Can CBD Oil Make You Gain Weight?
Article written by
Ruth LemonVP of Operations
Content reviewed by
Dr. Lewis JasseyMedical Director - Pediatric Medicine
CBD doesn’t increase appetite; in general, cannabis products seem to be associated with weight loss rather than weight gain.
The argument that they cause weight gain or weight loss is especially contentious. Many people assume that it would cause weight gain because of the infamous “munchies” that some experience after smoking weed. However, that’s not quite the whole truth of the situation.
THC stimulates appetite but does not necessarily increase it, making it potentially useful for conditions like cachexia (wasting syndrome).
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CBD and Weight Gain
People often assume that CBD will cause weight gain, primarily because of the infamous “munchies” associated with smoking marijuana.
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The Munchies: CBD and THC Products
While smoked marijuana does seem to cause an increase in appetite, that doesn’t seem to be related to either CBD or THC. Studies have shown that CBD decreases appetite, and THC causes no change. That means that a CBD oil containing THC would not have the same effect as smoking the whole cannabis plant, and CBD is more likely to decrease a person’s appetite than cause food cravings.
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Cannabis and Weight Gain
Even though smoking weed can increase appetite, studies have found that cannabis use can decrease the incidence of obesity and prevent increases in body mass index (BMI). This means that even though marijuana might increase your appetite and food intake in the short term, it could still assist in weight loss over the long term. CBD has many beneficial effects, so it can be unhelpful to look only at a single factor and draw conclusions from that alone.
CBD and Weight Loss
As difficult as it may be to believe, CBD may be quite helpful to someone trying to lose weight. The effect of cannabis products on metabolism, as well as their less direct effects in reducing obesity risk, all contribute to their usefulness in this circumstance.
Increasing Metabolism
Smoked marijuana seems to cause a temporary increase in metabolic rate. Speeding up metabolism causes the body to burn more calories. Since weight loss happens when the amount of calories burned is greater than the amount consumed and CBD decreases appetite, CBD oils may help the user lose weight. CBD can also increase metabolism by browning white fat cells, which makes the cells burn energy more readily, contributing to increased calories burned. This can be especially helpful to someone who is trying to lose fat mass.
Decreasing Obesity Risk
Other ways that CBD may assist weight loss are less direct, such as lowering a person’s risk of gaining weight and developing obesity. For example, CBD has been shown to reduce stress and improve sleep. These are major risk factors in the development of obesity but also incredibly important for maintaining general health. CBD has also been shown to speed up carbohydrate metabolism, helping regulate blood sugar and prevent insulin resistance. That’s good for weight loss and reduces a person’s risk of developing diabetes.
The Bottom Line
All in all, using CBD oil is unlikely to cause weight gain, as CBD causes a decrease in appetite, and cannabis use is associated with weight loss over the long term. CB1 agonists like THC are associated with appetite stimulation and hunger pangs. CBD, a CB1 receptor antagonist (but has a low affinity for them), may decrease appetite. This appetite-diminishing effect may increase when CBD is used with cannabigerol (CBG) and low doses of tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV).
Cannabis products are unfairly associated with weight gain because of the “munchies,” but their effect on weight seems to be the opposite. CBD oil use might assist a person with losing weight because of its impact on metabolism and its ability to reduce the risk of developing obesity along with associated health concerns like diabetes.
To learn more about this subject, please read our articles Benefits of CBD Oil for General Health and Does Weed Make You Lose Weight?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does CBD make you retain water?
There’s no evidence that CBD can make you retain water; in fact, the chemical properties of CBD make it more likely to repel water. CBD has been tested in skin moisturizers as compounds that repel water and can prevent skin dehydration. You may have noticed several cosmetics containing CBD since this property would make it a good moisturizer.
Can CBD affect metabolism?
It seems likely that CBD would cause increased metabolism, both directly by increasing a person’s basal metabolic rate and indirectly by causing white fat cells to “brown” and burn energy more readily. Since CBD can also decrease appetite, CBD oil would probably be quite helpful for someone trying to lose weight.
