Does Consuming THC O Acetate Daily Help Anorexia Patients?
Contents
People with anorexia nervosa have a difficult time reaching and keeping a healthy weight. Because the illness can have severe and even fatal health consequences, finding treatments that work is critical.
So, does THC-O acetate help?
There is no cure-all for anorexia, and there is no scientific evidence that THC O Acetate helps people with anorexia. No human studies have tested THC-O for this use.
THC-O acetate (THC-O) is a lab-made cannabinoid. It is produced by chemically modifying cannabinoids extracted from hemp, and it is psychoactive, meaning it can make you high.
Some sellers market it as stronger than regular delta-9 THC, but reliable research on its effects and safety in people is lacking. Its legal status is also unsettled: in 2023, the DEA said it considers THC-O a Schedule I controlled substance because it does not occur naturally in the plant.
What is THC-O-Acetate?
THC-O acetate is sometimes called the “psychedelic of cannabinoids” in marketing, but that label is not based on research.
It does not occur in meaningful amounts in hemp or cannabis plants, so it has to be made in a lab with chemical processing.
The FDA has warned that chemically converted cannabinoid products like delta-8 THC have not been evaluated or approved for safe use, and that the manufacturing process can leave harmful byproducts. The same concerns apply to other lab-made cannabinoids.
What is Anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa, also known as anorexia, is characterized by abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and distorted weight perception. People with [anorexia put a high worth on controlling their weight and shape](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anorexia-nervosa/symptoms-causes/syc-20353591#:~:text=Anorexia%20(an%2Do%2DREK,a%20distorted%20perception%20of%20weight.). They may go to extreme lengths to do so, even when it disrupts their daily lives.
Anorexia isn’t just about dieting. It’s a dangerous and sometimes life-threatening way to deal with emotional issues. When you suffer from anorexia, you frequently associate thinness with self-worth.
Anorexia, like other eating disorders, has the potential to take over your life and be extremely difficult to overcome. However, you can rediscover your identity with treatment, reintroduce healthier eating habits, and reverse some of anorexia’s serious complications.
The physical signs of anorexia nervosa are related to starvation. The illness also involves emotional and behavioral problems, such as an unrealistic view of body weight and an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat.
The National Institute of Mental Health describes eating disorders as serious illnesses. Treatment usually involves a team that provides psychotherapy, nutrition support, and medical monitoring.
How THC Affects Appetite
The main psychoactive compound in marijuana is delta-9 THC. It is what gives people the feeling of being “high.”
THC acts on cannabinoid receptors in the brain that help regulate appetite, mood, and pain. THC can make you feel euphoric and give you a “high.”
Does Consuming THC-O-Acetate Daily Help Anorexia Patients?
There is no evidence that it does. Research on cannabinoids and anorexia has focused on delta-9 THC, not THC-O.
You may read claims online that THC-O-acetate works by increasing appetite and decreasing anxiety. That research actually tested delta-9 THC, not THC-O, in rats.
In that rat model of activity-based anorexia, delta-9 THC reduced weight loss at the highest dose tested. The effect seemed to come mostly from lower energy use, and results in rats do not prove the same will happen in people.
Animal results like these cannot be applied to THC-O, which was not tested.
THC-O is psychoactive, so it can cause side effects. Possible effects of THC products include anxiety, paranoia, dizziness, impaired coordination, and a racing heart.
Daily use of THC products can also lead to tolerance and cannabis use disorder. That is a particular concern for people with eating disorders, who often also struggle with anxiety or depression.
THC is one of over 100 distinct compounds in cannabis known as cannabinoids.
THC is responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis products, including edibles. Other compounds, like CBD, are not intoxicating.
The FDA has approved some cannabinoid drugs. Dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros), a synthetic form of delta-9 THC, is approved to treat appetite loss linked to weight loss in people with AIDS, and nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.
Dronabinol is not approved to treat anorexia nervosa, which is a different illness from appetite loss caused by disease.
Pharmaceutical companies also make cannabis-derived medicines, such as Sativex, a mouth spray containing THC and CBD that is approved in some countries for muscle spasticity in multiple sclerosis. It is not approved in the United States.
What the Research on THC and Anorexia Shows
Researchers have looked at whether the body’s endocannabinoid system plays a role in anorexia nervosa, but the findings are early.
Small studies have tested delta-9 THC, not THC-O, in people with anorexia, such as a pilot study on THC-O-acetate to help anorexic patients maintain a healthy weight that actually examined D9-THC’s effects on psychological symptoms. These studies are too small to show that any cannabinoid is a safe or effective treatment.
THC-O-acetate has not been studied for anorexia at all, and not enough research has been done to know whether it is safe for short- or long-term use.
Do not use THC-O or other cannabis products to treat an eating disorder on your own. Edibles in particular can take hours to kick in, which makes it easy to take too much.
Conclusion
There is no evidence that THC-O-acetate helps people with anorexia. Animal and small human studies have looked at delta-9 THC, not THC-O, and the results are too limited to support using any cannabinoid for anorexia.
THC-O has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA, and its legal status is disputed.
If you or someone you know has anorexia, talk to a doctor or an eating disorder specialist about proven treatments. Anorexia is treatable, and getting help early matters.
Sources
- The Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist THC Attenuates Weight Loss in a Rodent Model of Activity-Based Anorexia, Neuropsychopharmacology (via PMC)
- Eating Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health
- FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD), U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- 5 Things to Know about Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
