Cannabis and Obesity

 

'None of the 3,504 C. Elegans worms in the Canopy study died prematurely compared to a control group, even at significantly elevated doses -- a good sign for CBD’s safety, said Hunter Land, a senior director of science at Canopy. Better still, at doses in the range of human consumption, CBD extended the tiny roundworms’ lives by 18%, and they showed an increase in activity of 206%.

“As they aged, they moved more like young animals,” Land, who designed the study, explained in a phone interview. “Rather than seeing something toxic, we see the opposite -- it actually increases health parameters.”'

 

 - Bloomberg

 

 

You may say that comparing ourselves to worms is a bit demeaning. But then many of us live our lives at levels of complexity not much different from that of worms. Life for many is a continuous process of food intake and excretion, with little else it between. It is no wonder, then, that obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent in society. Some of the key factors are increasingly inactive lifestyles - exacerbated by the recent pandemic related lock downs -, increased consumption of fatty foods and aerated sugary drinks, stress, consumption of alcohol, and the consumption of certain classes of synthetic pharmaceutical medicines over long periods of time. Obesity is no longer restricted to certain demographics, but can be found among all age groups, as well as all social and economic strata. Earlier we would not associate obesity with the working and laboring classes. But the all pervasive presence of junk foods has now even intruded into remote tribal areas, along with television and the smart phone which aid in the marketing and reach of these junk foods. Obesity is increasingly affecting younger, and more numbers of, people with sugary based drinks and fatty fried foods delivered to one's doorstep being the norm, along with long hours spent sitting around in offices, or lounging in front of the TV or smartphone. 

 

Obesity causes a wide range of health problems. This includes hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney failures, poor structural strength of the body, and vulnerability to a whole range of other diseases.

In today's world, people are going to treatment centers that promise instant wonder cures for obesity such as liposuction, weight loss pills, diets, foods and drinks, as well as powerful steroid based medications. In the process, many are falling very ill, and sometimes even dying. Some anti-obesity pills in Europe have been found to disturb the labor cycle in pregnant women. The desire for a no-pain, instant solution to a problem that has deep behavioral  roots has only made the problem worse and spawned countless solutions, unsustainable to both human health and nature.

 

Cannabis offers a delightful way to tackle obesity, making the body more fit and healing it, along with the mind which is really the the source of the problem. But smoking or ingesting cannabis makes you super hungry, and you end up feeding the munchies by gorging on food round the clock, right? It also makes you a stoner, who sits in one place staring at the TV like a zombie with little or no physical activity, right? These are conventional stereotypes of a cannabis user painted by society, and believed by many. If this were true, then it follows that nearly all cannabis users must be highly obese, or at least more obese than the average person who does not consume cannabis. Well, strangely, the fact of the matter is that the cannabis user has been found to be as lean and active as, or even more so than, the average person who does not use cannabis. How goes that?

Well, apparently cannabis improves your body's metabolic function, among other things, enabling it to more efficiently breakdown food that is consumed. The body mass index (BMI) measures of long term cannabis users have been found to be lower than that of the average non-cannabis user. Waist circumference - an indicator of metabolic function - has been found to be lower on average among cannabis users compared to the general population. Combining the above information with recent studies that say that the cannabis user is likely to spend around 30% more time and effort at the gym compared to the non-cannabis user, we can state that regular long term use of cannabis is a good way to keep obesity and its associated problems at bay. In days of old, when the plant was legal everywhere, the laboring classes were the people who used cannabis the most, primarily to relieve fatigue and to manage the aches and pains after a day's hard work. Many sports persons these days are starting to vouch for cannabis' ability to help them get back on their feet quickly, especially the elite ones.

The myth that the cannabis smoker gorges food is not entirely true. In many places, like among the religious mendicants in India, cannabis smoking is often a substitute for food, enabling the person to endure harsh conditions, and go without food for longer periods of time, or to consume smaller portions than otherwise. It may well be the case that in the initial stages of cannabis consumption, a person feels the urge to consume large quantities of food, given that the mouth is one of the first places where the user experiences the herb's effects. The person suddenly becomes aware of the range of the taste buds present in the mouth, a fact that the user may have been pretty much oblivious or inattentive to, up to that point. But as the person continues to consume cannabis over time, the intake of food gets regulated and more efficient as the person also becomes increasingly aware of all the other parts of his or her physiology, besides the taste buds in the mouth. 

