February 24, 2026 | 09:44 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Marijuana can not only triggers psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, illusions, and euphoria, but it can also increases appetite in those who consume it. This is proven by research conducted by a team of scientists in Washington, United States, in the form of a controlled trial. The results of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in November 2025.
This research attempted to uncover how plants from the Cannabis genus hijack the brain's hunger system. The appetite-increasing effect occurs very quickly and even occurs when the user's body does not actually need additional calories.
This finding was obtained through laboratory experiments at Washington State University that tracked the behavior of adults after inhaling marijuana vapor. Psychology professor Carrie Cuttler documented that participants exposed to marijuana consumed significantly more food. The effects even appeared immediately within the first 30 minutes of use.
"Neither body weight, gender, age, recent food intake, nor dose changed the effect, and most of the additional intake occurred within the first 30 minutes of access," Cuttler said in an Earth review on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
To understand this mechanism, his research team used tests on mice and found that marijuana actually increased the brain's motivation to continue consuming food. These mice continued to press the lever to get food, ignoring the body's natural signals that they were full.
According to this study, this gluttonous behavior is directly driven by the chemical compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in marijuana, which binds to CB1 receptors in the brain to manipulate cravings. The researchers also confirmed that the marijuana-induced eating urge originates entirely from the brain's neural circuitry and not from an empty stomach.
In other words, this study provides important evidence for future development, particularly in addressing appetite disorders in certain patients. For example, for many people facing cancer, loss of appetite accompanies weight loss. Food can begin to feel meaningless, even burdensome.
As calorie intake decreases, muscle mass and strength decrease. Recovery becomes more difficult. Fatigue worsens. Subsequent treatments can feel even more exhausting. If scientists can harness this brain-controlled motivational switch, they may be able to design therapies that better benefit patients.
Read: Trump Considers Reclassifying Marijuana as Less Dangerous Drug
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