Can Flies Get High on Marijuana?

Does marijuana affect the behavior of flies? There is currently no conclusive evidence that cannabis causes any physiological changes in flies. However, the odor of cannabis may be useful in attracting flies, which may improve the effectiveness of toxic baits. The odor of cannabis is similar to the smell of the food plants that flies like to feed on.

Certain drugs in cannabis can make insects feel high. In one study, amphetamine increased the locomotor activity of cockroaches. It also caused a hyperexcitable state in spiders. Additionally, amphetamine increased the development of flies.

Researchers looked at sand flies from different countries to determine which plants they feed on. The flies had gut contents that were taken and analysed for DNA. It turned out that a large number of flies ingested marijuana. Cannabis is illegal in three regions, which makes it important to determine which plants flies were fed on.

There is little evidence to support that marijuana causes an increase in heart rate in humans. Nevertheless, it is possible that cannabis can reduce cardiac performance in flies. It is not yet known whether cannabis affects the activity of the enzymes encoding cannabinoids. But it has been shown that it increases the transient amplitude of Ca2+ in the sarcolemmus.