 

One of the key problems that we see today, in terms of factors contributing to obesity, is that not only do we eat unhealthy food, at unhealthy times, we also tend to overeat, thus creating tremendous stress on our digestive systems. Obesity is one of the biggest health problems facing humans today. Cannabis was used by many among the poorest classes, including religious mendicants, to stave off hunger, and also to stay healthy despite reduced consumption of food. Many witnesses speak of this benefit of cannabis consumption. In this regard, a detailed account can be found in the Indian Hemp Commission's report of 1895. Even though this involved a rhesus macaque, the behavior of the macaque corroborated the evidence of witnesses in terms of how cannabis helped one to stay nourished, despite a reduced intake of food. The Hemp Commission writes in its summary on the effects of cannabis inhalation as follows: '483. The following interesting account of an experiment [on a rhesus macaque for eight months] on the effects of the systematic inhalation of the smoke of ganja conducted by Dr. D.D. Cunningham at the request of the Commission is extracted from his report (Vol. III Appendices)...The only permanent appreciable effect resulting from the treatment manifested itself in the form of a very considerable diminution in appetite for food, which set in shortly after the initiation of the experiment, and thereafter remained persistent throughout its entire course.' Dr. Cunningham reports that - "On laying the body open, the phenomenon which at once attracted attention, as unlike any ordinarily present in those of caged monkeys, was the great amount of fat accumulated in the omentum, the mesentery, and the visceral and parietal pericardium. This was specially noteworthy in connection with the markedly diminished ingestion of food which had characterised the subject of the experiment during the greater part of its course, and with the coincident considerable reduction in body weight which had occurred. The body generally appeared to be fairly well nourished, and a considerable amount of subcutaneous fat was present....But the only persistent symptom attending the treatment during life was a considerable diminution in appetite for food, so that, in so far as the results of a single experiment afford any ground for inference, it would appear that the most important effect of the habitual employment of inhalations of the smoke of ganja is to give rise to diminution in the normal processes of tissue-waste to such a degree that local accumulations of fat are liable to occur even in spite of the coincident and similarly originating diminution in the ingestion of food. The diminution in activity of the normal processes of tissue waste tends, on the one hand, to give rise to decreased ingestion of food, and, on the other, to local accumulation of fat in spite of this. But if the habitual practice of inhalations of the drug really do produce such effects, it is clear that, in place of being hurtful, it may be positively beneficial to people who are obliged to undergo exertions without having the means of procuring a diet fully adapted to make good the amount of tissue waste normally associated with them."

The digestive system is one of the places with the highest concentration of endocannabinoid receptors. Cannabis plays a key role in the regulation of the digestive system, keeping the body, and hence the mind in a state of well being. This is one of the key reasons why a cannabis user feels generally contented, a state that is reflected both within the body and the mind.  

Besides the state of the digestive system, another key factor in obesity is the state of the mind. Conditions such as stress, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, inflammation, and depression are known to cause obesity. Cannabis is the best natural medicine for all these conditions. In places where cannabis has been legalized, these are some of the leading conditions for which cannabis is used as medicine. The number of persons shunning synthetic pharmaceutical drugs and alcohol to treat these conditions, and turning to cannabis, is increasing rapidly in these places. 

 

We see that the elderly are the leading age demographic that is turning to cannabis usage in the US. But it is not only the elderly that can benefit from cannabis. In the thousands of years when cannabis was legal in India, it was used by women and children as well, not just men. Children were primarily given cannabis as medicine, in the form of sweetmeats. With obesity now becoming a problem for children and adolescents, cannabis as medicine may be the safest option for these children. Before the prohibitionists start losing their marbles over this, please note that this should be in age-appropriate doses. Children are already being prescribed cannabis for a number of illnesses, such as autism, epilepsy and cancer.

 

In the global efforts to control obesity, for cannabis to be truly effective , the prohibition of the plant has to be lifted and the plant must once again be freely available worldwide, especially growing in our gardens, like any other medicinal herb. It should be included in our mix of foods, beverages and wellness products, just like other medicinal herbs such as basil, turmeric, etc., are. Cannabis must also be reintroduced in our mix of recreational drugs, that it was a part of for tens of thousands of years until the recent past. These may be effective ways for the human race to shed its flab and get into shape in a sustainable and pleasurable way.

 

Related articles

The following list of articles taken from various media speak about the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article. 

