner bodies and better cholesterol
levels. Hannah Buettner, a researcher for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
said, “It seems highly unlikely that eating more would lead to better measures
of blood sugar control; rather, we hypothesize that the increased appetite and
better metabolic profile found in marijuana users could both be caused by the
interplay of the cannabinoids – the active ingredients in marijuana – with the
body’s native endocannabinoid system, which is involved in regulation of
appetite, and may also help regulation of energy in the peripheral system.”

While researchers admitted that the connection wasn’t exactly
clear, this isn’t the first time modern science has noticed it. In 2011 a
similar study, published in The American Journal of Epidemiology,
determined that obesity rates in non-smokers tend to be 22 percent, whereas
cannabis smokers are usually at 14 percent.

“Cannabis is supposed to increase appetite,” Dr. Yann
Le Strat, a psychiatrist and lead researcher at the Louis-Mourier Hospital in
Colombes, France, said. “We found that cannabis users are less likely to
be obese than non-users. We were so surprised, we thought we had made
mistake.”

While these studies still have not determined why cannabis can
lead to weight loss, the connection exists. For many individuals suffering from
morbid obesity, diabetes, or similar problems, cannabis might be the answer. As
legalization continues, scientific researchers will have more room to figure
out the facts, but until then cannabis might be the solution to another dire
health problem adversely affecting Americans today.