In Italy the consumption of cannabis remains illegal, except in the case of therapeutic use on medical indication. In the United States, however, the tide has changed: the substance is now perfectly legal, even for recreational purposes, in many American states, and this is favoring a new wave of studies investigating its therapeutic properties and its metabolic effects. The most recent comes from the University of California at Riverside, and the results, published in the Journal of Physiology, help explain an apparent paradox linked to the consumption of this substance: why heavy users tend to be thin and not suffer from diabetes, despite the “munchies” being one of the best-known side effects of cannabis consumption.
The weight paradox
Studies on the human population have long indicated that those who regularly consume cannabis tend to have a lower body mass index and a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to those who do not use it. This is a seemingly paradoxical phenomenon, considering that the substance is known to stimulate the appetite. To investigate the biological mechanisms underlying this observation, scientists exposed a group of obese mice to two different treatments for thirty days: pure THC, the main psychoactive compound of the plant, or a complete extract with the same concentration of THC.
The animals were fed a high-calorie diet, and upon introduction of daily cannabis treatment showed a reduction in body weight and a lower percentage of fat, compared to a group of animals fed the same diet but not exposed to cannabis. Only mice treated with the complete cannabis extract, however, achieved a clear improvement in metabolic profiles linked to glucose control, a marker linked to a reduced risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes.
Dozens of compounds to study
The molecular analysis conducted by the research team also identified a potential mechanism of action of cannabis: some of the compounds present within it would modify the metabolism of adipose tissue, pushing the body to lose weight without the need to consume fewer calories, or burn more with exercise. Which of the more than one hundred cannabinoids contained in cannabis is responsible for these effects is unclear. Just as it is not certain that what is seen in mice necessarily also happens in humans.
Also for this reason, the authors of the study underline that the results should not be taken as an invitation to use the substance for weight and diabetes management, especially since the effects only emerge in the case of chronic consumption. Rather, it is further evidence of the promising therapeutic effects of many plant cannabinoids without psychoactive effects, such as cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabidiol (CBD). “What we need now – explains Nicholas DiPatrizio, researcher who led the study – is an evidence-based approach that allows us to fully characterize the benefits and possible risks that cannabis and its components pose”.