Legalizing marijuana could bring down America’s exceptionally high obesity rate, according to a new study that challenges some of the country’s most ingrained stereotypes about cannabis.
Although it is widely accepted that cannabis increases a user’s appetite, researchers from Cornell and San Diego Universities found legalizing marijuana on a state level is associated with a 2-6 percent reduction in the probability of obesity.
The authors say the reasons for the falling obesity rate vary among age groups. Older citizens in states that pass medical marijuana laws (MMLs) are more physically active after medical cannabis is legalized.
For young people, the study argues swapping booze for cannabis could be the principal reason for contracting waistlines.
“Our findings show that the enactment of MMLs is associated with a 3.1 percent reduction in the probability of alcohol consumption and a 4.8 percent reduction in the probability of binge drinking,” the study says.
The researchers claim their findings support the hypothesis that “MMLs may be more likely to induce marijuana use for health-related reasons among older individuals, and cause substitution toward lower-calorie recreational ‘highs’ among younger individuals.”
The paper, published in Health Economics, suggests legalizing medical marijuana saves anywhere from $58 to $115 per person in healthcare costs thanks to the reduction in obesity.
The link between marijuana use and obesity is a hot topic in the public health community with a study released in August showing cannabis users are less vulnerable to obesity than their more abstemious peers.
The study shows there is an association between marijuana use, a lower weight range and lower risk of diabetes.
Examining 786 Inuit adults between the ages of 18 and 74, researchers from the Conference of Quebec University Health Centers found that after controlling for the effects of gender and age the body mass index for cannabis users was 26.8 compared to 28.6 for non-users.
The lowest BMI was found in those who were cannabis users who had never used tobacco or had quit tobacco. Furthermore, marijuana users had a smaller risk of contracting diabetes, with lower fasting insulin and insulin resistance.
“In this large cross-sectional adult survey with high prevalence of both substance use and obesity, cannabis use in the past year was associated with lower BMI, lower percentage fat mass, lower fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR (insulin resistance),” the authors say.
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