Can CBD help with WEIGHT LOSS?

THE CANNABIS EXTRACT CBD IS ALL THE RAGE IN WELLNESS THESE DAYS. CAN IT ALSO HELP YOU DROP THE KILOS? DR CARMEN JAMES WEIGHS THE PROS AND CONS.

- CHARIS TORRANCE

The constitutional court of South Africa ruled in September 2018that the personal use of cannabis by an adult should no longer be a criminal offence. About eight months later, Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi signed legislation that allowed the sale of low-dose cannabidiol (CBD) products.

Since then, Saffas seem to have gone a bit CBD-crazy. Besides CBD oils sold as a remedy for anxiety, pain and sleep issues, there’s also CBD-infused pizza, pasta, sushi, beer, pet food, coffee, tea, water, health bars, skincare ranges... Which has led to an important question: can CBD help with weight loss?

‘If you look at the research, it would seem the jury is still out on whether CBD can help with weight management,’ says Durban-based Dr Carmen James, an integrative medical doctor and health coach. ‘This is because, in my opinion, it’s a very linear question for a very complicated scenario, but there are reasons to think it could help.’ Let’s take a deeper look.

WHAT IS CBD?

Essentially, cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound that is extracted from the cannabis (Cannabis sativa) plant. The plant actually contains many chemical compounds, but the two that have been studied widely are CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Unlike THC, CBD does not have any euphorogenic effects, meaning it doesn’t make you high. THC triggers the body’s reward system, setting off pleasure chemicals and making you feel euphoric, whereas CBD sets off other receptors.