Dear Mama: Munchies
Dear Mama,
Munchies! Munchies Munchies! I hear about the munchies, but I don’t get them. My girlfriend won’t get her card because she says doesn’t want to get fat. I told her she won’t but she blows me off. I don’t see a lot of fat stoners myself either, why is that? I even told her that.
Marc L, Phoenix
Dear Marc,
I get this question a lot. What’s worse is that I eat so much sweet stuff and all of my friends eat healthy (and they work out, I do not) but they are about the same general size. They hate me. So it seems to me there isn’t a lot of truth to the rumors that if you smoke the devils lettuce you won’t eat the real lettuce, just chips.
People and their food are such a focus these days, it doesn’t seem you can have a conversation without finding out intimate details about every food group a person avoids or honors. I own a restaurant, so I always hear about everyone’s food passions. There are the gluten free, vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, and me: the sugar eater. When it comes to food, the passion around it can be like a religion. Often the topic can spur arguments of passion. My Italian father was so passionate about food he’d chase people around his house until they agreed to taste his creations. There was no escaping him.
So when people worry deeply about the ‘munchies’, I can’t help but believe it goes much deeper than just eating some food. I think it’s partly a fear of losing control. So many people spend their days constantly focusing on how to not eat something or drink something that they shouldn’t. I find the concept personally exhausting, but I watch friends and family chronically documenting and categorizing their food intake. Then the thought of smoking a little pot and losing the ability to NOT eat these criminal foods makes them so anxious that any benefit from cannabis is wiped out.
I think that they are getting better at identifying strains and substances that are appetite suppressants. Those high in THCV seem to be effective for most people in limiting munchie episodes, and rumor has it the strain Durban Poison might be a good one for THCV content. It is still hard to get regular lab results on strain specific purchases but if we keep asking for them maybe they’ll offer them everywhere. Isolating exact terpenes and cannabinoids is hit and miss still.
I always advise people who are worried about the munchies to keep healthy options handy and tell them they will taste sooooo much better than they normally do. Also, I advise people to try to stay active and you’ll be less inclined to do that unconsciously bored eating.
If you want to get your lady on board with cannabis, try to be the best example of all the positive benefits of the plant. Be a walking commercial for the benefits without using it as an excuse for bad behavior. You could let her know you understand her concerns and unless she has a medical concern that could be greatly helped with cannabis, let her come around to the idea when she’s ready. Maybe find the things that she might like such as bath bombs, topicals that she could use for relaxation in the evening and that aren’t likely to trigger any late night eating. I tried one of those bath bombs recently and all I can say is !WOW! They are amazing to relax after a long day. The key is to find things that are more appealing to her while being aware of her concerns.
I think there is meeting point on the topic somewhere in the middle if you are patient and educate her on the benefits and not try to sell it as an intoxicant.
Good luck Marc! Stay Lifted, Mama
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Laura Mastropietro, former cannabis co-op grower and patient advocate, consultant, Edible Chef for two edible lines, featured in ‘Cannabis Saved my Life’ by Elizabeth Limbach, currently curates a learning hub called PotofWellness.com, stays active in the cannabis community while running a restaurant and commercial bakery in beautiful Sedona Arizona. Wife, Mother, Grandmother, with a full beautiful life and toss in a life altering disease, cannabis is the magic that helps her keep it all going. Have a cannabis question? Send it to Dear Mama at potofwellness@gmail.com
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