Does Cannabis Really Help With Sleep and Anxiety?

cannabis for sleep

Many people perceive cannabis as a natural panacea. However, it is hard to tell what type of cannabis product is right for a given condition with such a huge variety of strains and formulations. That is why it is always best to see a doctor that specializes in medical cannabis instead of attempting to treat yourself.

With that in mind, a recent study titled “Daily Associations with Cannabis Use and Sleep Quality in Anxious Cannabis Users” is providing some new insights on the topic. In this study, 347 individuals with mild to moderate anxiety participated in a thirty-day study on sleep quality [2]. The participants chose their own cannabis products (flower or edible) and also chose the cannabinoid ratio.

The researchers found that participants reported better sleep quality following cannabis use [2]. They also noted that perceived sleep benefits were greater in individuals with higher anxiety levels. Of all the different cannabis products used, edibles with high cannabidiol (CBD) content were ranked as having the most positive impact on sleep quality.

Overall, this study highlights a common theme seen in cannabis research. That theme is that it is important for physicians to guide medical cannabis use. Many people looking to harness the medicinal benefits of cannabis might jump in with THC products. However, medical cannabis protocols call for patients to start with low doses of CBD that titrate up [1]. Medical cannabis protocols only add tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) if the maximum dosage of CBD is not meeting health goals. This is especially important because THC can worsen anxiety symptoms for some individuals.

References

  1. Bhaskar, A., Bell, A., Boivin, M., Briques, W., Brown, M., Clarke, H., … & Moulin, D. E. (2021). Consensus recommendations on dosing and administration of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain: results of a modified Delphi process. Journal of cannabis research, 3, 1-12.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-021-00073-1

  1. Bidwell, L. C., Sznitman, S. R., Martin-Willett, R., & Hitchcock, L. H. (2023). Daily associations with cannabis use and sleep quality in anxious cannabis users. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 1-18.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15402002.2023.2217969