Cannabis compounds beyond THC may hold the key to metabolic benefits, new research suggests

Scientists have long observed a curious paradox: cannabis users tend to have lower body weight and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes compared to non-users — despite the drug being well known for triggering the "munchies."

Now, researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) believe they may have found an explanation.

The study

The UCR team conducted laboratory experiments in which obese adult mice were chronically exposed to either pure THC — the main psychoactive compound in cannabis — or a whole-plant extract containing the same level of THC.

The mice had been fed a western-style diet high in fat and sugar for 60 days, with THC treatment beginning at the 30-day mark.

Both groups of mice treated with THC showed weight loss once cannabis was introduced, whilst those without treatment continued to gain weight.

Both groups also showed lower body fat composition by the end of the experiment than untreated mice, despite consuming similar amounts of food.

The critical difference

However, only the mice given the full-plant extract demonstrated significant metabolic improvements, such as better glucose tolerance. Pure THC alone did not produce this outcome.

"This suggests that THC alone is not responsible for the metabolic benefits associated with cannabis use," said biomedical scientist Nicholas DiPatrizio, who directs the UCR Center for Cannabinoid Research. "Other compounds in the plant appear to play a critical role."

The findings indicate that whilst THC may trigger hunger signals in the brain, other compounds within the cannabis plant may specifically influence glucose metabolism through separate mechanisms.

Not a recommendation

DiPatrizio was careful to stress that the research does not constitute a case for using cannabis to manage weight or diabetes. Clinical evidence to support that position does not yet exist.

However, he added that "clinicians, researchers, and policymakers should stay tuned and pay attention to this space."

A rapidly expanding field

Cannabis research has accelerated considerably in recent years. One peer-reviewed analysis found that between 2000 and 2017, PubMed-listed cannabis publications increased 4.5-fold, whilst medical cannabis publications rose almost ninefold.

The cannabis plant contains hundreds of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals — many of which may have medicinal properties and may interact with one another to produce specific outcomes. To date, most research has focused narrowly on THC and CBD.

Other compounds are now attracting serious scientific attention. CBG (cannabigerol), sometimes referred to as the "mother of all cannabinoids," has shown promise in obese mice, with some studies finding it can improve blood sugar control, reduce liver fat, and lower blood lipid levels — apparently through mechanisms that operate almost entirely outside classical cannabinoid receptors in the liver and gut.

Caution remains essential

Researchers acknowledge that the effects of cannabis compounds are not uniformly positive. Early-life exposure to THC, for instance, has been associated with reduced birth weights in rodent pups, suggesting potential risks to natural fat storage processes if exposure occurs too soon in development.

"We need evidence-based approaches to fully understand both the risks and potential benefits of cannabis and its components," DiPatrizio said.

UCR researchers added that "dissecting the relative contribution of individual phytocannabinoids will be an important direction for future studies," noting that different cannabis strains may produce meaningfully different metabolic effects.

The study was published in The Journal of Physiology.