Cannabis Sensei

Does Weed Have Calories: Unraveling the Mystery

Cannabis 101 · By Aaron Girard · Updated · 4 min read

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Contents

Does weed have calories? It's a fair question for anyone who tracks what they eat.

The short answer: smoking or vaping cannabis adds essentially no calories, but edibles, oils and hemp foods can add quite a few. Here's how it breaks down.

Legal note: This article is for adults 21+ where cannabis is legal. Cannabis is still illegal under US federal law for nonmedical use (Schedule I), and state laws differ, per the Congressional Research Service.

Exploring The Relationship Between Weed and Calories

First of all, let’s be straightforward: the cannabis plant itself contains very few calories in the amounts people use.

The calories come from what cannabis is mixed into. Oils, butter, sugar and other ingredients in edibles and infused products can add up.

Using Weed and Calories: Smoking vs. Edibles

weed on top of meds bottle

Two common ways of using weed are smoking and eating edibles.

Let’s look at how each one affects calorie intake.

Smoking Weed

Smoking cannabis involves heating the flower and inhaling the resulting smoke. Effects start quickly because cannabinoids are absorbed through the lungs.

The direct caloric impact is essentially zero.

You don't digest smoke, so smoking cannabis doesn't add calories the way food does.

It can still influence eating behavior, though.

Increased appetite, often referred to as the munchies, is a commonly reported effect of cannabis, according to NIDA.

That can lead to extra snacking on calorie-rich foods.

Having healthier snacks on hand can help if you're watching your calorie intake.

Using Edibles

Cannabis can be infused into foods and drinks, such as baked goods, candies, gummies and beverages.

Edibles typically take longer to show effects than smoked cannabis, and people may take more as a result, which raises the risk of bad reactions. Start with a small amount and wait before having more.

Unlike when you smoke weed, edibles carry the calories of their ingredients.

Ingredients like butter, oils, sugars, or sweeteners make up most of the calories in edibles.

Calories vary widely depending on the recipe, serving size and product.

Read the label on commercial products, which list nutrition information, or work it out from the recipe for homemade ones.

Portion Control and Awareness

With edibles, portion control matters for both calories and THC dose. Be especially careful with homemade edibles, where the dose per piece is hard to know.

Start with a low dose and give it plenty of time before considering more. Keep all edibles locked away from children and pets.

How Many Calories Does Weed Have?

Now that we've covered whether weed has calories, let’s look at how many calories common cannabis products contain.

Raw Cannabis Flowers

The small amount of raw cannabis flower in a typical serving adds a negligible number of calories.

However, take note that eating raw marijuana is unlikely to get you high, because the THC is still mostly in its non-intoxicating acid form (THCA) until it's heated.

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are a nutritious food that comes from the Cannabis sativa plant.

The seeds don't naturally contain THC (the psychoactive compound), but they can pick up trace amounts during harvesting and processing, and they can't make you high, according to the FDA.

Hemp seeds are energy-dense. They contain healthy fats, protein, and some carbohydrates.

USDA data puts hulled hemp seeds at about 553 calories per 100 grams, or roughly 55 calories per tablespoon.

Values vary slightly by brand.

Cannabis Oil

Infused cooking oil has about the same calories as the oil it's made with.

USDA data puts olive oil at about 40 calories per teaspoon, and most cooking oils are similar.

Tinctures and concentrates are used in much smaller amounts, so their calories are usually minor. Check the label.

Cookies and Brownies

cookie and weeds

Weed-infused cookies and brownies are common edibles. Their calories depend on size, ingredients, and recipe.

They have about as many calories as the same cookie or brownie made without cannabis.

Larger portions or richer recipes mean more calories.

Gummies and Candies

Gummies and candies vary by size and recipe.

A single gummy is usually a small number of calories, mostly from sugar.

Check the packaging or nutrition label for an exact figure.

gummies and weed

Infused Beverages

Cannabis users can also turn to infused beverages, such as teas, sodas, or infused water.

Some are low-calorie or zero-calorie, while others contain added sugars that add calories.

Read the label to see what you're drinking.

Chocolates and Confections

Cannabis-infused chocolates, truffles, and other sweets carry about the same calories as regular versions.

A small piece of weed-infused chocolate has about as many calories as a small piece of regular chocolate of the same size.

Conclusion

Raw cannabis and smoked flower add almost no calories. Edibles, infused oils and hemp seeds can add meaningful calories from their ingredients.

The munchies are the bigger factor for many people, since increased appetite is a commonly reported effect of cannabis.

Check labels, watch portions, and keep edible doses low.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does marijuana make you gain or lose weight?

It varies. Increased appetite is a commonly reported effect, which can lead to extra snacking, while others may not notice changes in their weight.

Is there any nutritional value in weed?

The amount of cannabis flower people use has little nutritional value in terms of protein, fat, or carbohydrates. Hemp seeds are the exception: they are a real food with protein and healthy fats.

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