Cannabis Science

Does Sativa Make You Hungry?

woman eating pizza in car

When you think of weed, besides an exhilarating high, you probably associate it with snacking a lot when high. It’s true, weed is notorious for making people feel hungry. We refer to this increase in appetite as the munchies. In some cases, like when people are struggling to find their appetite, the munchies are welcomed. However, when people are trying to cut down on snacking, stoners may want to avoid the munchies. Whether you want to increase your appetite or suppress it, you may be wondering which weed strain makes you hungry. Does Sativa make you hungry? Does Indica make you hungry? Or do they both give you the munchies? Here’s what we know. 

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Does Sativa or Indica Make You Hungry?

Sativa could technically make you hungry. However, if you’re looking to increase your appetite, you may want to put some Indica in your bong.

Even though Indica is classified as a “downer”, it is likely to have you reaching for a bag of chips. As a matter of fact, According to Healthline, Indica is often used to increase appetite. 

The main reason is THC, the cannabinoid notorious for causing munchies. However, other cannabinoids and other chemicals like terpenes could contribute to this effect. 

But back to Sativa. 

The main reason why Sativa is not usually associated with an increase in appetite has to do with the concentration of certain cannabinoids it has. For example, Sativa strains tend to be higher in tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV). 

Cresco Labs say, “Unlike THC, THCV works to suppress the appetite so it is not recommended for patients suffering from cachexia or anorexia nervosa.”

While Sativa may suppress your appetite, it’s ideal for many other things. For example, you can opt for Sativa if you want to boost your creativity, energy, and focus. 

At the same time, Sativa and Indica are not always the best classifications to use. GoodRx Health says those classifications are not even based on science. They suggest looking at the composition or what these strains are actually made of.

GoodRx Health says, “…..more THC usually means a greater chance of the munchies. But if a plant contains cannabinoids that may reduce appetite, like CBD or THCV, it may not be as likely to make you hungry.” 

That plant may or may not be labeled as Sativa. That’s why Instead of focusing on the labels “Sativa” or “Indica”, stoners are looking at the concentration of various cannabinoids and terpenes.

Does Sativa Give You Munchies?

Generally, Sativa is not known for its munchies. 

One Reddit user said, “Yesterday i tried our pure sativa for the first time and i didn’t get any munchies! It actually felt like i had less of an appetite.”

However, technically, Sativa strains can give you munchies if they’re lower in THCV, higher in THC, or high in myrcene for example. But there is still a general consensus in the stoner community that Indica strains give the worst munchies.

As a matter of fact, a Reddit user said, “I get hungry when smoking in general but I feel like the munchies is much worse for me when I smoke indica idk (i don’t know) why.”

However, remember that being classified as a “Sativa” or “Indica” doesn’t always tell the full story. The makeup of the plant is most important. So, with that in mind, it is not impossible for you to find a strain labeled “Sativa” that gives you the munchies. 

Interestingly, Food and Beverage Magazine names a Sativa strain, Durban Poison, as a great appetite stimulant. The article says, “the levels of THCv are too insignificant to outshine the THC in Durban poison. Durban Poison as medicinal marijuana boosts metabolism and speeds up calorie burning. In turn, this stimulates appetite.”

Besides classification, everybody is different and so there will be various experiences with marijuana, even regarding munchies. 

What Strain of Weed Makes You Hungry?

If you’re looking to increase your appetite, you may be wondering what strain of weed can make you hungry. According to Food and Beverage Magazine and Healthline, the following weed strains will have you reaching for every snack in sight:

  • Lemon Diesel 
  • Blue Cheese
  • Mimosa
  • Durban Poison
  • Dough Boy
  • OG-Kush Indica
  • Zkittlez
  • Slurricane
  • Gorilla Glue
  • Blood Diamond
  • Diesel Puff

What’s interesting about these strains is how different they are from each other in some instances. For example, Zkittlez is a low THC strain categorized as an Indica. On the other hand, OG-Kush Indica is an Indica strain that is high in THC. Yet, they’re both options for appetite stimulation. Very cool!

Finally, if you’re worried about the types of food you’re snacking on when high, remember you can always opt for healthy munchies options. 

Takeaway

Does Sativa make you hungry? Plants typically classified as “Sativa” are not known as appetite stimulants. Plants typically classified as “Indica” are usually the ones associated with munchies. The reason why Sativa plants are not associated with appetite stimulation is due to the high levels of THCV. However, there are Sativa plants with lower levels of THCV that can give you munchies. Finally, pay more attention to the cannabinoid and terpene content when looking for a specific effect from weed since the traditional classifications may not be reliable.

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About Trevann

Trevann is Stoner Rotation’s Jamaica-based lead writer for the Science section of our cannabis blog. She graduated with honors receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology from the University of West Indies, Mona. For the last three years, she has covered some of the biggest questions around cannabis and health underpinned with research from supporting studies, medical journals and scholarly articles. Got something on your mind? You can reach her at [email protected].