THC appears to increase our sensitivity to scents and flavors by using naturally occurring neural networks to convince the brain that it's starving.Apparently it activates the olfactory bulb. They speculate it then activates the nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus and increases ghrelin activity.
But orexin is also highly involved with the olfactory bulb, nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus, and shares receptors with the endocannibinoid system too.... maybe it is actually increasing orexin...
Marijuana also reduces insulin resistance... possibly an effect of orexin.
If I don't eat carbs when I smoke pot, I don't get the munchies. And I have more energy and am more motivated, not less.
Fascinating.
here's the abstract and references.
and ooh.
