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The results of a new study suggest cannabis may offer more than just “the munchies.”
Universal Pictures
A regular spliff might be the next big weight-loss trend. Researchers at University of California, Riverside have discovered a surprising new possible use for marijuana: treating obesity and diabetes.
In the study, obese mice given tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana, for 30 days had lower body weight and less fat mass.
Researchers also administered a concentrated cannabis oil to some rodents, which improved their metabolic function and resulted in similar weight loss, suggesting it could be used to treat diabetes.
Marijuana could become the hottest new treatment for obesity and diabetes.
Victor Dyomin/Getty Images
The study’s lead author, Nicholas DiPatrizio, believes this research could be the first step toward making cannabis another tool for managing weight.
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“We can develop molecules that can be cannabis based, isolate them, and maybe even do better than nature. We are just at the beginning,” DiPatrizio told SFGATE.
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Lauren Lewis
Although “having the munchies”—an increase in appetite after marijuana use—seems to contradict the idea of marijuana as a weight loss aid, many previous correlational studies have shown an inverse relationship between chronic marijuana use and body weight.
Cannabis oil helped improve the rodents’ metabolic function, which indicates it can be used to treat diabetes.
picture alliance/picture alliance via Getty Image
“We would think that chronic cannabis users would be eating more and weigh more, but it’s just the opposite,” DiPatrizio added. His study is among the first to try to demonstrate a causal link.
One of the most interesting findings emerged when researchers gave mice cannabis oil containing THC along with other compounds typically found in whole-plant cannabis.
The group of mice given the cannabis oil showed normal metabolic function, while the obese mice given only THC continued to display metabolic function characteristic of diabetes.
The cannabis plant contains far more within its leaves beyond THC.
Tinnakorn Jorruang/Getty Images
“This suggests that THC alone is not responsible for the metabolic benefits associated with cannabis use. Other compounds in the plant appear to play a critical role,” the lead researcher said in an interview with UC Riverside News.
Some companies have hopped onto the idea by marketing their THC products as energy boosters: SFGATE reports “diet weed” brands popping up in Northern California.
Still, while the results from this study are promising, it was not conducted on humans, so DiPatrizio warns people not to self-medicate just yet.
“We’re not suggesting people should use cannabis to manage weight or diabetes,” he said, adding there’s more research to be done.
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