 

 

'Researchers affiliated with the University of Chicago and with Tarleton University in Texas assessed the daily use of CBD in a cohort of over 1,000 adults. Most of the study’s participants reported having consumed full-spectrum CBD tinctures for at least one year.

Investigators concluded: “In this large-sample study, self-dosing [with] CBD was not associated with an increased prevalence of elevation of LT [liver tests] or low levels of TT [total testosterone] in men. Furthermore, CBD administration decreased DD [daytime drowsiness] and was associated with a lower prevalence of low testosterone levels in older men as compared to age-adjusted population norms. … [I]n those over 45 years of age, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was significantly lower than that of the general population.”

Several population-based studies have reported that cannabis consumers typically possess lower BMI and other favorable indices related to diabetic control. Observational studies have also shown that the past use of cannabis is significantly associated with lower odds of diabetes in adults.

Data published in 2021 similarly determined that the repeated use of oral CBD products is not associated with liver abnormalities, such as the elevated production of the enzyme alanine transaminase.'

https://norml.org/news/2023/04/06/study-daily-use-of-cbd-tinctures-associated-with-decreased-daytime-drowsiness-no-increased-risk-of-liver-disease/

 

'Results: Among the 3706 patients in the study population, 50.8% had central obesity, 34.7% overweight, and 14.4% obesity. After multivariable adjustment, current cannabis use was associated with a 59% lower risk of central obesity compared with no lifetime use (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]: 0.41 [0.24 to 0.70]). It was also associated with a 54% and 84% lower risk of overweight (adjusted relative risk ratio [95% CI]: 0.46 [0.27 to 0.76]) and obesity (0.16 [0.04 to 0.67]), respectively.

Conclusions: Cannabis use was associated with lower risks of overweight and obesity in patients with HBV chronic infection. Future studies should test whether these potential benefits of cannabis and cannabinoid use translate into reduced liver disease progression in this high-risk population.'

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2021.0094

'A proprietary hemp extract shows promise as a supplement to help promote weight loss, according to research funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Data from the double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that all 100 participants who took Nitro-V hemp extract daily lost weight, shedding up to 22 pounds over a 90 days. The minimum weight loss for those taking the supplement was five pounds, while 64% of participants in the placebo group either gained weight or saw no change.

The study subjects taking the hemp extract, which is rich in cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV) and other cannabinoids, also showed improvements in other metabolic health metrics and key wellness indicators without changing their diet and exercise habits. Participants taking Nitro-V saw their body mass index (BMI) scores drop by an average of three points and lost an average of 2.4 inches from their waist measurements. On average, study subjects in the placebo group gained weight and saw their BMI remain the same.'

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajherrington/2021/07/28/study-suggests-hemp-extract-is-an-effective-weight-loss-aid/amp/

'Chronic inflammation is considered to be a silent killer because it is the underlying cause of a wide range of clinical disorders, from cardiovascular to neurological diseases, and from cancer to obesity. In addition, there are over 80 different types of debilitating autoimmune diseases for which there are no cure. Currently, the drugs that are available to suppress chronic inflammation are either ineffective or overtly suppress the inflammation, thereby causing increased susceptibility to infections and cancer. Thus, the development of a new class of drugs that can suppress chronic inflammation is imperative. Cannabinoids are a group of compounds produced in the body (endocannabinoids) or found in cannabis (phytocannabinoids) that act through cannabinoid receptors and various other receptors expressed widely in the brain and immune system. In the last decade, cannabinoids have been well established experimentally to mediate anti-inflammatory properties. Research has shown that they suppress inflammation through multiple pathways, including apoptosis and inducing immunosuppressive T regulatory cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Interestingly, cannabinoids also mediate epigenetic alterations in genes that regulate inflammation. In the current review, we highlight how the epigenetic modulations caused by cannabinoids lead to the suppression of inflammation and help identify novel pathways that can be used to target autoimmune diseases.'

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/14/7302

'In this study, the core aims were to evaluate whether CBD affects homeostatic feeding or binge eating behavior in mice. The results provided a novel insight into the effects of CBD. The findings indicate that the acute systemic administration of CBD reduces HED [high energy diet] intake, and possibly, simultaneously increases chow intake, suggesting a balancing effect on feeding in bingeing mice. However, the role of TRPV1 in this effect remains unclear, and further studies are needed.'

https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/332343

'Results: Evidence shows that Cannabis sativa derivatives have therapeutic potential due to their anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, people who use cannabis have a lower body mass index than those who do not, making the plant an option to reduce and reverse inflammation and comorbidities in obesity.

