DRUG policy can have wide-reaching effects beyond simple decriminalisation - as evidenced by a new study published in the Economics and Human Biology journal which found legalising marijuana in the US has led to a big jump in the sale of snacks.
Cannabis users have long been mocked for getting "the munchies" with study co-author, Georgia State University economist Alberto Chong, saying "you think marijuana does no harm... but there are unintended consequences, and one of them is the fact that you get really hungry and you start eating crap".
The report found legalising recreational marijuana had caused junk food sales to increase by about 6.3%, across categories including ice cream, biscuits and chips.
Chong said while the tendency to binge on junk food after smoking a joint may be a "stoner stereotype," the issue had major public policy ramifications in the USA, where over 40% of adults are obese.
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