Due to cannabis being an illegal substance for many years, there has been little to no research done on it. Now that it has become legalized in some states, researchers have started to conduct scientific studies. There are different studies being performed but many scientists are coming to similar conclusions: people who smoke cannabis on a regular basis are thinner, fitter, and more active.

The lastest of these studies is from Oregon Health and Science University. Researchers concluded that people who use cannabis more than 5 times a month, have a lower body mass index (BMI) than people who do not use cannabis at all.

“Heavy users of cannabis had a lower mean BMI compared to that of never users, with a mean BMI being 26.7 kg/m in heavy users and 28.4 kg/m in never users.”

The study also suggested that people who consume cannabis on a regular basis are more physically active than those who do not smoke cannabis regularly, or not at all. 

“There is a popular belief that people who consume marijuana have the munchies, and so [they] are going to eat a lot and gain weight, and we found that it is not necessarily the case.”

This is just the most recent study to come up with this same conclusion:

• A study published last year in the Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics suggests that regular consumers of cannabis have a lower BMI than those who do not use the drug.
• A 2013 study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that cannabis consumers have 16 percent lower levels of fasting insulin and 17 percent lower insulin resistance levels than non-users. The research found “significant associations between marijuana use and smaller waist circumferences.”
• And data published in British Medical Journal in 2012 reported that cannabis consumers had a lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes and a lower risk of contracting the disease than did those with no history of cannabis consumption.

Bryce Sampson

A caffeine dependent life form.