Dennis RomeroThe stereotype of the chunky, Cheetos-scarfing pothead never rang true to us. All the daily smokers we knew were more like Spicoli than Belushi (who appeared to like the nose candy anyway).
Yet another study (see this report from 2011) seems to support the idea that daily cannabis users don't necessarily have more to love, even if they have more to toke:
The study “Metabolic Effects of Chronic Cannabis Smoking,” just published in the journal Diabetes Care, found that daily smokers had less of a particular kind of belly fat and took in the same amount of calories as their non-turned-on brethren.
Researchers looked at 30 people who smoked about 10 joints a day and compared them to 30 who did not.
They found that the weed aficionados did not have a higher caloric intake, though they did end up eating more carbs. According to a summary:
Credit: Nanette Gonzalez for LA Weekly
There were no group differences in percent total body fat, or hepatic fat, but cannabis smokers had a higher percent abdominal visceral fat …
However, this analysis of the study notes that potheads also “had lower percentages of total and subcutaneous abdominal fat.”
In other words, not much difference, though you could argue a diet higher in carbs is less healthy.
And the study failed to prove, as some have suggested, that pot use might be able to help fight diabetes. There was a glimmer of hope here but, again, mostly there was no difference. The summary:
… Insulin resistance index … was lower (P < 0.05) in cannabis smokers. However, oral glucose insulin sensitivity index, measures of β-cell function, or incretin concentrations did not differ between the groups.
No miracle cure here. But no demon drug either.
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