Can Cannabis Help You Lose Weight?

Obesity is the accumulation of fatty deposits in the human body. It has become a public health problem worldwide, affecting all social classes. There is an estimated 1 billion overweight people worldwide, 300 million of whom are already obese, and by 2025 these figures could multiply.

The consequences of this disease revolve around cardiovascular and metabolic problems, not to mention respiratory disorders. That is why every obese patient has a short life expectancy, since the long-term success rate is low and, usually, the weight loss is regained in a short time so that the comorbidities associated with it reappear. Therefore, the affected person begins to consume large amounts of medications to treat all the complications of obesity.

Several receptors comprise the endocannabinoid system (ECS. The most important are CB1 and CB2, and the endogenous ligands called anandamide (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), enzymes responsible for their formation and degradation. We will discover, in this audiobook, that the endocannabinoid system is relevant in modulating the reward and reinforcement circuit of ingestion. Because in the mesolimbic system are CB1 receptors with dopaminergic D1 and D2 receptors.

Rimonabant, a selective CB1 receptor antagonist, is part of the traditional obesity treatment. The receptor inhibits the cannabinoid agonist's pharmacological effects "in vitro" and "in vivo". Rimonabant is auxiliary to diet and exercise when treating obese patients (with body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2), or overweight (BMI > 27 kg/m2), with associated risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes or dyslipidemia. However, in 2008 this drug was withdrawn from the market because of the increase in suicide rates linked to it.

However, THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin), a natural phytocannabinoid with a similar chemical structure to THC, but might present low psychoactive effects. It is one of several active ingredients of Cannabis sativa. And finally, we will know how cannabinoids work in obesity as well as their dosage.

At Pharmacology University, we care about you and your health. It is the reason behind why we decided to include in our series of books this interesting topic for you and your family. Enjoy it!