Does Weed Have Calories?

Does weed have calories?

No. Not when inhaled.

Weed itself contains a minute amount of calories. Consuming 1g of cannabis would equate to roughly 2 calories.

However, many edibles are relatively high in calories due to the other ingredients.

Does Weed Have Calories?

Several methods exist for individuals to use weed.

Let’s look at some common methods of consuming cannabis and its associated caloric values.

How Many Calories Are In Common Weed Recipes?

The caloric and macronutrient values are examples of recipes.

Values will vary depending on the recipe used. This section aims to serve as a general guideline, not a definitive reference.

Weed Smoked Via Bong, Bowl, Joint, Etc.

Weed contains 0 calories when smoked.

There is no need to worry about consuming calories from weed itself. However, weed is proven to stimulate appetite.

This fundamental aspect of cannabis can be of benefit to some. For example, people who struggle with eating anxiety could find eating while high helps them.

Someone looking to gain weight or build muscle mass could experience similar benefits.

However, those looking to lose weight or struggle with maintaining healthy metabolic function may be negatively affected by cannabis’s appetite stimulation.

Smoking weed may make consuming a healthy amount of calories and resisting overeating more challenging.

You may also want to consider that when you smoke weed, you are inhaling smoke. Consistently inhaling smoke into your lungs over an extended period can lead to some detrimental health effects.

Side-Effects of Chronic Smoke Inhalation

Increased Risk of Lung Cancer
Reduced Life Expectancy
Increased Likelihood of Developing Breathing Disorder
Weakens The Immune System
Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases
Potential Hearing & Vision Problems

Vaporized Cannabis Carts

Similarly to smoking weed with a bong, inhaling vaporized cannabis does not contain calories.

Regarding health precautions unique to vaping weed, there is not much research published on the long-term side effects.

Most experts support the claim that vaping is generally safer than inhaling smoke.

However, the same experts believe that vaping negatively affects your heart and lungs.

As more studies are published, we will learn more about the long-term effects of vaping.

Cannabis Gummies

10 calories per gummy.

On average, a cannabis gummy contains 10 calories.

These calories come from the added sugars that sweeten the gummies.

Chocolate Cannabis Edibles

50 calories per square.

Each chocolate rectangle will contain 50 calories on average.

These calories come from a combination of fats, carbs, and protein.

Chocolate edibles are typically high in saturated fats with some carbs, some added sodium for flavor, and trace amounts of protein.

Weed chocolate serves as a simple and tasty way of consuming cannabis.

Weed Cookies

350 calories per cookie.

A cannabis-infused cookie typically includes a fair amount of fats, carbs, and sodium.

Weed cookies also tend to be high in sugar and low in protein.

However, cannabis cookies can make for a fun and equally tasty treat.

Weed Brownies

150 calories per square.

These calories come from fats, carbs, and a small amount of protein.

Weed brownies tend to have relatively high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat.

Hemp Protein Powder

140 calories per serving.

Hemp Yeah! offers a unique take on traditional protein powder.

In addition to the 20 grams of protein, Hemp Yeah! also contains hemp.

Like cannabis, hemp contains CBD (cannabinoid). However, hemp does not contain THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).

To oversimplify, CBD is the ingredient in weed that generates a sense of calm and tranquility, while THC creates “high” or euphoric feelings.

The difference between the two compounds is discussed more in-depth later in this article. Scroll down to learn more about what they are.

The inclusion of hemp within this protein powder mix offers potential mental health benefits such as reduced stress and improved mental clarity.

Is Weed Beneficial?

Cannabis has shown unignorably significant benefits. The positive effects weed contains can be life-changing for some.

Medicinal Properties of Weed

The primary compounds contained within the cannabis plant, responsible for most of its effects on the brain, are THC and CBD. We will discuss their differences shortly.

Weed affects the brain in several ways. THC affects thinking, pain, motor function, learning, and emotions.

These effects could offer significant benefits to some.

Not everyone has the same experience with cannabis. One person may feel tranquility after consumption, while another may experience paranoia.

Keeping the medicinal significance in mind, let’s look at ways weed is proven beneficial.

