Using cannabis can have a big impact on your physical and mental health—for better and, once in a while, for worse. That’s why it’s important to consult a healthcare provider before experimenting.

Here at GreenState, cannabis clinician Dr. Leigh Vinocur is here to answer your questions on healthy living with cannabis.

RELATED: Ask Dr. Leigh: could cannabis help women through menopause?

Editor’s Note: The answer to this question is meant to supplement, not replace, advice, diagnoses, and treatment from a healthcare provider.  Always consult a medical professional when using cannabis for medicinal purposes, and do not disregard the advice of your healthcare provider because of anything you may read in this article. 

Q) How does cannabis affect my weight?

A) There is a relationship between cannabis, our endocannabinoid system (ECS), and our metabolism. The role of cannabis and our ECS have been extensively studied with respect to appetite stimulation. Cannabis and THC, specifically, interact with the ECS receptors in our brain, and it’s known to stimulate appetite and cause what the public knows as the munchies. However, it can be used therapeutically in cancer patients to prevent severe weight loss, which can negatively impact survival outcomes.  

However, today, obesity is a serious medical condition contributing to many other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.  Around 40 percent of US adults are considered obese. Therefore, there is also growing interest in cannabis as a therapeutic option, particularly concerning metabolism and weight loss. 

The ECS and metabolism 

We know that our ECS is a critical neuromodulating system that affects many different physiological processes, including appetite, energy expenditure, and metabolism.  

The ECS also regulates our body’s insulin sensitivity. The activation of these cannabinoid receptors in the brain, body, liver, and adipose (fat) tissue is important for regulating food intake and energy expenditure. 

Studies find that overactivation of these receptors sometimes can be seen in obese people and leads to increased appetite and decreased metabolism, causing the dysfunction seen in insulin resistance. This poor response to insulin leads to diseases such as diabetes.  In fact, in 2006, a pharmaceutical weight loss drug that blocked these cannabinoid receptors in the brain was approved in Europe. It was called Rimonabant.  

The European clinical trials showed that it did suppress hunger; however, because our endocannabinoid system is critical to so many other physiological functions in every area of our brain, it had a lot of negative psychiatric side effects related to anxiety and depression. It was eventually banned in the European market (it never made it to the US market) because of increased suicide risk after several study participants killed themselves. 

However, there have been animal studies that found that unlike the attempts to block the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which caused these psychiatric problems, blocking the cannabinoid receptors in the body (in the fat and liver tissue) can influence lipid metabolism by modulating fat storage. This does have the potential to treat obesity and its associated conditions.

THC and metabolism

We know THC can increase appetite, yet paradoxically, studies have found that chronic cannabis use is often associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and reduced obesity risk. One study theorizes that regular cannabis users have been found to have higher basal metabolic rates, which burn more calories at rest and may counterbalance any increased caloric intake induced by THC. Therefore, THC may show promise to lower body weight and improve metabolic profiles.

CBD and metabolism

CBD is known to regulate metabolism by browning fat. We all have two types of fat. White fat stores energy and surrounds our internal organs. Its excess is associated with chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. Whereas brown fat has more mitochondria, they are the small organelles inside our cells responsible for generating energy. They contain a lot of iron, which is needed in the generation of energy, and that is why the fat looks darker. This brown fat generates heat in the body by burning calories. People who are normal or underweight tend to have more brown fat than obese individuals. 

CBD can promote the conversion of white fat to brown fat, which has the potential to combat obesity by enhancing calorie burning.  Other studies show that unlike THC, which stimulates appetite, CBD has anorectic properties, which means it can reduce your appetite. CBD may also show promise as a modulator of fat metabolism and insulin sensitivity for obese individuals. 

Cannabis and weight – final thoughts

The relationship between cannabis, the ECS, metabolism, and weight is complex and multifaceted. Further research is still needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms by which cannabis and cannabinoids influence our metabolism and our body weight. In the future, cannabinoid-based treatments may hold the key to innovative approaches for the treatment of obesity and its related conditions.