Michael Byers
Marijuana use has been trending upward in the United States in recent years, and two dozen states have made weed legal for recreational use. According to one Gallup poll, about 70 percent of Americans support complete legalization.
Getting high is widely known to lead to snacking. A study by National Bureau of Economic Research postdoctoral scholar Thomas Wilk, Syracuse’s Monica Deza, Oakland University’s Timothy Hodge, and Shooshan Danagoulian of Wayne State University suggests that as a result, legalization is creating potential costs to public health.
Supporters of legalization argue that weed does less harm than alcohol or tobacco, and that its decriminalization reduces racially discriminatory arrests and prosecutions for possession. Opponents warn that marijuana is a gateway drug to others, such as opioids. Meanwhile, a raft of studies have highlighted addiction issues and cannabis use disorder, with media outlets issuing cautions from health experts over the psychological and physiological side effects.
Besides eliciting feelings of euphoria—the “high” that users experience—the active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is known to stimulate the appetite for high-calorie, sweet or salty, carbohydrate-rich foods. Multiple studies by the World Health Organization and others have established a strong causal link between cannabis use and an increase in the consumption of snacks, chips, cookies, and candy—the so-called marijuana munchies.
Wilk, Deza, Hodge, and Danagoulian further confirm the link with shopping data collected from in-home scanners that shoppers use to record their purchases.
Economists consider the societal impact of reclassifying marijuana.
Would a New Policy on Pot Be Good for the US?The researchers looked at a decade’s worth of shopping data in states where marijuana was legalized. Analyzing the panel data from 48 states and about 20 million weekly household purchases made over a 10-year period from 2010 to 2020, they find that the purchase of these types of foods spiked an average of nearly 9 percent in states where weed was legalized. On average, the amount of money spent on junk food also increased by 7 percent, and the number of shopping trips that included buying junk food rose by 4 percent relative to states where marijuana had not been decriminalized. All this suggests that people living in states where weed could legally be used were considerably more prone to the munchies.
The researchers also find some evidence in their study of another weed-based phenomenon called couchlock. The ingestion of cannabis has been linked to a sedative effect, they note, finding that the total number of physical outings to grocery stores fell by about 1 percent in states that legalized weed.
While they acknowledge that the science around couchlock is inconclusive, they point to data supporting their hypothesis from government surveys. Between 2011 and 2021, Americans living in states that legalized weed spent about 8 more minutes at home per day than those living in other states, according to data from the American Time Use Survey from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
They also spent less time outside, at work, in restaurants, and at the gym. Specific to reported gym use, survey data point to a decrease of about 18 percent in the months following decriminalization in these states.
Americans living in states where it became legal to buy and consume marijuana seemed to be doing two things, the study concludes: They ate more junk food and they stayed home more. This should be on the radar of US policymakers, the researchers write, noting the potential effects on public health. Combining more snacking with less mobility is a recipe for longer-term weight gain. Weed-smoking Americans could well be making themselves more vulnerable to diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.
And these conditions carry a price for both individuals and society, the researchers point out. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is estimated to cost the US healthcare system almost $173 billion a year. With February 2024 Gallup poll numbers showing 17 percent of the US population reportedly consuming marijuana, that figure could well grow.
Thomas Wilk, Monica Deza, Timothy Hodge, and Shooshan Danagoulian, “Couch-Locked with the Munchies: Effects of Recreational Marijuana Laws on Exercise and Nutrition,” Working paper, November 2024.
Financial Times columnist Ruchir Sharma discusses how stimulus money and government intervention have fueled disaffection with capitalism.
Capitalisn’t: America’s Addiction to Easy Money
Harvard’s Dani Rodrik visits the podcast to discuss changing attitudes toward globalization.
Capitalisn’t: The New Economics of Industrial Policy
An expert panel discusses some of the most important risks and trends facing investors, executives, and policy makers.
What Will Move the Global Economy in 2024?
The prestigious award from the American Finance Association recognizes top academics whose research has made a lasting impact on the finance field.
Example Article Swiss
At the Kilts Center’s annual Case Competition, a student team leveraged LLMs to create innovative product solutions for Microsoft.
Example Article Swiss
The Booth dean and professor (1939–2024) was an expert in microeconomics, strategy, and industrial organization and served in the US government.
Example Article SwissYour Privacy
We want to demonstrate our commitment to your privacy. Please review Chicago Booth's privacy notice, which provides information explaining how and why we collect particular information when you visit our website.