Canadian Cannabis Consumers Report Improvements In Insomnia
Insomnia is one of the most prevalent health conditions around the world. It is estimated that as many as 60% of the world’s population suffers from insomnia to some degree.
The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, which is the essential definition of insomnia, can be caused by a number of factors, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, lack of exercise, a different health condition, and/or side effects from various medications.
For most sufferers of insomnia, the main negative impact on their life is that they are constantly tired. However, it can also contribute to major health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
A team of researchers in Canada recently conducted a study involving depression and anxiety patients that suffer from insomnia to see if cannabis helped treat their condition(s). Below is more information about it via a NORML news release:
Ontario, Canada: The use of cannabis products is associated with perceived improvements in insomnia in patients suffering from either anxiety or depression, according to data published in the journal BMC Psychiatry.
A team of Canadian researchers assessed the effectiveness of cannabis in managing insomnia in a cohort of 677 subjects. Study participants suffered from either anxiety, depression, or from both conditions simultaneously. Subjects self-administered cannabis products at home and reported symptom changes in real time on a mobile software application. Investigators analyzed reports from over 8,400 cannabis-use sessions recorded over a three-year period.
Consistent with prior reports, subjects from all three groups reported significant benefits from cannabis. Participants perceived CBD-dominant products to be less effective than others.
“This naturalistic investigation of cannabis use for insomnia suggests that individuals with depression, anxiety, and comorbid depression and anxiety perceive benefits from using cannabis for sleep,” authors concluded. “In addition, compared to other cannabis strains, CBD-dominant products may be less helpful for sleep, specifically in individuals with depression. The current study highlights the need for placebo-controlled trials investigating the efficacy and safety of cannabinoids for sleep in individuals with mood and anxiety disorders.”
Full text of the study, “An investigation of cannabis use for insomnia in depression and anxiety in a naturalistic sample,” appears in BMC Psychiatry.
