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Health

Why does weed give you the ‘munchies’? Here's what the science says

There may be several reasons why cannabis encourages people to eat, including the fact that the psychoactive compound in the drug affects the neurons that control hunger

By Corryn Wetzel

1 December 2023

Two women choosing food in a cafe

Many people feel hungry after consuming cannabis

SolStock/Getty Images

If you have ever lit up a joint and craved a snack soon afterwards, you were probably experiencing the “munchies”. Stimulating appetite is one of marijuana’s best-known and most puzzling side effects. But why does weed make you want to chow down?

The psychoactive compound in cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is what gets users high. However, THC also spikes our appetite by tapping into the body’s endocannabinoid system, a complex cell signalling network that controls everything from emotion and sleep to …

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