STUDY: Smoking Weed Might Make You Thin… But Why?

As momentum for marijuana reform
continues to build in the U.S., a new
study touting the health benefits of pot
emerges daily — or so it seems. The
latest? Smoking weed just might make
you thin.
Actually, it’s not the latest study by any
means; it’s a survey published in May’s
Journal of American Medicine that is
beginning to garner attention, and
it comes to this conclusion:
We found that marijuana use was
associated with lower levels of fasting
insulin and HOMA-IR, and smaller
waist circumference.
In non-lab-nerd speak, that means that in
addition to (possibly) making you thinner,
smoking marijuana could prevent
diabetes by helping to better regulate
blood sugar. It’s a conclusion that runs
contrary to the popular conception of
couch-locked stoners stuffing their faces
with Cheetos and Swedish Fish while
watching South Park marathons. In fact,
this study joins a long list of research
projects that have arrived at the same
conclusion . So what gives?
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Before you cancel your gym membership
and hit up your local drug dealer or
take a walk to the dispensary, you
might want to take a deep breath (of
air, not pot smoke) and chill out.
Remember, this is just a study (more
like a survey), not an experiment, which
means there is only a statistical
connection, but no scientific evidence
pointing to a correlation between
Cannabis use and svelte waistlines.
There are, however, theories. Here are
some of the most compelling.
THE UNPROVABLE (FOR NOW)
THEORY
Many scientists speculate that there is
“ a relationship between cannabinoids and
peripheral metabolic processes. ”
Unfortunately, this is likely to remain a
theory for the time being because as
Andrew Sullivan so astutely observes ,
laws banning the use of marijuana make
conducting laboratory experiments rather
difficult . That’s a major bummer when
you consider the fact that pot could
prove to be an effective tool for fighting
everything from diabetes to heart
disease.
THE RELIGION THEORY
God seems to have his hands in a
whole host of issues these days —
everything from abortion to stem cells to
gay marriage — but weed? It’s not as
crazy as it sounds. Recent studies have
shown that highly religious people who
tend to abstain from drug use balance
their good behavior with gluttony.
Essentially, they’re eating too much
instead of getting high, substituting one
vice (drug use) for the other
(overeating). As a result, pot smokers
tend to be thinner or more accurately,
less fat.
THE CANCER & AIDS THEORY
This one’s pretty simple and a little
dark. Basically, many of the people who
smoke marijuana, especially those who
do so legally, use the drug because their
already suffering from an affliction that
causes a reduced appetite, like eating
disorders, cancer or AIDS. They’re
thinner because of their disease, and
they just so happen to smoke weed.
Makes sense.
THE POTHEADS LEAD HEALTHIER
LIFESTYLES THEORY
Weed Smokers are strange, ethereal
folks. They love to frolic outdoors, swim
and go rock climbing. They enjoy
suckling the sweet juices of fresh fruits
and vegetables. They also tend to get
more sleep, which is great for
metabolism (you also can’t eat if you’re
passed out on your sofa or sleeping in
a deep haze of lucid dreams). As a
result, these lifestyle changes balance
out the extra calories from late-night
runs to Chipotle and Pinkberry.
THE WEED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR
BOOZE THEORY
People who toke on a regular basis
often do so in place of drinking —
especially binge drinking — or so this
theory, introduced by Andrew Sullivan,
suggests. Therefore, smokers of the
wacky weed are trading one, unhealthy,
fattening drug (alcohol) for another less
sinister one (THC). Don’t believe us?
Why else would Beer and Alcohol
companies lobby so hard against the
legalization of marijuana?
RYOT NOTE: Look, not everyone
is on board with legalizing or
even using marijuana, but every
time we see a new study touting
its health benefits, or every time
we read about how the
government is spending millions
upon millions of dollars enforcing
antiquated laws, we can’t help but
think that legalization is the way
to go. If you agree, you’re going
to love the National Organization
for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws. You can probably guess
what they do based on their
name, even if you’ve smoked a
few joints. Click on the gray box
alongside this story to learn more,
donate and Become the