Hunger and appetite after single doses of marihuana, alcohol, and dextroamphetamine.

Supported in part by Grant MH 03030, National Institute of Mental Health. Marihuana smoking or hashish ingestion has long been reported to increase hunger and appetite. "Marihuana hunger" was described as coming on for 3 to 6 hours following the drug, with a special craving for sweets.' Another modern investigation' found that subjects did not experience hunger during the first 3 hours despite fasting; but when food was offered, they ate with great relish. Such reports apparently led to the assumption that marihuana lowers blood glucose. Several recent studies", s have, however, demonstrated that neither smoked marihuana in small doses nor orally ingested tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC) in large doses has any significant effect on plasma glucose levels. To test whether or not marihuana stimulates hunger and appetite, food consumption was measured systematically after fasted subjects were treated with marihuana, alcohol, dextroamphetamine, and a placebo in one experiment and after fed subjects'received marihuana, alcohol, and placebo in a second experiment.