Weed for Sleep

Weed can make the process of falling asleep much easier and less strenuous.

Individuals with sleep disorders report better sleep when using cannabis. Those with varying levels of anxiety which causes difficulty sleeping, also report an easier time falling asleep when aided by weed.

Research has attempted to corroborate these claims.

Studies have found that weed does help individuals fall asleep. However, cannabis use may not benefit the overall quality of sleep.

Similarly to sleep aids such as melatonin, weed appears to help one fall asleep but does not prevent midnight awakenings.

These studies leave much desired. Future studies will help us further understand the effect weed has on sleep.

For now, cannabis may be an impactful sleep aid, especially for those who suffer from sleep disorders or anxiety.

Weed for Pain

Arguably the most relevant medicinal property of cannabis is its ability to treat pain.

Weed has pain-killing properties, which offer significant use to those who suffer from all types of pain.

Currently, prescribed pain meds are dangerous substances. Both opioids and benzodiazepines can have life-threatening side effects and are incredibly addictive.

Weed, however, is not physically addictive and does not pose life-threatening side effects.

These factors indicate that weed is more than likely a much safer and more practical pain-killer than the currently prescribed drugs.

Individuals with chronic pain may also significantly benefit from the pain-killing effects of cannabis.

Weed for Appetite

As discussed previously, weed stimulates appetite. For some, this may be a negative (i.e., someone trying to lose weight).

However, individuals who struggle with eating or have anxiety may benefit from cannabis.

Weed can be a tool for those who struggle to build up an appetite to consume a healthy amount of nutrients from their diet.

Possible Unwanted Effects of Weed

While at this point, the benefit weed offers medicinally are undeniable, before you go out and start smoking every night before bed, consider the following.

As mentioned before, inhaling smoke or vaping damages the heart and lungs.

So, does this mean eating edibles is harmless?

No.

While I would argue it is much healthier to eat a couple of cannabis-infused chocolates daily than a daily bong rip, chronic weed use negatively affects the brain.

Numerous studies show the side effects of chronic cannabis use.

Studies compared the brains of individuals who did not use cannabis at all, individuals who used cannabis once a week, and individuals who used cannabis daily over an extended period.

Those who did not use weed at all had no effects. Surprisingly, people who used cannabis once weekly showed very little to no negative-neurological side effects.

Therefore, indicating that chronic use of cannabis in moderation (i.e., weekly rather than daily) poses minimal long-term risk. However, more studies are needed to support this claim.

Those who used weed daily over an extended period showed signs of neurological decline.

In most cases, neurological effects caused by chronic cannabis use are reversible.

Long-Term Neurological Side Effects of Weed

Shrunken Hippocampus (Region of Brain)
Deficits In Processing Speeds
Worsened Reaction Times
Deficits In Learning Capabilities
Increased Risk of Attention Disorders
Worsened Memory
Amplified Anxiety

Does Weed Affect Exercise?

As of late, weed has been experimented with and studied for its exercise-specific effects.

Minimal research is currently available supporting cannabis use’s benefit for exercise.

That said, individuals have reported the following while exercising on cannabis.

Potential Exercise-Specific Cannabis Benefits

These effects are noteworthy and may benefit your exercise experience. However, sed effects are yet to be proven by adequate research currently.

On the other hand, cannabis is proven to worsen physical performance and athletic capabilities in some aspects.

Based on your goals, using weed for exercise may or may not be worth it.

Hemp vs Weed

Hemp and cannabis are both plants that grow naturally all over the world. Both share commonalities. Although, there are noteworthy differences to consider.

The two main compounds contained within cannabis (weed) are THC and CBD.

THC is the compound responsible for generating the “high” or euphonic feeling given felt after using weed.

CBD does not make you high. Instead, it has a calming, anxiety-reducing effect on the body.

While hemp does have a trace amount of THC (less than 0.3%), it is nowhere near enough to generate a high.

Hemp contains cannabinoids such as CBD (cannabis does too).

Therefore, hemp causes the calming effect elicited by weed without causing the high or paranoia (for some) caused by THC.