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Dear Stoner: My stoner friend was telling me that when he quits smoking weed, there will still be THC in his fat cells, so when he exercises, THC will release back into his blood as the fat burns. It sounds ridiculous coming from him, but is there any truth to this?
Kurt Sugar
Dear Kurt: If that were the case, we could all just eat a bunch of edibles before traveling and then work out every morning. It’s like eating for hibernation, but calories are burned and eyes are reddened. As is often the case, however, the National Library of Medicine disputes your stoner friend.
You might be fast, but are you blazing?
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A 2009 study showed that THC was released into the bloodstream when stored fat cells burned from fasting or exercise…in rats. A study conducted on humans five years later indicated that “neither exercise at moderate intensity for 45 min. nor 24-hour food deprivation caused significant elevations in blood or urine cannabinoid levels” in six human subjects. Research shows that running for a long time and smoking cannabis produce similar “highs,” though, so I hope homeboy gets some feel-good out of his theory.
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