Cannabis Users Are 32% Less Likely To Be Obese Than Non-Users

People with a history of cannabis use are less likely than non-users to be obese, according to data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

A researcher affiliated with Brigham Young University assessed the relationship between cannabis use and obesity in a nationally representative sample of nearly 736,000 participants. Consistent with prior analyses, the study determined that those with a high prevalence of marijuana use were least likely to be obese and most likely to possess low BMI (body mass index).

“Current marijuana users are 31 percent less likely to be obese than non-users, after adjustment. Similarly, daily marijuana users are 32 percent less likely to be obese than nonusers, after adjustment. … There is also a dose–response relationship between marijuana use and BMI, with the lower the BMI classification, the higher the marijuana use. This supports other research showing that marijuana use correlates with lower BMI,” the study’s author concluded. “As legalization and prevalence of the drug in the US increases, obesity may decline.”

Other studies have previously identified an association between the adoption of medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis laws and lower rates of obesity. Prior studies have also linked cannabis use to greater rates of physical activity.