THC Gummies To Increase Appetite

If you've smoked or otherwise consumed cannabis, you're probably familiar with the phenomenon of the munchies. But what's the science behind it? Why does eating spaghetti become imperative?

Interaction with the Endocannabinoid System

The main reason we "feel" THC is because of its interaction with the endocannabinoid system — a complex network of receptors and neurotransmitters found throughout your body. The ECS plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes, including your appetite, your mood, and the way you experience pain.

THC binds to cannabinoid receptors — particularly the CB1 receptors — a ton of which are found in areas of the brain associated with hunger and regulating food intake. By activating these receptors, THC can enhance the pleasure associated with eating, making food more appealing and enjoyable.

Effect on the Brain's Reward System

THC also affects the brain's reward system. When THC activates CB1 receptors, it can also increase the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which is linked to the sensation of pleasure. This heightened reward response can make eating more gratifying and encourage increased food intake.

Alteration of Taste and Smell

Research also shows that THC might enhance the sensory experience of eating for some folks by increasing the perception of taste and smell. This amplification of sensory input can stimulate appetite by making food seem more flavorful and aromatic. Yes, it actually does make things taste better.

Influence on Hormones

Research is also showing that THC could affect your hormones — ghrelin and leptin in particular. The first stimulates your appetite; the second helps tell your brain that you're full. By altering the balance of these hormones, THC can disrupt the body's normal appetite regulation system and help you increase your food intake.

Appetite stimulation aside, there are a ton of other tangential benefits to using THC — benefits that might also help if you're interested in managing your appetite and food intake.

It Can Help You Manage Pain

THC has well-documented analgesic properties, making it a valuable tool for folks dealing with chronic pain. By interacting with ECS receptors, THC can help modulate pain signals and reduce inflammation. It quite literally changes the way your body experiences pain.

It Can Provide Relief from Nausea and Vomiting

THC is also effective in helping people reduce their nausea and vomiting, particularly in folks going through chemotherapy. It interacts with cannabinoid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract and brain, helping to mitigate these symptoms and side effects. If you're undergoing treatments that affect your ability to eat and maintain nutrition, THC could be a valuable tool.

It Can Help You Sleep Better

THC can also help people who suffer from insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns by promoting relaxation and reducing the time it takes to fall asleep. A lot of folks use it as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical sleeping pills.

It Can Help You Manage Anxiety

One of the primary reasons people have been using THC for millennia is its ability to create feelings of euphoria and relaxation. It's been shown to increase dopamine levels in people's brains, and it also interacts with the brain's reward system, like we talked about above. For a lot of people, THC provides a temporary escape from daily pressures and promotes a more relaxed state of mind.

Now that you have a pretty good idea of the appetite-increasing effects of THC gummies as well as some of the other related benefits let's talk about using these products responsibly to achieve the intended effect — especially if you've never done it before.

So like we said above, taking THC can help you regulate your food intake by increasing your appetite. If that's what you're going for, great. We've got all sorts of products that can help with that. If you've never tried THC before, though, or if you're new to edibles, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Talk to a Medical Professional

Regardless of your reason for consuming THC, you need to discuss it with a medical professional, especially if you're taking medication or have an underlying health concern. While THC is safe to consume, you don't want it interacting with anything else you're taking or complicate existing conditions. Discuss your goals with your doctor and follow their medical advice.

Understand Onset and Duration

Once you've cleared things with the doc, understand that edibles take longer to kick in and will last for a lot longer than smoked cannabis. Once you eat an edible, it will take between 30 minutes and two hours to take effect. Once it does, expect to feel it for four to eight hours, depending on the potency of what you took and your tolerances. One of the classic mistakes of edible THC is thinking that the product isn't working, taking more, and becoming overwhelmed. Don't make this mistake. Trust us, the edible works. You just need to be patient.

Consider the Dosage

If you've never tried THC before, or even if you smoked it back in college, you need to be aware of the THC content of the edible you're considering. For first-time users, we recommend taking between 2mg and 5mg of THC. More experienced users will likely be more comfortable in the 10mg to 25mg range. Remember, you can always take more, but you can't take less. It's a mantra at this point, but we'll say it again. Start low and go slow.

Plan Ahead

This gets back to onset and duration, but it's worth mentioning. You're going to be feeling the effects of your edible for a considerable amount of time, so don't take it when you have something important to do later. Job interviews and THC gummies don't mix well. If you're looking to take these products to eat more, go out and get some of your favorite snacks, pull up DoorDash on your phone, and settle in for a Fraizer marathon.

So now that you have a pretty good grasp on how this works, let's talk about how to pick out the best gummies for your individual needs.

If you're considering using THC gummies to help stimulate your appetite, you're going to quickly realize you have a ton of options, which can feel a little overwhelming. Don't worry, though. We're here to help.

Check the THC Content

We said it above, but it bears repeating. Every edible product you come across is going to be formulated with different experiences and effects in mind. Some gummies are designed to help you sleep better. Some are to help increase focus and creativity. Some are made so the user can have a really interesting afternoon. A lot of this has to do with the THC content of the product itself. Until you know exactly how much THC it takes for you to increase your appetite, we recommend you don't rush into things. If you're more experienced, you might want to give our 25mg gummies a shot, or if you're a little less confident, you can pick up their 12mg cousin for a more controlled experience. That said…

Look for a Balanced Product

If you're looking to increase your appetite without experiencing any profound psychoactive effects, you might want to consider a gummy that balances THC and CBD. While THC is known for stimulating your appetite, CBD can have complementary effects that can help you moderate any potential anxiety or discomfort associated with the experience. If you're sensitive to THC or prefer a milder effect, gummies with a higher CBD content and lower THC might be a good option to consider. Lucky for you, we have Sherpa Sampler Packs that can help you find your new favorite products.

Consider the Ingredients

A lot of gummies on the market today have questionable ingredients that come from dubious sources. Not at Sherpa. We take pride in every single one of our products, and, by extension, what goes into them. Many of our products are vegan, most are organic, and we don't rely too heavily on unnatural additives or sweeteners. We think honest ingredients make for the best experience, and we think you're going to agree.

Keep a Log of the Effects

In order to dial in your experience and achieve the effects you're looking for, you should consider keeping track of how you felt after you consumed particular products. Make note of how it made you feel, what it did to your appetite, and how many milligrams of THC it took to achieve these effects. That can help you take the guesswork out of this and recreate the experience you're going for time after time. And hey, did we mention that you can subscribe to particular products to make sure you never run out? Seems like something worth pointing out here.

Ready to get started? Or are you still feeling a little apprehensive? "Wait a minute," you might be saying to yourself. "Isn't this illegal?" Let's address that next.

In a word, yes. All of Sherpa's products are perfectly legal to purchase in all 50 states. How? The 2018 Farm Bill — that's how.

Essentially, this important piece of legislation made a clear distinction between marijuana (illegal) and hemp (legal.) Both are variations of the same plant — cannabis — but the delineation comes from the overall THC content by dry weight. Anything less than 0.3 percent is hemp, which is legal to cultivate and produce. If it's more than 0.3 percent, that's marijuana, which remains federally illegal.

The THC in our THC products is all hemp-derived, which means it is perfectly legal to possess and consume across the country, no medical card required, no federal law enforcement knocking on the door.