Key Takeaways:

• Weed increases your appetite due to the cannabinoid THC.
• THC makes your sense of taste and smell sharper, and it also leads your brain to think that you are hungry regardless of whether you have just had a meal or not.
• Lower THC doses in weed have a reduced likelihood of increasing your appetite, so you might want to choose marijuana with lower concentrations of THC if you are concerned about the munchies.
• It is also helpful to stock up on healthy snacks, such as fresh fruits, seeds and nuts so that you eat these when the munchies set in.

One of the undeniable and most talked about effects of consuming weed is feeling hungry, or “the munchies,” as you may have heard or experienced. Actually, this side effect of weed is one of the reasons why the substance is used for medical reasons, such as relieving nausea as well as boosting appetite in patients whose appetite has dipped. Having covered the marijuana industry for 8 years, the frequent questions I get asked about “the munchies” have prompted me to write a piece focusing on this topic so that I can address many of the queries that many people out there have about the munchies induced when one uses weed.

So, what exactly are “the munchies”?

The munchies is a reference to that spike in hunger pangs that weed users experience in the aftermath of consuming certain kinds of marijuana. It is such a common phenomenon that many TV shows and movies have featured characters becoming ravenously hungry after smoking weed. For example, my mind immediately goes to the show Munchies with Toni Charline, which shows how one can whip up quick eats to deal with the munchies when one is high.

Why does weed make you hungry?

It turns out, weed affects your brain and body in several ways in order to trigger the munchies.

However, the jury is still out, so this isn’t a comprehensive list as many other possible explanations are still being investigated by researchers.

• Triggering the release of hunger hormones. One clinical study found that when you use weed, it triggers the release of the hormone ghrelin, a hormone which signals that one is starving, even if they have just had a large meal.
• Heightening your sense of taste and smell. Weed also causes the munchies by making your sense of smell and taste sharper, which results in food being tastier and smelling more attractive/irresistible. This could explain why you may feel the urge to eat, and eat, and eat after consuming weed. Nicholas DiPatrizio, a neuroscientist at UC Riverside, says that THC activates receptors in the gut and tongue to create cravings and make food tastier.
• Lowering inhibitions. Weed also dampens any inhibitions we may have regarding food choices, which is why someone who makes conscious decisions about what to eat or not eat will suddenly reach for unhealthy foods, like fast foods, when the munchies strike.
• Release of “feel good” hormones. Ever wondered why weed is a staple at so many wild parties? It turns out, weed reacts with the same receptors in your brain that are responsible for the release of “feel good” hormones like dopamine. This hormone makes us feel happy when we engage in something pleasurable, such as completing your jogging session. When you consume weed, these hormones are released at the same time as the hunger hormones, and that makes the sugary or calorie-dense foods you eat much more pleasurable. You know where this leads, don’t you? More and more eating!

However, do not worry. Not all types of weed will make you feel hungry. Like I mentioned earlier, it is the THC in weed that gives you a case of the munchies. Therefore, when you consume weed that is low in that cannabinoid, you may not get as high a craving for food as another person who has taken high-dose THC weed. CBD, another cannabinoid in marijuana, has been shown to tone down the effects of THC, so choosing weed with a higher amount of CBD will help to minimise the food cravings that THC may have induced.

How long can the munchies last after you have consumed weed?

The short answer is, it depends. It depends on a variety of factors, and I highlight some of them;

• Method of weed consumption. When you smoke a joint of weed, the onset of the effects, including the munchies, is a lot faster. This is because the weed is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. In as little as 3-10 minutes, you can start feeling the effects of the weed, and they may last anywhere from 2-3 hours. Conversely, consuming a cannabis edible, such as a brownie, may require about 2 hours for the effects of the weed to set in, but once they do, they last a lot longer (6-8 hours, and at times even longer than that!). The delayed onset of the effects is due to the longer time that the edible takes to be digested and eventually get absorbed into the bloodstream.
• Dose of THC in your weed. The higher the bang of THC in the product you take, the longer the munchies are likely to last. A quick tip; read the product label and see the percentage of THC before you pull out your wallet at the checkout counter!
• Personal factors/differences. Individuals differ in terms of several factors like genetic makeup, metabolic rate and whether or not they are first-time or habitual users of weed. These differences influence how cannabis affects them. For example, if you have a high metabolic rate, you’re likely to experience the munchies a lot sooner than another whose metabolic rate is slow. Similarly, if you are a habitual user of weed, you may experience marijuana-induced hunger for a shorter time than someone who is using weed for the first time.

As you can see, several factors may determine when the munchies set in, and for how long they last, after you have smoked or consumed a product containing weed. For this reason, I recommend that you observe how your body responds to different weed products and then adjust your use accordingly.

For example, if you are new to weed, you could start with a product with a lower dose of THC and see how your body responds. You can then gradually increase the THC dose until you get to the level that gives you the effects you want without triggering undesirable ones.

