Although there are some stoners out there who have to fight the munchies as one of the undesired effects of cannabis, there are those for whom this side effect is therapeutic. For those who experience nausea or weight loss due to a health condition, cannabis can be an effective medicine for both relieving nausea and encouraging weight gain. Read this article to find out about how to gain weight with weed.
There are many medical patients out there using cannabis as a way to manage their appetite and encourage weight gain. The mysterious thing about cannabis is that it can also be used to encourage weight loss meaning that the outcome will depend entirely on the way that it is used. There are a lot of cancer patients, as well as those suffering from bulimia or anorexia who can benefit from the way that cannabis affects appetite.
There is hardly any research out there on the effect that cannabis has on weight gain, although there is some about the effects it has on appetite. From these studies, we can deduce that cannabis does have a therapeutic effect on the appetite. weed is also an effective treatment for nausea, which is another reason patients lose their appetite and subsequently lose weight. So although the munchies is something some people have to fight, for others it is one of the best things about weed.
How does cannabis affect appetite?
The first lens through which we can understand how cannabis can help you gain weight is in how it affects the appetite. The human brain already has an endocannabinoid system in it, meaning that there are cannabinoids that are completely natural to and produced by the human body. This endocannabinoid system is responsible for a lot of communication with the central nervous system, and one of its most prominent roles is in appetite. The CB1 receptor is the one most popularly being activated during a cannabis experience that gives someone the munchies.
This receptor stimulates a desire to eat by affecting parts of the brain that regulate food intake for the body, meaning the part of you that decides when you are full. There is also a part of the brain that is responsible for making someone feel good after they eat, called the reward centre, which is stimulated during the activation of this receptor. Finally, and probably the most popular symptom of the munchies, is that food is more palatable when you’re stoned. This is because the CB1 receptor also talks to the limbic forebrain, which is what makes things taste good. All of this effectively leads to the fact that eating is a nicer experience when stoned, and all the centres that would usually activate when someone is hungry are on overdrive during the cannabis experience. Therefore, appetite increases for a short period of time after using weed.
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How cannabis reduces nausea
One of the first medical reasons we found for cannabis was for treating nausea, because it showed extreme potential as a treatment. To this day, it is probably the most common reason to use medical cannabis, especially among chemotherapy patients. Nausea happens to be one of the most common reasons for doctors to prescribe chemical, pharmaceutical drugs. Cannabis poses a powerful and natural alternative. The exact way in which cannabis works to reduce nausea is still unknown, but there have been studies that show it is undoubtedly effective at treating nausea as a symptom. In fact, successful clinical trials eventually led to the market sale of two THC pills, on the market specifically to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea. A study published in 2007 showed that THC pills were slightly more effective at treating chemotherapy-induced nausea than the markets leading anti-nausea drug at the time, which was Ondansetron. However, most doctors still shy away from prescribing medical cannabis or THC pills.
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Although we don’t really understand why cannabis works at treating nausea, we know pretty much conclusively that it does work. The CB1 receptor that is activated upon cannabis use is also said to affect eating behavior by acting with tissue in the stomach that helps us know when we are hungry. It’s possible that this is interfered with during times of nausea, and cannabis use helps to regulate it. In any case, all the evidence suggests that it works.
Even though there are not many doctors prescribing THC pills to patients undergoing chemotherapy, there are still a lot of patients out there using medical cannabis anyway. It could be that smoking it has a quicker effect than a pill, and perhaps patients enjoy how fast it acts. It could also be that smoking it comes with the delightful side effect of being high. However, CBD-only cannabis is said to affect appetite and nausea, although not through the CB1 receptor. So CBD oil or pills are an effective way to treat nausea in children, too.
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The cannabis diet to gain weight
So how can you use cannabis properly to ensure that you gain weight, rather than lose weight? Choose your strain! Some strains are more likely to give you the munchies than others, so if you’re trying to stack on some weight, you should lean more towards indica strains. Listed below are some strains that work well for increasing appetite and decreasing nausea!
Secondly, check your diet. Protein and carbohydrates are great if you are trying to gain weight, and maintaining healthy nutrition levels is important too, so eat a lot of vegetables! If the body is starved nutritionally (if you’re just eating fatty and processed foods), then you can actually lose weight over time. The trick is to make sure the body is nutritionally happy so that it can regulate back to a healthier weight. Also, eat foods you find delicious, and this will make you look forward to stoned meal time!
Finally, be conscious of the method with which you choose to ingest cannabis. Smoking has been known to decrease appetite because of the effect the act of smoking has on the heart rate. This is especially true if you roll up with a mix (of tobacco). If you ingest your cannabis through oil, edibles or vaping, you are more likely to experience the effects that give you the munchies, and therefore better in control of the weight gaining aspect.
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Strains to encourage weight gain
1. Amnesia
This is the perfect strain to make you hungry. That’s probably because it makes you completely forget that you’ve just eaten. Amnesia is, in fact, a sativa strain and it is popular among chemotherapy patients for increasing the appetite. You can purchase Amnesia Feminized Seeds at Weed Seed Shop!
2. NYC Diesel
NYC Diesel is another strain that is well known for calming the stomach. This strain is probably better used to treat nausea and allow you to settle into your stomach. This strain is a hybrid, although it is slightly heavier on the indica side. It has a wonderful citrus taste, and is generally a pretty smooth cannabis experience. You can also purchase NYC Diesel Feminized Seeds here at Weed Seed Shop!
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3. Trainwreck
Trainwreck is another strain that is well known to treat nausea and calm the stomach, although it does not necessarily increase appetite. It is a sativa dominant hybrid with a spicy flavour – which could get the taste buds excited. Overall, if the appetite is good, but the patient is suffering from nausea, Trainwreck is a good strain to regulate.
4. Master Kush
Master Kush’s heavy indica content makes it a powerful stone that blows the appetite out of the water. That means that you’re going to have to fight the urge to lie down before you take advantage of that increased appetite. This strain is powerful at increasing the appetite and making you want to be horizontal! You can buy Master Kush Seeds here at Weed Seed Shop.
I love the article,i am looking forwards to gaining some more weight
Been smoking for 3-4 years I’ve lost so much weight gone from a size 10 to a size 4.
I was looking at this article to see if there is a way I can change that but it seems like the best thing to do is stop smoking.
I think this helps
I’ve gained 45 lbs in the past 10 months smoking marijuana. I’m embarrassed of how fat I got. I’ve stopped a couple of days ago and I’m down 5 lbs. This is prof that everyone is different and body responds differently. It really sucks that everywhere else makes it seem impossible so I’m glad I found your article.
Thank you for your kind words Vicki, and best of luck on your journey!