Weed And Food: A Complicated Relationship

Sometimes, nothing’s better than getting high with your friends and hitting the drive-thru for some burgers and shakes. It’s hard to disagree on that, right? In this article, we’ll explore some of the relationships between weed and food, from the munchies and weight loss to edibles. Let’s go!

Food Is Tastier With Weed

Why is it so much easier to eat a whole bag of chips when you’re stoned? Or a better question might be, why does food taste better when you're high? It’s no secret that getting high makes it impossible to put down that pint of ice cream because it just tastes so, so good. That’s because when you smoke, cannabis interacts with the reward system in your brain, making those munchies extra tasty. Sweets and fats are the first types of food people typically reach for when you get cravings. Basically, weed makes certain foods even more appealing than usual, but especially junk food.

The Munchies Explained

Okay, so everything is tastier when you’re high. But that still doesn’t explain why weed makes you hungry – AKA the munchies. The THC in marijuana binds to cannabinoid receptors throughout the body, activating receptors responsible for feelings like memory, mood and pleasure. When these receptors are activated in the brain, tongue and gut, your brain gets a message that elicits cravings. This explains why weed can be helpful for appetite stimulation. However, more research needs to be done before we gain a definitive understanding of the munchies.

Weed Increases Your Appetite…

As mentioned, increased appetite is part of the response your body can have to THC. It’s still pretty unclear why exactly weed makes you hungrier and able to eat more, but we do know that our favorite psychoactive compound can trigger hunger. This is great for people who need help stimulating their appetite or overcoming nausea. Funnily enough, in states where marijuana is legal, a recent study discovered an increase in sales of junk food (chips, cookies, etc.). Despite the desire that comes along with a smoke sesh to eat sugary treats, some people think that weed can actually play a role in keeping the pounds off.

...But Is Cannabis Really Linked To Weight Loss?

You may have heard that weed makes you lose weight, which isn’t exactly the case. One reason why marijuana and weight loss are discussed together is survey data from 2011. The authors concluded that obesity rates were higher among non-users of cannabis compared to rates among individuals who used marijuana at least three days per week. It’s still unclear what the link is between marijuana use and lower body weight, but there is some evidence that one of the cannabinoid receptors is responsible for metabolism. So, can smoking weed make you lose weight? Not exactly, but it seems like it does speed up the metabolism, and could also help with underlying factors that can contribute to weight gain such as poor sleep and chronic pain.

Another Thing You Should Know About: The Entourage Effect

Have you heard of the entourage effect? It’s a theory that the various compounds in cannabis can interact with terpenes from other plants to produce a combined effect. Terpenes are fragrant compounds responsible for the range of scents associated with cannabis – piney, fruity, citrusy, and more. But terpenes aren’t compounds unique to cannabis – they’re also found in many plants, fruits, and veggies. Because of that, combining certain terpenes can change the way cannabis makes you feel. The entourage effect goes both ways: there are foods that can decrease and increase your high.

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Foods That Can Affect Your High

Now that you know about the entourage effect, how about some examples of foods that can affect your high? It’s been said that black pepper and pine nuts are effective in decreasing an overwhelming marijuana high. This is due to the terpenes in each of them, beta-caryophyllene and pinene respectively, which interact with the terpenes in cannabis. Lemons can also be useful in mitigating your high thanks to limonene terpenes.

But are there foods that get you higher? Yes, mangos! Mangos contain the terpene myrcene, which is also found in lemongrass and cardamom. Cannabis enthusiasts claim that eating mangos before your smoke session can intensify your high because of the way the terpenes interact. Tasty and useful!

And Finally, Weed Can Be Put Into Food!

Really any food can get you high if you make it into an edible – the sky's the limit when it comes to edible forms of marijuana! If you make yourself some cannabutter or infused oil, any meal can turn into a stoney experience. For it to be effective, the cannabis first needs to be decarboxylated – a process that converts THC-A into THC so that it can be metabolized by the liver. Check out our article on how to decarb weed to learn how to prepare your cannabis for edibles. We also have a few recipes you should take a look at: go classic with weed cupcakes and weed brownies, or elevate your cocktails with some weed lemonade.

The Effect Of Edibles

If you’re sitting there thinking, “decarb-what?” then let us explain a little further. Just eating a nug of weed is not going to get you high like in the opening scene of Super Troopers. Nope, in order for it to have any meaningful effect on you, it needs to be decarbed. That way, about half of the THC can be converted into 11-hydroxy-THC, a more powerful version of THC. It also takes longer for THC to get metabolized in the liver than it does when you smoke weed, so be prepared to wait 30 minutes to an hour before the high hits. And when it does, you’ll experience a powerful, long-lasting “edible high.”

Feeling Hungry?

No matter how you look at it, weed and food have a connection that just can’t be ignored. Something about this miracle plant can make even basic grocery store cookies taste as good as grandma’s secret recipe. What are your favorite snacks to indulge in when stoned? Let us know in the comments below.

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