Overview
WSU’s official press release on the PNAS munchies study. Prof. Carrie Cuttler (THC Lab director) and Prof. Ryan McLaughlin led the human arm; Calgary’s Matthew Hill and Catherine Hume ran parallel rat studies. The 82-person trial found cannabis vapor increased food consumption regardless of BMI, time since last meal, sex, or dose. Unexpected finding: beef jerky was the top food choice among intoxicated participants. Rat studies confirmed satiated animals immediately resumed food-seeking behavior when re-exposed to cannabis. The team aims to develop appetite-stimulating treatments for HIV/AIDS and chemotherapy patients.
Clinical Perspective
WSU’S MUNCHIES RESEARCH: THE INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Led by Prof. Cuttler (THC Lab) and Prof. McLaughlin, with Calgary’s Hill and Hume. This multi-institution, multi-species design is rare in cannabis research—and exactly what regulators demand.
The 82 Pullman volunteers used whole-plant vapor. Beef jerky was the surprise top food choice. But the serious finding: brain-mediation of appetite opens the door to drugs that leverage the hypothalamic CB1 mechanism without intoxication. This is what cannabis research looks like with proper institutional support.
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