Cannabis for Weight Loss (plus the Best Strains for Losing Weight)

“How do you use cannabis to lose weight?”

It seems like a silly question if you’re used to the lazy stoner stereotype.

From the old stigma, cannabis can’t help you lose weight.

Instead of getting that six-pack, you’ll probably just get the munchies, lose your car keys and binge an entire series on Netflix that you won’t remember watching.

You’ll turn pale from spending all of your time on the couch, get some acne from eating greasy fast food and get the stoner equivalent of a beer belly because you just can’t stop eating all the things.

But since starting Wake and Bake, this is one of the most popular questions I get. “How did you do it? How did you use cannabis and lose weight?”

The truth is, I’ve lost between 30-55 lbs using cannabis twice (once when I was in a health crisis and again after having a baby) and unlike the 98% of people who lose weight only to gain it back within 6 months, cannabis has helped me maintain my weight loss for over 8 years.

I’ve helped clients lose weight in a way that’s sustainable and easy using Cannabinoids and other wellness tools. I’ve seen it work over and over again.

So if you’re struggling with your weight, I have something exciting to share with you:

Yes. You can lose weight.

And yes… cannabis can help.

The approach I use is a little different than other coaches and health pros.

No restrictive diets.

No intense exercise.

And a big, emphatic HELL YES to cannabis.

If you’re like me, you want to enjoy your life, eat good food, and keep getting better with age. So how do you do that AND lose weight while using marijuana?

How Marijuana Helped me Lose 50 lbs (and keep it off)

When I first started using cannabis more intentionally, I started to see the pounds just start to slide off in a matter of months.

This didn’t make any sense at the time. Wasn’t weed supposed to give you the munchies, make you lazy and lead to a love for all things tie-dye?

When I was in my health crisis, I had major food issues.

And when I was at my heaviest, I’d already spent years on a roller coaster of diets, weight loss pills, and binge eating when all else failed.

I topped the scales at over 215 lbs in my early 20s, and had been battling my weight since my early teens.

All I wanted for my entire young adult life was to be “skinny”. 

I dreamed of fitting into clothes in single-digit sizes and having a number on the scale that was 50 lbs less than what it was.

[Important side note: even though my journey led to those things, it also led to an understanding that those things really don’t matter. I haven’t stepped on a scale in years and gauge health more by how much energy I have and how connected I am to my body than by the size on a tag]

The first time I used cannabis and got hit with the munchies, I thought it would only add to my weight troubles. So for years I avoided it, using it only occasionally.

Once I started microdosing with marijuana and found relief from my chronic pain and anxiety, I noticed that it motivated me to walk for miles and miles, tuned me into my own body and inspired me to make choices about food that actually made me feel good.

When I found out years later that cannabis users had better resting blood sugar levels, smaller waist circumference, and were less likely to be obese, I started seeing that there might be something more to this whole cannabis and weight loss thing.

Cannabis for Weight Loss Rule #1: Find the right strain, dose and CBD:THC ratio

The biggest mistake people make when they set out to use cannabis to improve their health or lose weight is that they use too much of it. Period.

For many people, this leads to side effects like the munchies and lethargy, which can hold up the weight loss process.

Research is now showing that less is probably more when it comes to dealing with a variety of issues.

While I often find that microdosing and balancing CBD:THC ratios can be enough to mitigate the munchies and get the full benefit of cannabis for weight loss, there’s another exciting Cannabinoid to keep an eye out for. 

Strains high in the Cannabinoid THCV (like Durban Poison) can help suppress appetite and can help increase energy levels. THCV is much less intoxicating than thc and new strains are currently being bred that are high in THCV, so ask around your local dispensaries to see what’s available in your area.

Here’s a list of appetite-suppressing THCV strains to look out for to help you lose weight.

If THCV isn’t available or desirable, CBD can be used solo to support the weight loss process (scroll down for more info).

Cannabis for Weight Loss Rule #2: Combine Cannabinoids and Exercise

What we’re finding out through new studies, is that cannabis has effects on how motivated we are to move, how long we exercise and how long it takes us to recover from a workout.

Eat an edible and that mile hike turns into six miles. Take some CBD after a workout and you’re good to go again in the morning. A puff on that vape pen and your yoga practice get deeper and more fun.

My rule for combining cannabis and exercise is to choose an activity, get fully ready for the activity and then use the appropriate strain, dose, and ratio for whatever I’m doing. This stops me from getting sidetracked or intoxicated and the addition of CBD means that I recover from activities faster.

CBD for Weight Loss

I’m sure you know this already, but I’m going to say it anyway.

Cannabis is so much more than THC.

The molecule that gives that “high” feeling isn’t necessary when using cannabis to support your weight loss goals.

CBD can also help you with stomach issues like IBS.

Has cannabis helped you lose weight?

I’d love to hear your story! Leave a comment below and let me know how cannabis supported your weight loss journey.

With love,

Corinne