New Research Suggests Cannabis Could Be An Alternative To Weight Loss Medication For Obesity

Using cannabis for weight loss can seem pretty contradicting at first, considering that the consumer stereotype negatively revolves around being couch-locked and snacking on munchies. However, that notion is finally starting to lose its relevance with the modern cannabis industry, vast product range, and scientific research. 

There are various cannabinoids inside the cannabis plant, and all are responsible for different effects and medical benefits. Take THCV, for example; this cannabinoid is said to suppress one’s appetite and thus, making it ideal for weight management and loss. 

As more research focuses on the plant’s healing properties, these stigmas slowly dissolve as the benefits of cannabis begin to outweigh the stereotypical “negatives.” More recently, a team of researchers at Curtin University (CU) in Western Australia are looking into how cannabis could potentially treat obesity. 

The research team is in partnership with local medical cannabis producer Little Green Farma, which donated cannabis for the team to examine the benefits of weed for weight management. 

Professor of Metabolism at CU Marco Falasca was the lead researcher, and he explained that with so many weight loss medications on the market, prescribed or over the counter, cannabis might have the potential to be a healthier alternative.

“There are not many treatments for obesity, and they all come with side effects,” Falasca explained in his research paper, adding that “Compounds present in our body control satiety and all the mechanisms related to obesity.”

With this healthier and safer alternative at hand, Falasca did mention there’s still some evident restrain and uncertainty from doctors who aren’t sure whether prescribing medical cannabis would be beneficial. Head of Research and Innovation at Little Green Pharma, Leon Warne, acknowledged how physicians are slowly starting to warm up to the idea of medical cannabis for patients with a variety of conditions.

He firmly believes that more doctors are finally beginning to recognize the “areas where this drug can effectively be used to improve the quality of life of many patients,” Warne said in the paper. He then gave us the example of how cannabis could work as medicine by activating our body’s endocannabinoid system, which he says is a pretty complex process. 

Marne explained that cannabis and its cannabinoids are the theoretical key that unlocks the endocannabinoid system. “When the [cannabinoids] engage with that lock, they unearth the natural cannabinoids within the body to have these effects that we are seeing.”

The research at CU is still being conducted, and we have yet to find out if cannabis could be used as a potential alternative to weight loss and management medications for obesity.