Medical Marijuana: Can Weed Treat Obesity? Victoria Bekiempis - Village Voice
go to original July 10, 2012

We're still trying to wrap our heads around this item, but here we go...

Several British researchers claim that cannabis - fondly known for inducing intense cravings for everything from Hot Pockets to Doritos to Taco Bell - might actually have appetite suppressant qualities, and could even be used to treat obesity.

So what's up?

Researchers at GW Pharmaceuticals are using pot in clinical trials as a treatment for metabolic syndrome, "a risk factor for diabetes," according to UPI.

That's because THCV and cannabidiol - chemical components in pot - themselves suppress appetites. Though this effect only lasts temporarily, scientists "found the compounds also had an impact on the level of fat in the body and its response to insulin, a hormone that controls sugar levels in the blood."

With mice, these compounds actually speed up the animals' metabolism, cutting the amount of liver fat and blood cholesterol, the newswire reports.

This recent report on reefer research comes shortly after another development in the world of prescription pot: Remember that buzzkill Israeli scientists have bred a highless variety of medical marijuana.

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