According to a new study published this month in the Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, and published online by the U.S. National Institute of Health, cannabis use is associated with a lower body mass index (BMI).
Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, researchers estimated “fixed-effects models to more rigorously study the relationships between marijuana use and body mass index over time.” Their analyses include “numerous sensitivity tests using alternative estimation techniques and at Wave IV we investigate the relationship between marijuana use and an alternative measure of body size (waist circumference).”
According to researchers; “Results show that daily female marijuana users have a BMI that is approximately 3.1% (p<0.01) lower than that of non-users, whereas daily male users have a BMI that is approximately 2.7% (p<0.01) lower than that of non-users.”
The study concludes; “The present study indicates a negative association between marijuana use and BMI.”
The full study, conducted at the University of Miami, can be found by clicking here.
