Marijuana is an increasingly popular recreational choice, but there are a few side effects to keep in mind. An enhanced appetite is one of the most common of them. This post will look at how weed makes you hungry and everything you need to know about eating when high.
Does Weed Make You Hungry?
Have you heard of the “munchies”? The munchies and weed use seem to be inherently connected, with entire tropes built around the topic (Shaggy from Scooby-Doo! says hello). But are the munchies really a thing? It wouldn’t be the first time that misconceptions have existed about marijuana use. The idea that it can make you unmotivated, for example, is false. However, we’re talking about fact rather than fiction when it comes to an increased appetite and using weed.
Weed makes you hungry. It has the ability to stimulate your appetite, which is just one of the reasons cannabis is increasingly used to help chemotherapy patients eat enough food. But why does weed make you hungry, and does food really taste better high? Let’s take a closer look!
Why Does Marijuana Make You Hungry?
Marijuana affects your eating in two different ways. The first way is by making the food you eat taste better. If you have ever gotten a case of the munchies and raided your fridge after using, you can probably attest to just how good food of all kinds tastes when you’re high. The second way is by increasing your hunger level, even if you know you’ve already eaten. Both of these are tied to the same process.
When you use cannabis, cannabinoids interact with various receptors in your body. Some of these exist in your tongue, and when cannabinoids bind with those receptors, food actually tastes better. This is especially true when it comes to sweet-tasting food, although foods high in fat are a close second. One clinical study even showed that inhaling cannabis can boost the hormones in your body that trigger a hunger response.
Do Edibles Make You Hungry?
Edibles have the ability to make you hungry, although perhaps not the same way that inhaled cannabis can. When you smoke marijuana, hormones tied to hunger actually rise in your body, leading to an authentic hunger response. Whether you’ve just eaten or not, you will feel hungry when those levels rise. When you eat rather than inhale cannabis, however, the process is slightly different.
Why does pot make you hungry even when you eat marijuana instead of smoking it? Instead of actually triggering hunger, edibles stimulate your appetite for sweet foods and high-fat foods. This is done by making them taste better, as we mentioned in an earlier question. You might feel as though you are hungry because you have a craving, but your body is not actually hungry. It just feels like it is.
Something else to note when it comes to edibles vs. inhaled cannabis is the amount of time you feel hungrier. Inhaling cannabis leads to the munchies much quicker than eating it – anywhere from three to ten minutes. The feelings then last from between two to three hours, on average. Eating cannabis, on the other hand, leads to a delayed increase in appetite. It could take as many as two hours, if not more, for the munchies to hit. But when they do, they are there to stay for between six to eight hours, and sometimes much longer.
Does Sativa or Indica Make You Hungrier?
There are as many kinds (strains) of cannabis as there are people who use them. There are three main types of cannabis:
- Indica
- Sativa
- Hybrid
Indica strains focus more on relaxation than sativa strains, offering increased energy and socialness. Hybrid strains offer the best of both worlds, such as highs that don’t make you sleep but still provide some relaxation and stress relief.
Of these three types of marijuana strains, indica strains are more closely tied to the munchies than sativa and hybrid strains.
Does Indica Make You Hungry?
Indica tends to lead to more eating when high. Note that this is not necessarily a scientific finding but rather is based on many reports over many decades. If you are interested in a more scientifically backed conclusion, it is a good idea to look at the kind of cannabinoids a strain contains. THC, for example, is most closely tied with increased appetite, while THCV and CBD are often used as appetite reducers.
You are more likely to experience the munchies if a strain is THC-heavy.
Does Sativa Make You Hungry?
Sativa can make you hungry, too! That said, indica strains cause the munchies because they inspire users to curl up and relax, including indulging their rising appetites. On the other hand, Sativa strains are more closely tied to increased energy levels than they are to sleepiness and hunger. If you are hoping to avoid the munchies as much as possible, you may opt for a sativa strain.
FAQs About Eating When High
Now that we know the basics about increased appetite and marijuana let’s take a closer look at some frequently asked questions from our customers.
Why Does Weed Give You The Munchies?