Conclusion: It is concluded that phytocannabinoids derived from Cannabis sativa have therapeutic potential due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, making the plant a study option to reduce and reverse inflammation and comorbidities associated with obesity.'

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2021.0016

'If a cigarette can be enjoyed out in nature, why on earth can’t cannabis – especially if it enables those with pain, chronic nausea, and other ailments enjoy a happy and active lifestyle? One hiker I spoke to mentioned that cannabis allowed him to hike without his heavy painkiller prescription, enabling him to stay pain-free and active as opposed to sedated and lethargic. Another hiker noted, “Cannabis helps quiet my mind so I can really enjoy the nature and its serenity.” A third said it allowed her to focus on the persistence in climbing, turning off the “I can’t do this” thinking.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/cannabis-in-the-great-outdoors-tips-tricks-and-advice-for-hiking

'Our results revealed that fatty acids (FAs) oversupply is associated with an increasing oxidative stress and inflammatory response, which results in an excessive accumulation of FAs, especially of n-6 PUFAs, in skeletal muscles. We showed that CBD significantly improved the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio and shifted the equilibrium towards anti-inflammatory n-3 PUFAs, particularly in the red gastrocnemius muscle. Additionally, CBD prevented generation of lipid peroxidation products and attenuated inflammatory response in both types of skeletal muscle. In summary, the results mentioned above indicate that CBD presents potential therapeutic properties with respect to the treatment of obesity and related disturbances'

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/5/1603

'To explain that trend, the study suggests that cannabis “is being used for exercise-induced pain recovery, since [physical activity] brings about pain and muscle soreness, and a decreased pain threshold and muscle hypersensitivity have been documented with increasing age.”'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/frequent-marijuana-consumers-are-actually-more-physically-active-than-non-users-study-finds-smashing-stereotypes/

'The study’s authors concluded, “Our results support the potential role of cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of DM1-associated symptoms which will need to be thoroughly investigated.”

According to the US National Institutes of Health, DM1 [myotonic dystrophy type 1] is characterized by wasting, muscle weakness, and prolonged muscle tensing.'

https://norml.org/news/2021/04/29/more-than-one-in-five-patients-with-inherited-form-of-muscular-dystrophy-acknowledge-using-cannabis

'A pair of newly published studies associate cannabis use with greater levels of physical activity.

Authors of the first study, published in the journal Public Health, assessed the relationship between self-reported cannabis use and physical activity in a nationally representative cohort of nearly 16,000 subjects. They reported, “[T]hose who had ever used cannabis had higher odds of being physically activity compared with those who had not.” Among male subjects, cannabis use was also associated with a greater likelihood of watching television for two or more hours per day.

Authors of the second study, published in the journal Substance Use & Misuse, assessed the link between self-reported cannabis use and exercise in a group of 387 adolescent subjects. They reported that subjects who reported greater levels of exercise at baseline were more likely to report using cannabis in the future.'

https://norml.org/news/2021/04/15/two-more-studies-link-cannabis-use-to-greater-levels-of-exercise

'Indeed, the only significant estimates suggest a positive relationship, even among heavier users during the past 30 days. These findings are at odds with much of the existing literature, which generally shows a negative relationship between marijuana use and exercise. As additional states legalize the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, perhaps its impact on exercise, one of the leading social determinants of health, is not necessarily a primary concern.'

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009174352100102X

'Participants (N = 63) exhibited increased euphoria and decreased anxiety after 45 min of running (RUN) on a treadmill in a moderate-intensity range compared to walking (WALK). RUN led to higher plasma levels of the eCBs anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoglycerol (2-AG). Opioid blockade did not prevent the development of euphoria and reduced anxiety as well as elevation of eCB levels following exercise. Moreover, the fraction of participants reporting a subjective runner's high was comparable in the NAL and PLA-treated group. Therefore, this study indicates that the development of a runner's high does not depend on opioid signaling in humans, but makes eCBs strong candidates in humans, as previously shown in mice.'

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453021000470

'None of the 3,504 C. Elegans worms in the Canopy study died prematurely compared to a control group, even at significantly elevated doses -- a good sign for CBD’s safety, said Hunter Land, a senior director of science at Canopy. Better still, at doses in the range of human consumption, CBD extended the tiny roundworms’ lives by 18%, and they showed an increase in activity of 206%.

