Manipulation Checking the Munchies: Validating Self-Reported Dietary Behaviors during Cannabis Intoxication

Abstract

The prevalence and rate of cannabis use will likely increase as the relevant legal framework becomes more permissive across many municipalities. All policies and practices should be informed by scientific evidence and the public health framework for cannabis users may benefit from research and interventions promoting harm reduction. Naturalistic observations are particularly valuable for understanding patterns of human behavior and can complement and validate information collected through other methods, such as self-report surveys. Observational research may be especially valuable for addressing potentially controversial topics where behaviors are socially stigmatized and/or illegal. The current study examined the relationship between self-reported dietary behaviors and food incentive choices among individuals intoxicated with cannabis. Participants at a cannabis decriminalization advocacy event completed brief surveys on cannabis use and dietary habits. Survey administrators offered an incentive choice of a food items; fruit and chips/crisps. Researchers documented choices of food incentives and three trained coders categorized self-reported dietary habits. Participants (N = 275) reported eating unhealthy food (77%), eating healthy food (23%), and avoiding consuming food when intoxicated (7%). Participants also reported eating more food when intoxicated with cannabis and being more likely to eat unhealthy food when intoxicated compared to at other times. Food incentive choices predicted self-reported habits for both consuming healthy and unhealthy foods. Observational results validated self-reported dietary habits and confirmed common stereotypes.

Joint and separate exposure to alcohol and ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol produced distinct effects on glucose and insulin homeostasis in male rats

“…Furthermore, a very low dose (0.001 mg/kg) of ∆ 8 -THC, which is supposedly a more stable and potent CB 1 R agonist than ∆ 9 -THC, stimulated food intake but did not promote weight gain in mice 39 . Notwithstanding, our observed null effect of oral THC on daily caloric intake goes against the acclaimed hyperphagic effects of cannabis or THC 13,35,40 . Our findings, instead, reinforce the conclusion that depending on its interaction with CB 1 R on GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons, THC can produce opposite effects on appetite 41 .…”

“…Notably, alcohol or cannabis use during adolescence can alter the ontogeny of neural systems that regulate cognitive and reward-related behaviors 8,9 to provoke aberrant brain functioning later in life 10,11 . Similar neural alterations can translate into an increased motivation to consume palatable, energy-dense diets during young adulthood 12,13 . Despite the popularity of alcohol and cannabis co-use 14 , there is paucity of studies on how such co-use affects energy balance and metabolic outcomes during abstinence.…”

Cannabis use and binge eating: Examining the relationship between cannabis use and clinical severity among adults with binge eating.

“…Our results found no relationship between cannabis use and eating disorder or depression symptoms. These results are surprising given the link between the endocannabinoid system, appetite cues, and mood (Capodice & Kaplan, 2021; D’Addario et al, 2014) as well as the literature among non-BE samples linking cannabis use with overeating (Fouladi et al, 2015; Kirkham, 2005; Kruger et al, 2019; Soria-Gómez et al, 2014; Vidot et al, 2016) and depression (Langlois et al, 2021). Of note, symptom variability may have been limited in our sample.…”

“…This stimulation results in increased sensitivity to the hedonic properties of food (D’Addario et al, 2014; Gatta-Cherifi & Cota, 2016) and a preference for highly palatable foods (e.g., high sugar/fat foods; DiPatrizio et al, 2013). Observed increases in appetite and disinhibited eating following cannabis use in nonclinical samples (Kirkham, 2005; Kruger et al, 2019; Soria-Gómez et al, 2014) could increase risk for BE in clinical samples. Although the acute effects of cannabis promote disinhibited eating, individuals who use cannabis have been found to report greater weight and shape concerns and restrictive eating compared to individuals who do not use cannabis among a sample of postbariatric surgery patients (Vidot et al, 2016).…”

Modulation of Endocannabinoid System Components in Depression: Pre-Clinical and Clinical Evidence

“…The potential role for the ECS in depression comes from a series of studies indicating that the CB1r antagonist rimonabant is associated with the development of severe adverse effects, including depression and suicide [ 151 ]. Clinical observations showed that cannabis stimulates appetite (the “munchies”) [ 152 ]. Rimonabant was developed as an anti-obesity treatment.…”