In a recent study published within the International Journal of Obesity, researchers examined the consequences of cannabis on anthropometric measures.

Obesity stays a major global public health concern, with about 650 million adults affected, per the World Health Organization (WHO). Obesity ends in metaphysical changes and chronic conditions that reduce life expectancy. Obesity-related complications are linked to excess body fat, an inflammatory condition that disrupts body functioning, leading to cardiac, vascular, hemodynamic, skeletal, and cerebral malfunctions.

Study: Effect of cannabis and subproducts on anthropometric measures: a scientific review and meta-analysis. Image Credit: oatawa / Shutterstock

Various strategies have been described to scale back fat mass and, thereby, obesity. These include improvements in physical activity standards, adoption of healthy eating guidelines, drug interventions, and surgical interventions. Lately, Cannabis sativa has been used to treat/relieve symptoms of some diseases.

Even though it is well tolerated in some conditions, opposed effects have been steadily reported for psychiatric disorders with long-term use. Various diseases have been linked to the therapeutic or recreational use of cannabis. Nevertheless, the consequences of cannabis and its sub-products are poorly understood.

In regards to the study

The current study assessed the consequences of cannabis and derivatives on anthropometric measures. The researchers searched Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase databases for randomized controlled trials evaluating cannabis use and anthropometric changes in obese adults. Reviews, editorials, protocols, animal or in vitro studies, and people with populations under 18 years were excluded.

The intervention was the usage of cannabis or its sub-products as therapeutic agents. Outcomes were changes in body weight, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage. Data on study design, follow-up duration, participant characteristics, cannabis dosage, changes in obesity indices or indicators, data acquisition methods, findings, and limitations were extracted from eligible studies. The danger of bias was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool.

The team performed a meta-analysis using a random-effects model to look at the connection of cannabis use with changes in anthropometric indices or indicators. The Cochran Q test and I-squared statistic were used to evaluate the heterogeneity of studies. Forest plots were used to visualise treatment effects. Further, sub-group analyses were performed by the variety of cannabis and follow-up duration.

Findings

The preliminary search yielded 2,620 hits. After deduplication and title/abstract screening, 2,560 articles were excluded. Overall, 27 studies were chosen for systematic review; of those, 12 were included within the meta-analysis. The studies comprised 4,394 participants aged 18-70 and had a follow-up of as much as 1,338 days.

The studies were performed in France, the UK (UK), the USA (US), Canada, Finland, Argentina, Portugal, Sweden, Iran, Holland, Spain, and Switzerland. Cannabis products included rimonabant, hemp oil, cannabidiol, β-caryophyllene, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its analogs, amongst others. Studies tested various doses of cannabis products.

Nevertheless, some studies didn’t specify the dosage of hemp oil, β-caryophyllene, cannabidiol, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV). Participants who used cannabis and its products had reduced weight by 1.87 kg and WC by 2 cm. In contrast, BMI showed a marginal decline, whereas body fat increased by 0.58%. There was the next weight reduction in a sub-group that used cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) antagonist/agonist and in studies with an extended follow-up (> one 12 months).

Likewise, higher BMI reduction was evident in participants who used CB1 antagonist/agonist and in studies with a follow-up longer than one 12 months. The sub-group using CB1 antagonist/agonist showed a greater decrease in WC. Further, the usage of cannabis oil resulted in a low reduction in body fat, whereas other cannabis products increased body fat, especially the CB1 antagonist/agonist.

Conclusions

Taken together, the usage of cannabis and sub-products reduced WC and body weight. Sub-group analyses indicated the next BMI reduction with an extended follow-up. Changes in body fat were inconsistent across studies attributable to the indisputable fact that there have been fewer studies available. Overall, while reductions in WC, body weight, and BMI were evident with cannabis use, the findings ought to be interpreted with caution, given the methodological limitations. Further research on the consequences of cannabis along side dietary interventions or physical activity can offer additional insights into obesity prevention.