“As they aged, they moved more like young animals,” Land, who designed the study, explained in a phone interview. “Rather than seeing something toxic, we see the opposite -- it actually increases health parameters.”'

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-22/worm-study-shows-cbd-science-has-a-way-to-go-cannabis-weekly

'Results: As a result, body weight gain, epididymal, and perirenal adipose tissue decreased in the CSSF (Cannabis sativa seed Flour) group in both doses (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) compared to the HCD. CSSF lowered serum glucose level elevated by HCD. For lipid profiles, total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG) significantly decreased in the CSSF group. The histopathological results of this study showed a regenerative effect of CSSF on the kidney and liver tissues.

Conclusion: It is concluded from the present study that CSSF can be used as a natural anti-obesity agent.'

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bouarfa_Mouna2/publication/345396297_ANTI-OBESITY_EFFECT_OF_CANNABIS_SATIVA_SEED_FLOUR_FROM_KHLALFA_OF_TAOUNATE_REGION_NORTHERN_OF_MOROCCO_IN_HIGH_CALORIC_DIET-INDUCED_OBESE_MICE/links/5fa6f00092851cc2869d76ec/ANTI-OBESITY-EFFECT-OF-CANNABIS-SATIVA-SEED-FLOUR-FROM-KHLALFA-OF-TAOUNATE-REGION-NORTHERN-OF-MOROCCO-IN-HIGH-CALORIC-DIET-INDUCED-OBESE-MICE.pdf

'Almost 500 participants said they endorse using marijuana one hour before, or up to four hours after, exercising. And based on data from the questionnaire, those who did use cannabis in that timeframe worked out longer than consumers who didn’t pair the activities. Specifically, those who engaged in co-use worked out an average of 43 minutes longer for aerobic exercise and 30 minutes longer for anaerobic exercise.

What’s behind the trend?'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/study-finds-marijuana-motivates-people-to-exercise-smashing-lazy-stoner-stereotype/


'The stereotypical image of a cannabis smoker is someone who sprawls on the sofa for hours surrounded by a haze of smoke and half-eaten snacks. The scene is played up for laughs in films, but social psychologist Angela Bryan thought it could be cause for concern. After all, cannabis is known to increase appetite and aid relaxation, which might put people at risk of health conditions such as obesity, says Bryan, who is at the University of Colorado Boulder.

But digging into health trends revealed the opposite. Nationwide US studies report that, compared to non-users, cannabis users actually have a lower prevalence of obesity.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02529-0


'Obesity rates are increasing worldwide and there is a need for novel therapeutic treatment options. The endocannabinoid system has been linked to homeostatic processes, including metabolism, food intake, and the regulation of body weight. Rimonabant, an inverse agonist for the cannabinoid CB1 receptor, was effective at producing weight loss in obese subjects. However, due to adverse psychiatric side effects, rimonabant was removed from the market. More recently, we reported an inverse relationship between cannabis use and BMI, which has now been duplicated by several groups. As those results may appear contradictory, we review here preclinical and clinical studies that have studied the impact on body weight of various cannabinoid CB1 drugs. Notably, we will review the impact of CB1 inverse agonists, agonists, partial agonists, and neutral antagonists. Those findings clearly point out the cannabinoid CB1 as a potential effective target for the treatment of obesity. Recent preclinical studies suggest that ligands targeting the CB1 may retain the therapeutic potential of rimonabant without the negative side effect profile. Such approaches should be tested in clinical trials for validation'
https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/10/6/855


'Authors reported: “Results of this analysis indicated that compared to older adult non-users, older adult cannabis users had lower BMI at the beginning of an exercise intervention study, engaged in more weekly exercise days during the intervention, and were engaging in more exercise-related activities at the conclusion of the intervention. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that it may be easier for older adults who endorse using cannabis to increase and maintain their exercise behavior, potentially because cannabis users have lower body weight than their non-using peers. At minimum, the evidence suggests that cannabis use does not hinder older adults’ ability to engage in physical activity, to participate in a supervised exercise program, or to increase their fitness as a result of physical activity.”'
https://norml.org/news/2020/07/09/study-history-of-cannabis-use-associated-with-lower-bmi-greater-exercise-frequency-in-those-age-60-and-older


'Cannabis has been prohibited in all sports during competition since the World Anti-Doping Agency first assumed the responsibility of establishing and maintaining the list of prohibited substances in sport 15 years ago. In 2018, however, CBD was removed from the Prohibited List, presumably on the basis of mounting scientific evidence that the cannabinoid is safe and well-tolerated in humans, even at very high doses (e.g. 1500 mg·day-1 or as an acute dose of 6000 mg). While several recent reviews have described the impact of cannabis on athlete health and performance, the influence of CBD alone has yet to be addressed.

