The Guardian
Worms soaked in cannabinoid found to have stronger preference than usual for higher-calorie foods
It is not just humans that get the munchies: worms also display the same craving for their favourite snacks after consuming cannabis, new research has found.
In the study, published in the journal Current Biology, researchers managed to simulate worms getting stoned by soaking them in cannabinoid.
It is not known whether the worms got high, but they did display a stronger preference for higher-calorie foods, just as humans crave junk food after taking cannabis.
The finding suggests that cannabis can interfere with an important mechanism that helps regulate appetite, the study concluded.
Cannabinoids are known to act by binding to proteins in the brain, nervous system and other parts of the body called cannabinoid receptors. If cannabinoids contain a chemical known as THC, it can induce feelings of relaxation and contentment.
Normally, these receptors respond to cannabinoids that are naturally present in the body, known as endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system plays important roles in eating, anxiety, learning and memory, reproduction and metabolism.
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