A new study by Californian researchers has suggested that legalising cannabis could help bring down obesity rates
- because rather than drinking pints of alcoholic beverages to
celebrate or relax, people spark up a calorie-free joint instead.
The study, conducted by scientists from Cornell and San Diego Universities,
involved the analysis of 22 years of health data from states which have
decriminalised cannabis either for medical or recreational use.
In states where weed was made legal, obesity levels dropped by between 2 and 6 per cent.
Among younger cannabis users, the researchers found that many
substituted large amounts of alcoholic drinks for cannabis, meaning they
consumed less calories.
And among older people, medical cannabis helped alleviate common
ailments like joint and chronic pain, allowing them to be more
active and letting them burn more calories.
As it said in the study: "These findings are consistent with the
hypothesis that medical marijuana laws may be more likely to induce
marijuana use for health-related reasons amongst older individuals, and
cause substitution towards lower-calorie recreational 'highs' among
younger individuals."
The data they used was from the Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance
Sysem (BRFSS), a telephone survey systems that collects data about
participants' health conditions, health-related behaviours such as
overeating, and their use of medical services.
It's a rich set of data, and 22 years' worth of responses was enough to find a trend.
Cannabis use is usually associated with the excessive consumption of
snacks - but according to this study, legalistation may actually stop
people getting fat.
This possible health benefit leads to savings when it comes to
medical costs, too - the research suggested that annually, people
involved in the study saw a $58 to $115 reduction in obesity-related
health costs.
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