Study: cannabis could help control eating habits

It's a well-known fact that cannabis stimulates the appetite. In this case the famous munchies that make you capable of eating a kilo of cereal in one go, or accidentally finishing the previous day's lasagne at snack time. Yet little is known about how cannabinoids act on the brain to induce the sensation of hunger. A recent study on the subject sheds light on the molecular and hormonal mechanisms triggered by cannabis on the hunger circuit.

Cannabis acts on the hunger hormone

Jon Davis, a doctoral student in the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience at Washington State involved in the study, explains: «In studying the issue of cannabis exposure in its most consumed form we found that there are genetic and physiological events in the body capable of eliciting or preventing certain eating behaviors.».

By exposing laboratory rats to cannabis vapor with precise dosage control, the researchers discovered that cannabis exposure led the rats to eat even though they had been feeding shortly before: «We found that cannabis exposure caused the rats to have smaller, more frequent meals,» explains Jon Davis. «But there is a delay before [the cannabis] takes effect».

It's this delay that has put researchers on the trail of the mechanisms triggered by cannabis. When the stomach is empty, it releases a hormone called ghrelin, which warns the brain that it's time to look for food. One of the effects of cannabis consumption is to release this hunger hormone. This was demonstrated by the fact that, when rats were administered with a drug that inhibits ghrelin release, exposure to cannabis did not alter feeding behavior. The researchers consider that their findings could be an important element in the treatment of cachexia, a form of non-psychological anorexia generally induced by illness or heavy treatment (cancer, AIDS, metabolic disorders, heart disease).

They also noted changes in the brain's response to cannabis-induced ghrelin release. Cannabis changes the genetic activity of certain cells that respond to the hormone, particularly in regions involved in hormone reception such as the hypothalamus. Another study, A study conducted by European neuroscientists at the University of Bordeaux showed that THC's action in the brain increased sensitivity to smell and taste, an aspect which may also be involved in cannabis-induced appetite stimulation. In short, much remains to be done in this field, but these initial results are convincing and suggest that cannabis could serve as a natural remedy to regulate deviant eating behaviours.