Note that how your body responds to weed will vary depending on your weed tolerance, so you may notice that you no longer get the effects you want after sticking to a particular dosage for a while. In that case, increasing the dosage or trying out different cannabis products may achieve what you want.

Can one consume weed without experiencing the munchies?

Glad you asked! There are options you can consider if you would like to consume weed but are concerned about its ability to trigger the munchies.

First, I suggest that you choose weed products that have a low dosage of THC. Most jurisdictions where weed is legal require weed companies to include the dosage of THC on product labels, and this can help you to identify products with a reduced likelihood of giving you the munchies. Some product labels may refer to “microdoses” per serving of a weed product, such as an edible. You will be well advised to pick those, as the THC in them may be low enough to help you sidestep the risk of developing hunger pangs when you use that weed product in the recommended way.

Secondly, some research has linked the cannabinoid THCV to appetite suppression, so you might want to look out for products with this cannabinoid if you wish to limit the extent to which you feel hungry after using weed.

Additionally, weed products with higher doses of CBD may tone down the effects of THC, including the tendency to feel hungry after using marijuana. You can try such products if you would like to minimise the likelihood of feeling hungry after consuming the weed product.

Are there benefits to the munchies resulting from using weed?

As with most things, there is always a good and a bad side, depending on what your objective is. In the same way, the hunger pangs that users of weed experience have benefits for certain categories of people. For example;

• Patients who have lost their appetite. People who have lost their appetite, such as patients with HIV/AIDS, can benefit from the appetite-boosting effects of weed. There have been reports of patients who could only eat after consuming cannabis, and that is a good thing. 
• People suffering from nausea. The last thing that many people suffering from nausea want to do is eat, so their food intake tends to nosedive. Marijuana-induced munchies can help with that. Weed makes you hungry (the munchies) and research has shown that weed can trigger almost instant relief from nausea. In this case, the active compounds in weed help with managing nausea while the munchies get you to eat. This happens simultaneously. You might therefore want to smoke a joint or use a weed product if you have lately been suffering from episodes of nausea.
• People afflicted by eating disorders like anorexia. Some mental health ailments like anorexia cause people to reduce their food intake to levels that are unhealthy. If you have been diagnosed with such a condition, weed could help to boost your food intake since it causes the munchies. Weed’s ability to lower inhibitions can also come in handy at this point as it can help suppress those unhealthy psychological patterns you may have developed regarding the consumption of food.

If you are concerned about your eating habits, you might want to talk to a healthcare professional and discuss whether weed can be a helpful option.

Will the munchies lead me to gain weight?

Some studies show that weed users generally have a lower BMI than individuals who don’t use weed. This seems to suggest that marijuana has a beneficial effect on weight management, but it is still early days based on the existing research to conclude that using weed is your magic ticket to a smaller waistline.

There is also research suggesting that people who use marijuana tend to weigh less than people who aren’t users of marijuana. Obesity was also found to be less prevalent among people who use marijuana in comparison to those who don’t.

That said, let me remind you that you are what you eat. This means that the food choices you make when the munchies set in can influence whether or not you could gain weight. It is therefore helpful to make healthy food choices that tame the munchies but minimise your chances of piling on the extra pounds.

How to manage the cannabis-induced munchies

There are several helpful steps you can take to keep the weed-triggered munchies under control. I list some of those actionable steps below.

• Drink lots of water. Weed tends to dehydrate the body, so it is a good idea to drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. Additionally, you are likely to feel less hungry (since your stomach is a little full) if you drink a lot of water while you are consuming weed. This will, in turn, reduce how much you eat when the munchies strike.
• Stock up on healthy snacks. What will be, will be, right? You are better off taking preemptive action by getting healthy snacks within easy reach in anticipation of the munchies. Believe me, it will be a lot harder to think straight and look for healthy food choices when the munchies have taken hold of you, so you want to have the right eats available in advance. These snacks can include fresh fruit, seeds and nuts, as well as vegetables. Registered dietician, Janice Bissex says: “Stocking up on veggie sticks with hummus, tortilla chips, and whole-grain crackers might satisfy your munchies without causing you to take in lots of calories and sugar.”
• Opt for weed with lower THC levels. The amount of THC in a weed product often has a direct bearing on the extent to which you will get the munchies. Choose your THC dosage wisely!

The Bottom Line

Weed can give you the munchies. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on your interests. The THC in weed is responsible for triggering the munchies, and this provides an avenue you can exploit to manage the extent to which you get the munchies. Lower doses of THC are less prone to trigger the munchies, as is choosing weed with higher doses of CBD. Above all, you can choose healthy snacks and have them within reach so that the munchies don’t lead you to eat what you would have otherwise avoided. Or you can live a little because indulging in high-calorie tasty foods is scientifically extra yummy when you’re high.