Cannabis and Eating Disorders: Risk or Remedy?

Cannabis is Commonly Used to Treat Lack of Appetite in Patients with Serious Medical Conditions 

Over the years, Cannabis has proven to be extremely beneficial for individuals suffering from conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, and a scope of other chronic diseases that disrupt the normal function of the digestive system. Dronabinol, available and sold as Marinol and Syndros, is a synthetic form of THC, and it’s one of the few FDA-approved drugs, used for weight gain in cancer and AIDS patients. However, when it comes to using medicinal marijuana specifically in treatment of eating disorders, there are certain things to be cautious about. 

What Are the Most Common Eating Disorders? 

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge-eating are three of the most common eating disorders. Most eating disorders are characterized by putting too much focus on weight, body shape and what food to take or avoid, which can lead to problematic eating patterns and behaviors. This hinders the person’s ability to get proper nutrition and can cause systemic problems in the body. 

The appetite-stimulating effects of cannabis may be well noted by those who also use it recreationally. Everyone has probably experienced munchies, the sudden urge to eat everything, sometimes uncontrollably mixing flavors, after getting all hopped-up. Which is not necessarily a healthy habit, especially if a person is prone to binge eating. In some people this is a real condition. It’s when you cannot control what or how much you are putting in your stomach, and it usually concerns a large amount of food in a short period of time. 

What Do We Know from Research About the Appetite-Stimulating Effects of Cannabis? 

The ability of Cannabis to elicit eating and cravings for various types of foods and flavors directly owes to THC interacting with specific brain receptors that augment the sensory and pleasure properties of food. Research is ongoing to identify all of the possible clinical applications in this regard. 

From earlier studies, it is also known that there are several factors at play that determine appetite stimulation by cannabinoids. How cannabis affects reaction to food may be influenced by age, gender, the length of time between meals, and the delivery method of cannabis. Even generally speaking, users often reflect that cannabis feels different with age. 

Are There Any Risks from Using Cannabis in Treatment of Eating Disorders? 

A scientific review published in 2023 focuses on individual studies on cannabis and eating disorders treatment in the period between 2010 and 2023. A dozen relevant studies were found and checked on this topic. According to it, there are both benefits and risks, as outlined by the researchers and experts who worked on the review. 

Benefits related to cannabis use for eating disorder treatment include weight gain, improvement in other eating disorder symptoms, and positive changes in terms of physical activity. However, research has also found that cannabis is not always the ‘magical cure’ and its use may lead to no significant changes in weight or betterment with any of the other symptoms a person may present with. Another risk mentioned for cannabis in relation to eating disorders is lowered adipose hormones (which generally impact energy metabolism). Some studies further warn about harms such as predisposition to cannabis use disorder or damaging compensatory behaviors related to cannabis use. 

Conclusion? As much as cannabis can help and be used as a remedy in cases where a person struggles with eating disorders, there are also risks to be aware of. Patients who encounter eating disorder episodes or conditions like anorexia or bulimia, should do medical a check-up with a health professional to see if cannabis might be the suitable therapy for them as every case would be individual. 

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