Wondering about cannabis, the potential for munchies and how this may not help your health?

Let’s start with this neat-o little table of facts for one beverage serving of the following:

Drink – Calories

• Beer – 154
• Light beer – 104
• Vodka – 100
• “Skinny” Vodka – 75
• Red wine – 125
• White wine – 120
• Cannabis – 0

Not only is your social anxiety assuaged, liver saved, and approachability enhanced:  cannabis has zero calories!

While that’s great… what about the plant’s most famous side-effect: the munchies?

Medicinally, this feature of cannabis has helped cancer patients gain back weight lost during their recovery. Other aspects of cannabis help with their nausea and pain. People with depression or other gastro issues may lean on cannabis for help coping with their conditions. Some with PTSD use it to help them relax before bed so they can avoid opiates or other sleep aids.

But recreationally? While it may be fun to consume cannabis as an alternative to alcohol, what if it becomes challenging to resist the urge to snack? It’s tough enough to count calories and keep fit as it is!

There are some studies that have found long term cannabis consumers tend to not overeat and actually have lower instances of obesity or diabetes. But if you’re new to all this, then what should you have in mind as you start experimenting?

Here are some tips for you to get to a happy medium:

Plan ahead. If you anticipate craving chocolate or a salty snack, not only have healthy alternatives exclusively available, but also portion it out ahead of time.

Find a strain that works for you. Some strains summon the munchies, others may keep them at bay and each work differently with your chemistry. Here’s a guide to appetite-suppressing strains on Leafly and here’s one on herb.co.

Go to the gym, hit up yoga or if you’re going out to be social, have a filling snack and a bunch of water before you leave. If you’re active and not too-inside-your head, this can help duck the munchie side effect.

Another way to approach this conundrum is save your caloric intake for after you consume. Have a light breakfast, don’t eat much lunch and then when it’s time to blow off steam at the end of the day, you have some space to do that. Don’t eat right before bed, though.

However you choose to curb the cravings, if it’s by one way or a combination, be sure to figure it out before you start your consumption rituals. We think the reason veteran consumers don’t cave into the munchies is because they’ve perfected these practices.