With marijuana legal in several states, whether medicinally or recreationally, it may be contributing to snack sales growing.
A study has found that over four years, junk food sales had risen 2% in areas where marijuana is legal. This is compared to a growth of just 1.3% in places where the drug is not legal.
According to Nielsen, a global measurement and data analytics company, data from the U.S. Census divisions where cannabis has been legalized for recreational use suggests that might be an economic driver for snack sales increasing.
The “total snacking growth rate” was up 7.2% in recreational weed states, Nielsen found. This is compared to 6% in states where pot prohibition remains in effect.
According to Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, marijuana causes the “munchies” due to the drug hijacking “the parts of your brain that make you seek pleasure.”
“Specifically, we seek highly palatable foods — those high in fat and/or sugar,” Petitpain said, “and an enhanced sense of smell and taste further encourage us to consume more.”
