Overview
NBC Right Now’s local coverage of the WSU/Calgary PNAS study conducted in the Pullman community. The trial recruited 82 volunteers ages 21-62 and used a whole-plant vapor approach rather than synthetic THC to better reflect real-world use. The appetite effect was universal and immediate, kicking in within 30 minutes. The rat component proved the mechanism is centrally mediated—blocking brain cannabinoid receptors stopped the effect while peripheral blocking did not. This translational approach combining human and rodent data provides the strongest evidence yet for developing cannabis-based appetite therapies for clinical wasting syndromes.
Clinical Perspective
FROM PULLMAN TO THE CLINIC
The 82 volunteers were Pullman community members ages 21-62. Whole-plant vapor was chosen over synthetic THC to mirror real use. The translational design—parallel human and rodent experiments—is the gold standard for drug development cases.
Rats immediately resumed food-seeking upon cannabis exposure despite satiation. Brain receptor blocking stopped it; peripheral didn’t. This evidence base could support cannabis-derived appetite therapies for HIV/AIDS wasting, chemotherapy-induced anorexia, and cancer cachexia. Local science, global impact.
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