Exercise Can Curb Marijuana Use and Cravings

A new study has indicated heavy users of marijuana show a significant decrease in their cravings and daily use after just a few sessions of running on the treadmill.

 

Vanderbilt researchers are studying heavy users of marijuana to help understand what exercise does for the brain, contributing to a field of research that uses exercise as a modality for prevention and treatment.

It is the first study to demonstrate that exercise can reduce cannabis use in persons who don't want to stop.


Twelve study participants - eight female and four male - were selected because they met the criteria for being 'cannabis-dependent' and did not want treatment to help them stop smoking pot.



During the study their craving for and use of cannabis was cut by more than 50 percent after exercising on a treadmill for 10 30-minute sessions over a two-week period.

More about the study.