The aim of this narrative review was to explore evidence on the physiological, biochemical, and psychological effects of CBD that may be relevant to sport and/or exercise performance and to identify relevant areas for future research. Given the absence of studies directly investigating CBD and sports performance, this review draws primarily on preclinical studies involving laboratory animals and a limited number of clinical trials involving non-athlete populations.'
https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-020-00251-0


'“Compared to older adult nonusers,” says the study, out of the University of Colorado at Boulder, “older adult cannabis users had lower [body mass index] at the beginning of an exercise intervention study, engaged in more weekly exercise days during the intervention, and were engaging in more exercise-related activities at the conclusion of the intervention.”

In other words, not only were adults over 60 who used marijuana generally in better shape than their peers who abstained from cannabis, they were also more responsive to an assigned four-month “exercise intervention trial”—essentially a regimen of physical activity prescribed by a clinician.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/lazy-stoner-stereotype-smashed-by-study-finding-marijuana-consumers-exercise-more/

'Greater cannabis exposure was associated with relatively lower BMI (ß=-0.31, p<.001), smaller WHR (ß=-0.23, p=.002), better HDL (ß=0.14, p=.036) and LDL cholesterol (ß=-0.15, p=.026), lower triglycerides (ß=-0.17, p=.009), lower fasting glucose (ß=-0.15, p<.001) and HOMA-IR (ß=-0.21, p=.003), lower systolic (ß=-0.22, p<.001) and diastolic blood pressure (ß=-0.15, p=.028), and fewer metabolic syndrome criteria (ß=-0.27, p<.001). With exception of BMI, cannabis users' mean levels on cardiometabolic risk factors were generally below clinical cutoffs for high risk. Most associations between cannabis use and cardiometabolic risk factors remained after adjusting for tobacco use, childhood SES, and childhood health. However, after adjusting for adult BMI, these associations were no longer apparent, and mediation tests suggested that cannabis users' relatively lower BMI might explain their lower levels of risk on other cardiometabolic risk factors.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30589665?dopt=Abstract


'There is a promise that medical marijuana may be part of the solution to the obesity and diabetes epidemic and may offer a safer replacement for rimonabant. Marijuana and its components deserve consideration as a subject for investigation by the obesity research community. Research scientists will need to familiarize themselves with the regulations that are applicable to their state and tailor their studies to the legal framework that best suits each state.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-019-0334-z


'The study offers a couple of theories to explain why marijuana users experience lower weight gain. One, for example, has to do with how the density of a specific cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) decreases with chronic cannabis use. It’s a theory that was first introduced last year by a separate team of researchers at Indiana University South Bend.

“For many patients,” they wrote in the meta-analysis they published in December, “Cannabis may be a better option for weight loss than surgery or pharmaceuticals.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-consumers-gain-less-weight-than-non-users-study-confirms/


We found that past marijuana users had lower odds of suspected NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) than non-users, which suggests that previous exposure to marijuana may affect the development of NAFLD.

Against previous background of plausible harms from marijuana, metabolic risk estimates from current data suggest a protective effect. Recent studies report that marijuana use is associated with decreased risk of metabolic abnormalities such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0186702


'Researchers found that people in the study who used marijuana daily had about a 3 percent lower BMI (body mass index), on average, than those who did not use marijuana at all.'
https://www.livescience.com/56068-daily-marijuana-use-linked-to-lower-bmi.html


'Collectively, we provide here multiple lines of evidence that signaling via CB1 is crucial for the normal onset of labor; its absence induces preterm birth via altering ovarian steroid synthesis and degradation, and CRH-CTS activities. These novel findings have high clinical relevance, since increases in circulating levels of anandamide are associated with labor onset and duration in women and that CRH controls the length of human pregnancy. This is especially a concern in the light of little change in high preterm birth rates during the past 30 years and the use of a selective CB1 antagonist in Europe as an anti-obesity drug. There is evidence that polymorphism of the Cnr1 gene occurs in humans and is associated with variable drug dependency. It remains to be seen whether preterm labor in women is associated with Cnr1 gene polymorphism or mutation.'
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0003320