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Cannabis Effects on Brain: How THC Triggers Munchies

November 29, 2016 - Admin

Marijuana often causes an increased appetite for snacking that is popularly known as the munchies. Cannabinoids, the active ingredients in marijuana, have various effects on the brain including stimulating the appetite control center located in the hypothalamus. They bind with a cannabinoid receptor in the brain to increase appetite, which stimulates the release of beta-endorphins and inhibits the release of an appetite-suppressing chemical called alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. This appetite stimulation can be attributed to cannabinoid effects, particularly THC and appetite interactions. Cannabinoids might be effective for increasing appetite in aging adults, acting as a natural medicine to increase appetite, and possibly prevent muscle loss from inadequate caloric and protein intake.

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(Nature, 519:45-50, 2015)