cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Munchies May Hold a Key to Obesity Marijuana Munchies May Hold a Key to Obesity Posted by FoM on April 11, 2001 at 14:40:30 PT Source: WebMD Those who try marijuana (and inhale) know that smoking it can bring on an acute snack attack known as "the munchies." Scientists from Italy, the U.S. and Japan now say that pot may stimulate the appetite by interacting in the brain with a key hunger-controlling hormone. The discovery suggests that in mice and probably in humans, the appetite-regulating hormone leptin, which is produced by fat cells, may suppress hunger by controlling brain levels of cannabinoids, naturally occurring substances that are also found in marijuana. The research also indicates that cannabinoids and other substances controlled by leptin may contribute to overeating in some people who are obese, say George Kunos, PhD and colleagues in the April 10 issue of the journal Nature. "The potential therapeutic implications are obvious, and that is that in obesity, where reducing food intake and appetite is a primary goal, one could think of blocking [a cannabinoid docking-site in the brain] as one means to achieve that," says Kunos, scientific director at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Researchers have long known that cannabinoids stimulate appetite. In fact, doctors use a cannabinoid chemical derived from marijuana, called THC, to help maintain appetite and weight in people with advanced AIDS and other body-wasting diseases. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that has been shown to both reduce food intake and increase energy use by the body by acting on a part of the brain known as the hypothalamus. To determine whether there might be an interplay between leptin and cannabinoids in the brain, Kunos and colleagues studied mice that had been specially bred to be missing a gene for a brain receptor for cannabinoid molecules. When the mice were given food after an 18-hour fast, they ate less food than did their littermates without the missing gene. In addition, when the mice were given a drug that blocks the action of the receptor, it suppressed the appetite of the normal mice but not of those with the missing receptor gene. The researchers also looked at other animals -- mice engineered for obesity, and mice and rats engineered for diabetes -- to determine whether leptin might have an effect on cannabinoids in the brain. They found that when normal and obese rodents were given leptin, brain levels of two naturally occurring cannabinoids were reduced. But when mice and rats with defects in the leptin system were given leptin, the cannabinoids were only slightly reduced, suggesting that leptin plays an important role in the release of chemicals that either suppress or enhance appetite. The experiments indicate that specific cannabinoids in the brain may activate cannabinoid receptors to stimulate appetite and therefore maintain weight. They also suggest that naturally occurring cannabinoids form part of the appetite-control circuit in the brain, with leptin serving as a kind of master dimmer switch. Kunos tells WebMD that while it is tempting to speculate about potential weight-loss drugs based on a cannabinoid receptor-blocking strategy, "there are so many of these [appetite controlling] hormones, one would think it logical that it would be very difficult to have a major effect on food intake by using only one or the other. A case in point was the clinical trials with leptin which were kind of disappointing in that leptin wasn't very effective in reducing food intake, even though it's a very powerful orchestrating hormone, probably because other components of the system kicked in and compensated." Note: Marijuana Ingredient Acts in Brain to Stimulate Hunger.Reviewed by Dr. Gary D. VoginSource: WebMDAuthor: Neil Osterweil, WebMD Medical News Published: April 11, 2001Copyright: 2001 WebMD CorporationWebsite: http://www.webmd.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:NIAAAhttp://www.niaaa.nih.gov/Journal Naturehttp://www.nature.com/nature/Straight Dope on the Munchies http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9338.shtmlMarijuana-Like Substance in Brain Trigger Appetite http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9337.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by ras james rsifwh on April 12, 2001 at 07:50:12 PT God Wanted Dead or Alive Jorma Nash, you made the I-man laugh! Give all praise and thanks to Jah Rastafari!Let me play with the I-DEA.GOD WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE!For Creating an Evil Herb!This evil herb is known as Cannabis Sativa and has been outlawed by the worlds first world-wide super power. That's right this One World Governmnet, the USA, has declared Marijauana evil and illegal.Reasons given for Marijuana being illegal and evil are: (1) It has never killed anyone like the One World's favorite drugs, Big Tobacco and Alcohol. (2) Cannabis Sativa is not addicting like Big Tobacco and Alcohol. (3) Cannabis Sativa is a weedy plant and any idiot can grow it...no control over production, distribution, and profits. and (4) It is the Sacred Sacrament of the Hindu Religion (Cannabis is God's Mind) which is an overstanding that does not come out of the Jewish-Muslim-Christian traditions and understandings. Caution! God, the evil creator of Cannabis Sativa, is Everywhere and knows Everything. He is unstoppable...But the dump shits in Congress are going to try. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Cuzn Buzz on April 11, 2001 at 19:55:52 PT: PRAISE JAH! Hmmm, there was a nice book out years ago titled "Flowers in The Blood" about the receptors which are tailored specificaly for substances our society seems to be under some evil spell to prohibit.God not only created all the wonderful neuroaviation chemicals, he made us capable of enjoying them!God rocks!Praise Jah!!!Munchies?Praise Jah some more!And pass the smores! [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by jorma nash on April 11, 2001 at 19:03:38 PT one very simple question... ...that never seems to get asked:if these chemicals are found natually in human brains,why must they be considered Evil when they natually occur in plants?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~reminds me of a poster i saw once,something like:wanted: GOD(front mug shot, side mug shot)for creation of a controlled substanceconsidered omnipotent and extremely dangerousapproach with caution~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"There is as much chance of repealing the 18th Amendment as there is for a hummingbird to fly to the planet Mars with the Washington Monument tied to its tail."------------Morris Sheppard, the congressman from Texas who co-sponsored the original legislation, in 1930. (alcohol prohibition ends: 1933) [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by ras james rsifwh on April 11, 2001 at 16:06:55 PT CANNABIS SATIVA AND EATING FOOD There is much more to this subject than Dr. Kunos is able to bring to the table. True when smoking herb, munchies do occur with chocolate, chips, etc.; but munchies also occur with salads and other healthy foods like broiled fish, etc. Also, I do not over eat when smoking the sacred herb. I delight in the tastes; and focus on the wonders of the food as opposed to thinking about "problems" and then unconciously over eat.I have also noticed that when I come home from work and I am starving that if I take a walk in the woods and smoke the sacred herb...I totally lose my cravings for food and marvel at the wonders of nature. Then when I return home several hours later, I enjoy taking the time to prepare a delicious salad. As I eat...I marvel at the tastes of the Almighty's vegtables. But if I don't smoke the herb, I tend to eat fatty and unhealthy foods.I-man don't need scientists to fumble around in the dark for many years in order to know what is already overstood by the Rastaman. Give all praise and thanks to Jah Rastafari!With Cannabis, I tend to stay active, eat healthy, and stay trim. Without Cannabis, I tend to stay inside more, eat fatty foods, and bulge at my waiste. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by meagain on April 11, 2001 at 15:00:09 PT Yaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!!!!!1 420 light up the world with blackcat fireworks yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaOrder fireworks online even better hurryyyyyyyyyy [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Cpt. 420 on April 11, 2001 at 14:58:40 PT Mission Contol Urgent pass the word post this everywhere pleeeeeease April 20thTHe 420 HolidayTake time out and show your support for legalization by letting off lots off fireworks at 4:20 PmCheck laws in your area b4 you light up!Tell all your friends.U may participate right from your home.Got Blackcats?????SHOOOOOOOOOOOOm bang boom [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 11, 2001 at 14:49:30 PT Marijuana Munchies May Hold a Key to Obesity This is the complete title and it cut out the full title because I left parenthesis when I posted it. It also cut out the author. Author: Neil Osterweil, WebMD Medical News I just wanted to post the right info for you all. 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