Curbin the Munchies
When I used to work in Chicago Weed a.k.a. The Devils Lettuce a.k.a. Marijuana was occasionally a topic of discussion with clients. At the time it was illegal, so it was somewhat a taboo topic, so reading and learning about its effect on the body wasn't much of a concern for me. Fast forward a couple years and I find myself in beautiful California, where Marijuana was legalized in 1996! NOW this topic comes up with almost everyone!
With health and wellness in mind, and marijuana being a tool used in many situations there's one major “issue” that comes up, munchies. Cannabis can muddle the signals in your brain so you think you’re hungry instead of full. It wouldn't be the first time I heard, “Ryan, I was doing well yesterday, but I ate a gummy to relax, [insert long pause], and then I ate a sandwich, and then I ate the leftover pasta, and then drank 2 cans of pop[1]! What should I do?!”
Although we laugh about it, the munchies can lose a bit of their entertainment when they become a constant post-toke habit that messes with your goals. Extra calories can mean weight gain when you’re raiding the pantry at night.
But fear not, person reading this, potentially with the munchies. I have some ideas.
But first, why does weed make you hungry?
The TL:DR is its THC. THC is one of the main active chemicals in marijuana that makes us hungry. THC is also the same thing that gives us the giggles, euphoria, and everything else that makes us want to smoke in the first place.
Now for the nerds in the room:
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of cannabis main active ingredients, is also the main reason why cannabis can cause “the munchies”[2] by binding to and activating cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). The CB1 receptor can be found in several different areas of the body.
The basal ganglia (brain), where it may enhance eating pleasure.
The limbic forebrain (brain), where it may enhance food palatability.
The stomach and small intestine, which both regulate ghrelin (an appetite-stimulating hormone).
The hypothalamus and rhombencephalon, two sections of the brain that help regulate food intake.
Source: Examine.Com
Now for the biology/medical nerds in the room:
By activating CB1, THC increases appetite through the following known mechanisms:
It may decrease your levels of peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), increasing your levels of ghrelin, increasing your appetite.[3]
It activates the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway, increasing your levels of ghrelin, increasing your appetite.[4][5]
It activates a subset of neurons called proopiomelanocortin neurons (POMCs). These neurons can suppress hunger (primary pathway) and/or increase appetite (secondary pathway), to various degrees. Recent research on CB1 has revealed that dronabinol, a synthetic form of THC a.k.a. Delta 8, can stimulate the secondary pathway without stimulating the primary one.[6]
While perusing the internet and everyone's favorite website for advice Reddit, here are the arguably THE BEST ways to handle your munchies.
1. Stick to the meal plan.
This is just generally good advice for everyone. If you aren't sticking to a consistent meal schedule you'll likely find yourself flinging cabinets open at the end of the day. Add a couple hits of the ganja, well, you are reading this sooooooooo.
Try to have a consistent schedule with your eating. The standard breakfast, lunch, and dinner are often good enough for a lot of people. Throw in some snacks between meals for those that need a little extra and you're off to the races.
The first Reddit tip was “Eat a sizeable meal BEFORE you smoke/ consume” So maybe save the hit for after dinner?
2. Clean your dirty mouth!
Now I would like to thank the sponsor of this portion of the post, Orbit Gum. Just kidding it's not, but imagine if that was. When you’re high, you might appreciate toothpaste or mouthwash for more reasons than one. That aggressive minty freshness has ruined the taste of many drinks and eats in my time, and probably yours too. Also the act of cleaning your mouth can represent the end of your day in your mind. A kind of signaling that the day is over and its time to stop eating and go to bed.
If this works for you, then it's a two birds one stone situation!
3. Try a different strain
The munchies can also be attributed to the type of strain you are consuming. If you find yourself unable to control your taste buds after toking, sample a new strain or two in order to find one that better suits your non-snacking goal. Strains higher in CBD and THCv are less likely to increase your hunger.
Ultimately if you are unsure, ask the person helping you at the dispensary, they probably know a thing or two.
4. Keep the treats out of the house
If you're like me, I'm better off not buying what I “want” at the store, because I can eat it all in one go. If you know you’re going to binge, try to see if there are better alternatives that can hit the spot without hitting…the spot. Your waist if you didn't catch the joke.
You can make this an even more successful feast by having healthy snacks and foods on hand for when you’re feening. You'd be surprised how many easy, tasty options there are for healthy snacks.
The second Reddit tip was “As a backup, if you absolutely have to eat, water-heavy fruit such as grapes, oranges, watermelon are all fantastic.”
5. Use the new hunger to your advantage
Like the old adage says, “If you can't beat them, try frying them.” You might not be a big fan of leafy greens like spinach or kale but whip up a sautéed spinach frittata, you might be singing in a different tune. We learned earlier that mary jane can increase both eating pleasure and food palatability. This could be a good time to try out a recipe! Just do the chopping before the smoking.
At the end of the day it's about finding what is going to work best for you. Obviously the best advice is to avoid the sticky icky altogether if this is becoming a major disruptor in your life and lifestyle goals. Do what you can and try to not stress too much about it, that does defeat the purpose of smoking after all.
Sources :
I'm from the midwest, we call it pop damnit.
Cota, D et al. “Endogenous cannabinoid system as a modulator of food intake.” International journal of obesity and related metabolic disorders : journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity vol. 27,3 (2003): 289-301. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802250
Riggs, Patricia K et al. “A pilot study of the effects of cannabis on appetite hormones in HIV-infected adult men.” Brain research vol. 1431 (2012): 46-52. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2011.11.001
Bermudez-Silva, Francisco J et al. “The cannabinoid CB1 receptor and mTORC1 signalling pathways interact to modulate glucose homeostasis in mice.” Disease models & mechanisms vol. 9,1 (2016): 51-61. doi:10.1242/dmm.020750
Puighermanal, Emma et al. “Dissociation of the pharmacological effects of THC by mTOR blockade.” Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology vol. 38,7 (2013): 1334-43. doi:10.1038/npp.2013.31
Patel, Sachin, and Roger D Cone. “Neuroscience: a cellular basis for the munchies.” Nature vol. 519,7541 (2015): 38-40. doi:10.1038/nature14206
