Cannabis and Anorexia

Cannabis is something that works for many things, and anorexia is one of them. about 9% of the population of the world have some kind of eating disorder, with the conditions being twice as likely in women versus men. This does cause people to die, but it can also cause self-harm, substance abuse, and mood problems as well. Anorexia is something that comes from a bad view, almost distorted, of your body, to the degrees that those who suffer do avoid eating and will exercise in an excessive manner to help with losing weight. As cannabis starts to get more and more prevalent, some studies have said using this herb to help with this, can it though? 

How marijuana works with Anorexia 

There are some who have used cannabis as a kind of treatment. Some countries have started to legalize this for other problems, including those experiencing cancer treatments to help with eating. With more and more dealing with weight loss as a result of different conditions, including AIDs and whatnot, hunger is another part of this. 

The psychological condition is something which can be impulsive, and it’s important to understand that cannabis can impact the ECS to help with anorexia, which is something that’s fascinated researchers from the moment they’ve started to work with cannabis. The ECS is something that’s worked with this system for years, and it works as the “universal regulator” within the body, and these molecules show up in the bones, brain cells, skin cells, your immune system, and other locations. It’s also a natural appetite regulator, and it’s something that helps with cravings, motivation for eating, food preferences, and also eating patterns. 

This helps us with hunger, motivating us to consume different substances, and this is something that also is seen in some people who use cannabis and then experience the “munchies” which is of course a rabid hunger that comes from THC binding to your CB1 receptors within the endocannabinoid systems. 

This also does impact the way the appetite is driven. There are more and more studies that are ongoing to see if cannabinoids are stimulating agents of your appetite. These compounds can also be a means to “hack” the ECS, but anorexia is much more than just appetite issues, and there are different systems that play a role in this, with more and more people exploring these systems, and how the ECS doe splay a part in this. 

Research is constantly looking at the components of the ECS. While there are two receptors, endocannabinoids, and enzymes that play a role in it, there is also the “expanded ECS” which is comprised of different receptors, with more and more studies exploring the system in terms of eating disorders, and it’s a modulatory part of your brain. 

THC does bind specifically to your CB1 receptors, and it’s something that influences the metabolism and appetite. According to a double-blind placebo study, it was found that those who used it had better metabolic rates, and an increase in ghrelin and insulin, helping to track the symptoms of this. 

It was found from this that dronabinol works the best in the context of the treatment of anorexia, but right now, more research is to be warranted with this. It’s important to note as well that there are a lot of people who do benefit from all of this, and it was discovered that, with the way things were, a lot of them definitely can get the full gamut of benefits from the ECS on your treatment of anorexia, and also the benefits that come along too.