The Munchies

A well-known aspect of the marijuana experience is the intense food cravings that engulf a man after smoking. Doritos, ice cream, pizza, and many other tasty treats are popular snacks among marijuana users to satisfy the urge to ingest food while intoxicated.

Increased appetite is a very interesting effect of marijuana, which comes about for several reasons. Pharmacologically, marijuana affects appetite mostly through endogenous cannabinoid receptors in our brain. Marijuana contains many cannabinoids (around 66 of its 480 natural components), which interact with the brain in order to produce the marijuana effect (some of these components are psychoactive, while others do not have much of an effect on humans). One of these receptors is the CB1 receptor, which influences are eating behavior. CB1 affects parts of the hypothalamus and hind brain that regulate food intake, increasing the body's appetite. Additionally, cannabinoid receptors can increase appetite through perceptual effects, such as making food seem more appetizing (limbic forebrain) and increasing the pleasure we get from food (in the reward centers of the brain). The perceptual effects make the act of eating while high extremely pleasurable, which  uses the concept of operational conditioning (learning).

Having said this, the lab is well aware of the effects of marijuana on appetite, and thus, eating habits is one of the metrics we use to measure the effects of marijuana use. All of the participants in the lab have a menu from where they can order as much food as they want (for free!). Their appetite seems to increase in the lab setting, and these changes can sometimes be dramatic. Some of the participants gain so much weight during their stay with us, which can be up to 20 pounds in a month in extreme cases! I am not sure if this is an effect of the marijuana or withdrawal, or the effect of a third variable -- being in the lab. Since these people are already heavy marijuana smokers, I would assume this increase in food intake mostly comes from the availability of the food, as well as the boredom they experience while taking part in our study. Either way, I still get jealous of the free supply of munchies these participants always have at their beck and call.