- Can I have some Jordan Almonds, please?
And some chocolate
peanuts, and a crispy bar.
- Hey, man, you shouldn't have
smoked that last joint, man.
- And some chocolate raisins,
oh and some plain M&Ms.
- Hey man, I'll meet you inside, ok?
- That's some classic Cheech and Chong
stoner shenanigans from the 1982 comedy
It Came From Hollywood.
- And clearly, Chong has a
case of the munchies, but why?
(electronic music)
- [Male Host] Human civilization
has a long history with marijuana.
Chinese records of cannabis cultivation
date back to the 28th century, B.C.E.
And traces of THC, its
principle psychoactive chemical,
have popped up in a nearly
3,000 year old Egyptian mummy.
- [Female Host] Once in your blood stream,
THC typically reaches the brain
seconds after it's inhaled.
Here, it gets down to business,
altering mood, perception, cognition,
motor coordination, and appetite.
- We're talking a strong
uptick in appetite, here.
Some even describe the
sensation as uncontrollable.
Producing a fierce hunger even
in the wake of a full belly.
The user shouldn't feel peckish,
but the THC manages to flip the brain's
appetite switch all the way up
to the hungry, hungry hippo setting.
- Researchers have long recognized
that the brain's
cannabinoid receptor, 1CB1R,
can contribute to overeating.
And now, a new study from
the Yale School of Medicine
sheds more light on the particulars
of just what's going on here.
- By manipulating the cellular pathway
that mediates marijuana's action in
the brains of transgenic mice.
They observe the key role played
by a group of nerve cells
called proopiomelanocortin,
or POMC neurons.
- Normally, these are
considered key drivers
in reducing eating when full.
Smoke a normal tobacco cigarette,
and the nicotine makes POMC neurons
more active, curbing hunger.
- And yet the THC in wacky tobacky
actually increases hunger by activating
the same POMC neurons.
That's right, the same mechanism that
normally turns the hot donuts
sign in your brain off, turns it on.
A fact that surprised
the Yale researchers.
- While more work is required
to validate the finding,
scientists hope that
increasing understanding
of THC's effect on the appetite
will enable the development of
better appetite manipulators,
aiding in both weight loss and
the care of cancer patients,
who often experience decreased
appetite during treatment.
- Plus, who knows, maybe
we'll finally understand
Chong's unimaginable hunger
for garbage bin popcorn.
Hey, if you enjoyed this video,
be sure to check out these
three videos as well.
- And don't forget to visit us
at StuffToBlowYourMind.com.
- [Male Narrator] Cannabis
sativa, more commonly called
marijuana, is the most widely abused
illegal drug in the United States.
- [Female Narrator] Right now,
marijuana is legal, or decriminalized,
in 15 states and Washington, D.C.,
and it is also pending
in six other states.
- [Male Narrator 2]
According to the Office
of National Drug Control Policy,
the US government spent
over 15 billion dollars
fighting drug use, smuggling,
and distribution over 2010.
(bell sounds)
