CANNABINOIDS AND APPETITE STIMULATION

Appetite stimulation by cannabinoids is highly variable. Four within-s ubject design studies explored the effects of age, gender, satiety sta tus, route of drug administration, and dose on intake. One study invol ved a single oral administration of active drug (15 mg males, 10 mg fe males) or placebo to an age and gender stratified sample of 57 healthy , adult light marijuana users. Eleven subjects received single doses b y oral, sublingual, and inhaled routes in a second study. In the third study, 10 subjects ingested a single oral dose in fasted and fed stat es. A 2.5 mg dose was administered b.i.d. for 3 days by oral and recta l suppository routes in the fourth study. Mean daily energy intake was significantly elevated following chronic dosing by rectal suppository , but not oral capsule, relative to all acute dosing regimens except i nhalation. Total daily energy intake was comparable on fed and fasted days, suggesting satiety mechanisms were not impaired by the drug. Sub ject age, gender, reported ''high,'' and plasma drug level were not si gnificantly associated with drug effects on food intake.