“The munchies” is the unscientific term for the severe hunger pangs you experience after consuming cannabis. It may set you on a path of destruction that has you obliterating every sweet-tasting or savory thing you can find in your immediate vicinity. Other than the gaping void that the consumption of cannabis creates in your belly, have you also noticed how it gives your taste buds superpowers?
After smoking weed, that plain-tasting ice cream flavor suddenly tastes like you’ve found the last bit of frozen desert on a scorcher of a day. That bag of lightly salted crisps that you’ve been avoiding in your cupboard for a week suddenly becomes fresh spring water to a dehydrated soul. Despite the munchies having the evident power to unlock your inner poet, there must be a logical explanation for why it has this effect on you, right?
To answer that question, let’s see what science has to say about a topic that was once believed to be a myth.
Weed Makes Everything Taste Better
Scientific research has recently confirmed that the munchies are real and that the consumption of cannabis acts as a very effective appetite stimulant. Mentioning research in the same sentence as the munchies and cannabis may not look quite right, but the real-world implications are yielding some fruitful results. This has led to a few interesting discoveries.
Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is one of the primary cannabinoids found in cannabis. It is this substance that causes the “high,” which activates the neurons that govern the pleasure, memory, and thinking centers of the brain. Other than enhancing the pleasure centers of your brain to make tasty foods even tastier, it also has other positive effects. Healthcare professionals have been able to use it to alleviate the pain of their chronic patients and reduce the nausea experienced after chemotherapy; it has even been known to provide one with a good night’s rest.
Maybe Not Everything
While we know that THC helps stimulate a sense of euphoria, we have yet to meet someone who became overly orgasmic at the thought of eating fresh, crunchy vegetables. A recent study has actually shown that your consumption of cannabis will make you more prone to reaching for delicious, high-calorie foods with elevated amounts of sugar content. This particular group of scientists at the University of Cagliari in Italy, however, has also assured us that it would definitely not increase your desire for a healthier food alternative.
In a nutshell, rolling up and hitting that blunt will not improve the relationship your mother tried to help you foster with those green leafy vegetables.
We will not discount the possibility that smoking weed will suddenly make you feel like Gordon Ramsay in your quest to whip up the ultimate stir fry meal, but research and experience have taught us that those in the grips of the munchies would much rather opt for an easy win. Trip to the snack aisle down the block, anyone?
Makes Everything Smell Better Too
By now, we know that smoking pot acts as an appetite stimulant, which may prove to be a strain on your strict grocery budget. However, it can also provide a boon for patients who struggle with eating to facilitate their recovery. There’s even more magic at play here as well, as cannabis actually helps to enhance your sense of smell. And if you’ve ever smelled something that made your mouth water, even after you’ve had a filling meal, you’ll know what we’re talking about.
Giovanni Marsicano of the Université De Bordeaux, in his 2014 study, actually found that his research with mice yielded some insightful results. The team of neuroscientists found that the presence of THC greatly enhanced our CB1 receptors, which are responsible for increasing our sense of smell. This then led to the scientific correlation between smell and taste, proving that our sense of smell has the ability to heighten our desire for food.
So now that we’ve established that the munchies are more than just a myth and that there are additional benefits to smoking weed, let’s be sure to enjoy our pastime responsibly. After all, you wouldn’t want your roommate banging down your bedroom door because you’ve eaten all their chocolates, now would you?
Enjoyed that first hit? Come chill with us every week at the Friday Sesh for a freshly packed bowl of the week’s best cannabis news!
