Can Weed Really Help You Lose Weight?

Aside from the high, one of the most famous side effects of cannabis is the munchies- that legendary state of hunger that kicks in shortly after getting stoned, where your sense of taste and smell become heightened, making almost everything you eat delicious. But did you know that cannabis can help you lose weight? It may sound counter-intuitive at first, but it’s true!

Thanks to the munchies, many of us are already aware of cannabis’ effect on our appetites. Still, we’ve given little thought to how (or even if) we can lose weight while smoking weed.

Did you know: Medical patients dealing with serious ailments such as an autoimmune disease, colitis, and even cancer use cannabis for its appetite-stimulating effects.

Losing weight and smoking weed flies in the face of conventional wisdom since we’d expect the munchies-related appetite boost to boost our waistlines as well. Especially since what we munch out on tends to be high carb, high fat, or sugary. But a variety of factors, including our lifestyle and the way cannabis interacts with our bodies, makes losing weight while smoking weed possible.

Studies have shown that cannabis users weigh less than those that don’t!

So, what gives?

Weed and weight loss: How do stoners do it?

An oft-quoted study from 2011 concluded that “the prevalence of obesity was significantly lower in cannabis users than in non-users”, and encouragingly, other studies and analyses have supported that conclusion as well. However, there are multiple reasons why this could be.

Keep in mind: Even though lower body weight and cannabis use are related, please remember that correlation does not imply causation. It’s not a hard rule like “if you smoke this much weed per day, you’ll lose this many pounds”; it’s more of a lifestyle with many different factors that help cannabis users keep those extra pounds off.

Here are a few reasons why cannabis use can help you weigh less than those who don’t.

We’ve all been there.

Increased physical activity

If you’re using cannabis to relieve aches and pains from an injury or condition like arthritis, cannabis can help you lose weight because it’s a lot more likely you’ll want to get out and exercise when the pain goes away.

Cannabis can also put you in a mental state that’s more conducive to doing long cardio workouts, especially if you’re the type of person who is continually checking your watch or the timer to see how long you’ve been exercising, and how much longer you have to go. Cannabis can help you get in the zone (especially with music!) to the point where you can check the clock and be surprised that so much time has already passed!

More cannabis = Less alcohol

Sometimes when I want to unwind, the only thing that will do the trick is a perfectly rolled joint, and the thought of alcohol doesn’t even cross my mind. While that’s a loss for the alcohol industry, it’s a win for my waistline as smoking a joint means zero calories.

Did you know: The alcohol industry has typically fought against legal cannabis because they’re worried if cannabis is seen as a legal, viable alternative to drinking, it will dent their profits.

That’s why the pharmaceutical industry is so opposed to legalization as well- there are billions of dollars in pills at stake if people stopped taking their prescription painkillers and started growing their own cannabis for free.

Not to mention the plethora of health risks you’d be dodging by putting down the bottle and picking up a joint. While cannabis does have risks (such as harm to the lungs and heart from smoking), there are many reasons why alcohol is consistently rated as one of the most dangerous drugs on the planet and cannabis is not.

Just think about the effects of the different substances. Alcohol makes you more impulsive and can lead to aggressive behaviour. It can also trigger other addictions/dependencies, whereas cannabis usually makes people feel more relaxed and easy-going.

With that being said, you should be aware of what happens when mixing the two. Known as “crossfading,” combining cannabis and alcohol can amplify the effects of both, and can also interact with other medications.

Did you know: Cannabis is sometimes used in harm reduction strategies that aim to substitute the use of deadly opioids like heroin and fentanyl with non-deadly cannabis.

Less stress

People love the calm, relaxing effects cannabis brings on, and not only can cannabis reduce your stress, being less stressed helps you lose weight.

Lowering stress can help us lose weight because when we’re stressed, our bodies release cortisol, which is a hormone that’s not only involved in our “fight-or-flight” response, it also stimulates our appetite, which can lead to “stress eating” aka “emotional eating.”

