Medical Marijuana in Anorexia Treatment: A Personal Story

Many users of medical marijuana know that it can quickly stimulate appetite, even in someone who is already full. However, few realize that this seemingly minor effect of the plant is actually one of the most effective treatments for anorexia known to humanity.

Just ten months ago, I looked like a skeleton wrapped in skin. I hated myself, especially the way my body looked. I felt like my life was over and that I would never be able to overcome anorexia. My health deteriorated significantly, and I began to feel a strange pain in my heart, which led to my hospitalization.

To be specific, at one point, I felt as if my heart had sunk into my stomach (strangely, aside from the pain and panic, it also felt like I had eaten well for the first time in years of being underweight). The doctors told me that my body was so weakened from malnutrition that I could die from heart failure. They also said I might never be able to have children due to the damage caused by chronic starvation. Even such grim news couldn’t convince me to start eating normally, because psychologically, I was simply afraid to eat.

The National Association for Anorexia Therapy notes that about 30 million people in the United States alone suffer from various forms of this disorder. In addition to the obvious health problems caused by severe weight loss, at least one in five people with anorexia ends their life by suicide. Most often, this disease affects young women aged 15 to 24, like myself.

After several days of serious reflection in the hospital, I decided to take radical measures to fight the illness.

The Psychological Roots of Anorexia

Many people believe that anorexia is purely a physiological disorder, but in reality, it has deep psychological roots. If it were simply a matter of not eating enough, the problem could be solved with abundant nutrition. In fact, anorexia is more like a phobia—a pathological and uncontrollable desire to be thinner. Imagine a constant, judgmental voice in your head criticizing your “excess weight” no matter how much you try to lose. This voice can’t be silenced and always demands that you weigh even less to avoid looking “fat” or “ugly.”

Overall, the symptoms of anorexia fall into two categories: physiological (such as extreme weight loss and physical weakness due to malnutrition) and psychological (like the obsession with losing weight and related depression).

My Experience with Medical Marijuana

Doctors identified all the key symptoms in me. In addition to being severely underweight, I suffered from hair loss, chronic fatigue, low blood pressure, and amenorrhea (absence of menstruation). They also noted psychological symptoms, especially my chronic depression, which had accompanied me throughout years of starvation.

At first, treatment was extremely difficult. Even a light snack of vegetables would trigger panic attacks and amplify the voice of my relentless inner critic. Ultimately, medical marijuana saved me—my father, who had used it to overcome an addiction to painkillers after open-heart surgery, suggested I try it.

Scientists say that the human brain has specific neural pathways responsible for the sensation of appetite. According to researchers at Yale University, people with anorexia suffer from dysfunction in these neurons due to a persistent aversion to food. Medical marijuana helps reactivate these pathways, restoring the feeling of hunger. In fact, this phenomenon is seen even in healthy, well-fed people, as cannabinoids act on these neurons, sending signals to the brain that trigger appetite.

Medical marijuana helped me regain my appetite and quiet my inner critic, allowing me to start on the path to recovery. Now, I use therapeutic marijuana regularly before meals.

Looking back at my life before discovering medical marijuana, I was a very sad and frightened girl. I remember having real breakdowns when I thought I had eaten just a few grams more than my “critic” allowed.

Now, I enjoy food again. In fact, I’ve regained the sense of taste that I had lost due to anorexia. It’s as if I’ve returned to childhood, when food didn’t seem like a “monster” out to ruin me. After just a few days of using medical marijuana, I was able to remind my body and mind that food is simply fuel for our bodies—nothing more.

Scientific Evidence Supporting Medical Marijuana for Anorexia

Dr. Bonni Goldstein, a practitioner of medical marijuana therapy, reports that according to a study of over 1,000 patients with anorexia, strains of marijuana with high THC content are the most effective in treating the disorder.

“Many people who use marijuana to self-treat anorexia report that high-THC strains give them a strong sense of appetite and add new richness to the taste of any food,” Dr. Goldstein writes in her book Cannabis Revealed.

Her findings are supported by research from the University of Bordeaux in 2014. Scientists found that THC activated CB1 receptors in lab mice, which greatly enhanced their sense of smell and taste. They believe that this heightened sensitivity stimulates the stomach to produce digestive juices, causing the familiar “growling” sensation of hunger.

Another study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience confirms the French researchers’ findings, noting that CB1 receptors stimulate appetite and digestive activity in various animals, including humans.

It’s important to note that marijuana helps people with anorexia not only by increasing appetite but also through its calming effects, which help reduce anxiety and fear around eating. Dr. Goldstein notes in her book that “in addition to stimulating appetite, THC also suppresses symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with anorexia, eases digestion, and helps prevent intestinal problems such as diarrhea or nausea.”

Recovery and a New Life

Over time, thanks to medical marijuana, I was able to restore a healthy balance in my eating habits. I regained a healthy figure, and my mind stopped seeing a “fat, ugly” person in the mirror. In the end, I enjoy life again, as if the illness never happened.

Medical marijuana helped me overcome many of the psychological and physiological symptoms of the disorder. I stopped obsessing over my weight and gradually recovered. Even the doctors who had once given me grim diagnoses were surprised to see how much stronger and healthier I had become. I no longer fear eating and don’t let my old irrational fears control my life.

Original author: Taylor Engle