Why does weed make you hungry? The reason that weed gives you the munchies is because it stimulates both the appetite receptors in your brain as well as your tastebuds! Well, maybe not quite your tastebuds, but marijuana does stimulate receptors on your tongue to perceive sweet foods as well as foods that are higher in fat to be tastier than they usually might.
Depending on the way you use your weed, you might even experience an increase in hunger hormones. Inhaling cannabis, for example, often raises these hormones in the body, further increasing your penchant for sweet and fatty foods.
Why Does Food Taste Better High?
We know that weed makes us hungrier, but did you know that it actually makes your food taste better? If you’re wondering why does food taste better high, you’re in luck! We have the answer.
When you inhale marijuana, the cannabinoids in the drug interact with receptors on your tongue. These receptors trigger a response that perceives sweet and fatty foods as being more flavorful than they might seem when you aren’t high. This causes the food to taste better and can even lead to an enhanced case of the munchies in search of the best-tasting dish to eat while high.
How to Stop Eating When High?
If you are like us, you probably wish that you could sometimes stop eating. Food might taste better while high, but it certainly doesn’t get any better for you, and an increased supply can lead to weight gain and indigestion. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill that makes this better. But there are a few things you can do to try and keep the eating under control.
First, be aware that increased hunger is part of the experience. When you know that you will likely feel hungry after you have smoked, you might be better able to recognize and ignore the side effect. Some people like to eat before they smoke, too, so that they know logically they aren’t hungry. This sometimes helps rein in the eating when high. Others, on the other hand, like to eat after they get high so that they don’t end up eating too many extra calories on top of dinner.
The last bit of advice we have for you is to distract yourself. Focusing on your hunger, even when the point is to prevent yourself from eating, is a surefire way to feel even hungrier. Instead of worrying about your appetite, pick out a favorite movie to watch or low-key activity to do instead. This will help you pass the time until the munchies have largely passed, and you are no longer in danger of eating yourself out of house and home.
Why Can I Only Eat When I’m High?
While we’ve gone into detail about the people who fear eating too much when they are high because they eat plenty when they aren’t, some people only seem to eat when they are high. There are a few reasons for this, but we want to say upfront that if you have trouble eating and you aren’t sure why, you should always seek help from your primary care provider to ensure that you are healthy and nothing serious is happening.
In general, if you find that you only eat when you’re high, you are likely experiencing some sort of appetite suppression when you are sober. Weed is increasingly used for chemotherapy patients, for example, precisely because it helps stimulate appetites otherwise suppressed and also makes food taste better, which can cut through the “chemotherapy taste.” While you won’t likely be worried about the latter, you might find that weed makes you hungry the way other things don’t.
Assuming everything else is fine and you aren’t experiencing any other negative issues, you might be one of the lucky ones in this instance. If you eat primarily when you are high, then you don’t necessarily need to regulate what you are eating quite as much. It is still important to control yourself and eat moderate portions of healthy foods as much as possible.
Why Does Weed Make Me Thirsty?
Aside from the “munchies,” “cottonmouth” is probably the weed side effect you’re most familiar with. This refers to a dry mouth caused by using marijuana. While the exact way that THC causes dry mouth is still being explored, it is thought that it decreases saliva production while present. When you are high, you actually make less saliva, in other words, which quickly leads to cottonmouth and the feeling that your tongue is covered in the driest substance imaginable.
It’s always a good idea to have water easily accessible when you are using weed, but don’t be alarmed if you find that it doesn’t help as much as you’d like it to. The water is good for temporarily rehydrating your mouth, but once you have swallowed the water, your mouth is dry once more. Don’t worry – just stay the course, and your saliva product will come back sooner rather than later.
Pick the Right Weed for Your Needs
When choosing the right weed, you have two main options: buying from dispensaries or growing at home. Dispensaries offer a variety of strains, including indica, sativa, and hybrid options, with knowledgeable staff to assist you in finding the right strain for your desired effects. Growing cannabis at home allows for more control and a personalized supply. For beginners, auto-flowering cannabis seeds are a popular choice as they flower automatically regardless of light conditions, making cultivation easier. Auto-flowering strains also have shorter flowering times. Regardless of your choice, it’s important to educate yourself about different strains and their effects to ensure the best match for your needs and preferences.