Stress eating makes us crave those unhealthy, calorie-packed comfort foods, and once we start, it can be hard to stop- to the point that we overeat. Afterwards, we often feel shame or guilt.

If you’re trying to lose weight and using cannabis at the same time, watch out for the “munchies” kicking in and making you want to grab those sugary, salty snacks. You wouldn’t want to be meeting your fitness goals only to have it undermined by a case of the ill-timed, late-night munchies!

Tip: Avoid smoking weed on an empty stomach to prevent overeating when the munchies kick in. If you’re a fan of late-night smoke sessions like I am, try to avoid overeating right before going to sleep. It could also help to prepare some healthier snacks beforehand (like veggies and hummus, for example) to help quell those late-night munchies

It’s also important to consider the social aspect of cannabis, especially if you’re one who loves smoking joints. There’s something about standing in a circle and passing a joint around with your closest friends that can have a remarkable impact on our stress levels, too.

The munchies don’t have to be like this!

Better sleep

Not getting enough sleep causes a slew of adverse side effects, and in some ways, it’s similar to being drunk. Sleepiness affects your cognitive skills which can impair your performance at work, make you more likely to overeat for a quick energy boost, and make you feel too tired to be physically active.

As anyone who’s smoked a heavy kush knows, cannabis can make you feel relaxed, and that relaxation can quickly turn into a snooze.

As mentioned earlier, cannabis can relieve pain and lower stress, which just happens to be very conducive to a good night’s sleep as well!

If you’re using cannabis as a sleep aid, we recommend that you don’t overdo it and smoke too much because nobody likes to feel groggy in the morning, especially if you’re working the next day. There’s no need to get super high if all you’ll be doing is going to sleep in an hour. If you’re like me, you’ll want to save it until you can just kick back, relax, and savour the high.

Keep in mind: While following the list above can help you lose weight, you don’t need cannabis to do them, although it does help many people because cannabis makes it easier. For example, if smoking weed reduces your pain, you’ll be more physically active, which will boost your metabolism and make it easier to sleep.

The wonder cannabinoid THCV

Photo courtesy of Journal of Cannabinoid Medicine.

Cannabis is packed with cannabinoids- naturally occurring compounds found in the cannabis plant. There are over 100 cannabinoids that have been identified so far, but the two most prominent cannabinoids are THC and CBD, and they cast a long shadow, which means other cannabinoids often get overlooked.

THCV is one of those lesser-known, minor cannabinoids that are usually only found in trace amounts in lab tests. Also known as tetrahydrocannabivarin, there’s been a growing awareness of it and once you know what it can do, you’ll understand why THCV is poised to be a highly sought-after cannabinoid.

THCV can help you lose weight because it can suppress appetite.

A 2015 study showed THCV’s potential in helping treat obesity, and it also shows promise in helping people with issues like diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia.

With so many potential applications, you may be wondering why THCV isn’t everywhere, like THC and CBD. A few of the biggest roadblocks are the lack of data on THCV, it being harder to find and test for since its chemical structure is so similar to THC, and less incentive for growers to produce high-THCV strains due to them having lower yields than other strains.

According to WeedMaps, “5 High-THCV Strains You Should Know About” are:

Durban Poison
Doug’s Varin
Pink Boost Goddess
Pineapple Purps
Jack the Ripper

Smoking weed and losing weight: Conclusion

Helping you lose weight is just another thing that cannabis can assist in, but keep in mind that using cannabis alone won’t do the trick- but it can help you feel more normal and relaxed so you can get out and exercise and get a good night’s sleep, among other things.

You should also be aware of the effect that cannabis has on your appetite, and be prepared with healthier snacks if you do get a serious case of the munchies.

It’s important to know that smoking weed isn’t a “secret weight loss tip that will amaze your doctor.”

There’s a lot of pressure to look a certain way- whether it’s from society, others or ourselves- because we all want to be healthy and feel confident about our bodies and how we look.

We hope this article has shown you how weed can be a part of a healthy lifestyle and also help you lose weight because what better way of achieving something is there than doing it through something you love?