Abstract
In a society highly focused on physical appearance, people are increasingly using the so-called performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs) or life-style drugs as an easy way to control weight. Preliminary data from online sources (e.g. websites, drug forums, e-newsletters) suggest an increased use of cannabis amongst the general population as a PIED due to its putative weight-loss properties. The use of cannabis and/or cannabis-related products to lose weight may represent a new substance-use trend that should be carefully monitored and adequately investigated, especially in light of the well-known adverse psychiatric and somatic effects of cannabis, its possible interaction with other medications/drugs and the unknown and potentially dangerous composition of synthetic cannabimimetics preparations. Data from online sources suggest an increased use of cannabis amongst the general population as a "performance and image-enhancing drug" due to its putative weight-loss properties. The use of cannabis and/or cannabis-related products to lose weight may represent a new substance-use trend that should be carefully monitored and adequately investigated, especially in light of the well-known adverse psychiatric and somatic effects of cannabis, its possible interaction with other medications/drugs and the potentially dangerous composition of synthetic cannabimimetics preparations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 177-179 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Drug Testing and Analysis |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 12 Oct 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2016 |
Keywords
- Cannabis
- Image-enhancing drugs
- Weight loss