Medical marijuana has been a hot topic in the medical world for the past few years. A seminar at this year’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo entitled “Going green: use of medical cannabis in medical nutrition therapy” discussed the efficacy and use of medical marijuana. Specifically in the second half of the seminar, Zachari Breeding presented the use of cannabis in nutrition related conditions.
He prefaced his talk by discussing the challenges surrounding researching the efficacy of cannabis use. Cannabis is still regarded as a schedule 1 substance, which means it has no currently accepted medical use and has a lack of accepted safety use under medical supervision. The only place to procure research grade cannabis is the University of Mississippi. The university has a very limited amount of space for production, limiting the amount available for research. Not only that, but research into the efficacy of cannabis is rarely funded when compared to research into its detrimental effects. Because of this, there is limited good evidence about the efficacy of cannabis.
However there are still nutrition-related conditions that are qualifying conditions for cannabis use in many states. The most common are cachexia, anorexia, nausea, irritable bowel syndrome, and cirrhosis. With more research, other conditions could also benefit from cannabis use. Two of the main effects of cannabis use researched in nutrition are appetite stimulation and weight gain. In rat models, low dosing of THC was shown to increase both homeostatic and hedonic control of eating. It was also found that cannabis use promoted weight gain, regardless of calorie intake. These uses make cannabis a consideration for treating the elderly who have poor nutrition status. It is also a potential treatment for chemotherapy-related emesis, however most research has found that cannabis use leads to increased food intake because of improved mood instead of increased appetite.
While there are multiple uses for medical marijuana in a nutrition setting, it can’t be prescribed for everyone. There are still risks associated with cannabis as with all drugs. Understanding the risks and benefits is necessary for recommending medical cannabis. Further research is needed on the efficacy of cannabis so that nutrition professionals and their patients can make informed decisions on their best plan of treatment.
Alexis this was a really interesting seminar, being that I never would have considered using medical marijuana for nutritional purposes. I think this would be an interesting study to conduct with older adults who may be malnourished. I didn’t have much knowledge on medical marijuana until my policy class last semester. I just wish there was more research that could be done, especially with evidence that it is beneficial to some of these health conditions.
Alexis, interesting article. Not something that i had really considered or read about before. I have mostly only ready about medical marijuana use for pain and neurological conditions. I was also interested to see it used in those with eating disorders. While it does show some efficacy in increasing appetite, I’m curious to know what impact it would have on their mental health. For most eating disorders, it comes from some form of mental dissatisfaction with body image. I wonder what kind of impact medical marijuana may have on these factors? Could it possibly relieve enough anxiety to help keep the person from relapsing? Or does it merely stimulate appetite?