The famous lab worm — Caenorhabditis elegans — gets the ‘munchies’ when it’s exposed to cannabis, scientists report. After soaking in a bath with endocannabinoids, the worms were placed in a simple maze and when given a choice munched on nutrient-rich, rather than nutrient-poor, bacteria. They fed for a longer amount of time than the “sober worms” or worms without activated endocannabinoid receptors.
(RELATED: Raphael Mechoulam discovers endocannabinoids)
Does this prove that using cannabis, or medical cannabis gives you the munchies?
“The fact that worms share this ‘hedonic feeding’ response with mammals, including rats and humans, points to the deep evolutionary origin of cannabinoid receptors and behaviours influenced by the molecules,” authors from the study report.
Medical cannabis is legal in more than half of all US states and it is 100% legal across Canada. Thailand tourism has been given a boost with cannabis farms and shops opening up to travellers for as little as $3 for a joint at a pub.
Cannabis users are often perceived as lazy and irresponsible but medical cannabis is often used to self medicate for disorders like anxiety and PTSD. Scientists I’ve interviewed in Israel studying neuro-receptors in cannabis say one should never judge those who use cannabis frequently.
“The more we know at a basic level about drug physiology, the more healthy our society will ultimately be,” says Shawn Lockery, a neuroscientist at the University of Oregon in Eugene who led the research.
