Cannabis use linked to binge eating in young women but not young men | Research

The takeaway

Past-year cannabis use was associated with nearly double the rate of binge eating among young women (24% vs 13%), a link that held even after accounting for depression, but no similar pattern was found in men.

Clinicians treating eating disorders, researchers studying cannabis and appetite, and public health professionals developing gender-specific interventions.

Female cannabis users: 24% binge eating vs 13% non-users

What the researchers found

Female cannabis users had a 24% binge eating rate compared to 13% among non-users (p<0.001). This association remained significant after controlling for depressive symptoms, sociodemographics, and BMI. No significant association was found among males.

Why it matters

As cannabis becomes more accessible, understanding its relationship with disordered eating is important, particularly since binge eating is already more prevalent among women. The independence from depression suggests a distinct pathway.

The numbers in context

1,568 participants. 27% of females and 33% of males used cannabis. Binge eating in female users: 24% vs 13% in non-users (p<0.001). Male users: 5.5% vs 8.2% (not significant, p=0.2).

How the study worked

Cross-sectional survey of 1,568 emerging adults (mean age 22.2, 53% female) from the EAT 2010-2018 longitudinal study, with gender-stratified regression models.

What this study cannot tell us

Cross-sectional design cannot determine whether cannabis use causes binge eating or vice versa. Self-reported measures for both cannabis use and binge eating. Single metropolitan area sample may limit generalizability.

How to read the evidence

Population-based survey with appropriate statistical controls, but cross-sectional design prevents causal inference and the sample is from one US metro area.

When this study was published

Published in 2025, data from 2017-2018.

The bigger picture

Cannabis is well known to stimulate appetite, but its relationship with clinical eating disorder symptoms like binge eating is understudied. These findings suggest gender-specific mechanisms worth investigating.

Questions still open

Does cannabis-induced appetite stimulation trigger binge episodes in vulnerable women? Would the pattern hold in a larger, more diverse sample? Does the type or frequency of cannabis use matter?

Common questions

Is cannabis use linked to binge eating?

In this study, yes, but only among young women. Female cannabis users had nearly double the rate of binge eating compared to non-users (24% vs 13%), even after accounting for depression.

Why would cannabis affect binge eating differently by gender?

The researchers suggest cannabis-induced changes in appetite and cravings may interact differently with existing gender-specific risk factors for binge eating. The exact mechanism is not yet established.

Read the original research

Cannabis use and binge eating among young adults: The role of depressive symptoms.

Journal of psychiatric research, 181, 553-559

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Elran-Barak, Roni; Sznitman, Sharon; Eisenberg, Marla E; Zhang, Lydia; Wall, Melanie M; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne. (2025). Cannabis use and binge eating among young adults: The role of depressive symptoms.. Journal of psychiatric research, 181, 553-559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.12.015