Cannabis Linked to Symptom Relief in Restrictive Eating Disorders, Study Finds

A new study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders finds that people with restrictive eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder report cannabis as the highest-rated drug for improving symptoms, citing reduced food anxiety, appetite stimulation, and nausea relief. Researchers caution that self-reported data cannot establish causation and note mixed experiences among some users.

Researchers at the University of Sydney surveyed more than 7,500 people with diagnosed or self-reported eating disorders, including over 3,000 who had used cannabis in the past year, according to a study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders. Respondents came from 76 countries, with the largest shares in Australia (29.7 percent), the United Kingdom (21.7 percent), and the United States (17.6 percent).

The study found that cannabis received the highest mean ratings of any drug for improving eating disorder symptoms among people with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), anorexia nervosa, and other specified feeding and eating disorder. People with unspecified feeding or eating disorder also reported a favorable rating.

For people with anorexia nervosa specifically, cannabis use was associated with reductions in food-related anxiety and guilt, which, together with appetite stimulation, helped normalize eating patterns. The paper also noted that gastroprotective and antinausea properties of cannabis appear to provide additional therapeutic benefits beyond appetite stimulation and anxiety reduction.

Among people with ARFID, which involves a lack of desire to eat and sensory-based food aversions, researchers described a "transformational effect of cannabis" related to increased appetite and enhanced ability to recognize hunger cues. Daily cannabis flower use was generally associated with higher symptom improvement scores than intermittent use, suggesting that symptom improvement may drive frequency of use.

In contrast, people with binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa provided lower ratings for cannabis efficacy. The paper suggested that the appetite-stimulating properties of THC may exacerbate binge/purge symptomatology in these subtypes.

Open-ended responses indicated that general mental health was self-reported as improved by cannabis in most respondents regardless of diagnosis. Participants also cited improved ability to eat, better awareness of hunger cues, reduced eating disorder-related guilt, less nausea, and diminished food-related anxiety.

The researchers emphasized that the self-report and naturalistic design of the study means no strong causal conclusions can be drawn, and they called for future clinical trials of cannabis products in eating disorders. They also flagged concerns about cannabis dependence and other adverse effects of frequent use reported by some participants.