A new survey of cannabis consumers with sleep issues found that most preferred to use marijuana instead of other sleep aids to help get to bed, reporting better outcomes the following day and fewer side effects. Smoking joints or vaping products that contained THC, CBD, and the terpene myrcene were trendy.
The study, conducted by a pair of psychology researchers at Washington State University, compared cannabis use to conventional sleep aids or no sleep aids at all. Respondents reported that cannabis made them feel more refreshed, focused, and better able to function the morning after, with fewer headaches and less nausea. But they also said some side effects from marijuana use, including waking up feeling sleepy, anxious, and irritable.
Nearly two-thirds of participants reported that they’d been suffering from sleep issues for at least five years, while nearly 70% said they’d been using cannabis to help with sleep for at least a year. A plurality of respondents (38%) said they’d been using marijuana for sleep for between one and three years. Nearly 82% of cannabis consumers said they do not currently use prescription or over-the-counter sleep medications, though more than half reported doing so in the past, indicating that they have come to see marijuana as a better option.
More than half the sample reported that they use cannabis every night to help them fall asleep. Most respondents said they either smoke joints (46.1%), vape flower (42.6%), or use some form of cannabis oil (42.5%) before bed, although nearly a third said they use edibles and/or vape pens. Another 14.6% said they use cannabis in capsule form.
If you or you know of a loved one who is looking to try cannabis as a sleep aid, seek out products that have a CBD & THC ratios or CBN. For example, Pacific Reserve CBN gummies on our Store’s shelves and the Pacific Reserve 1:1 THC:CBD gummies. Remember to ask your Budtender about cannabis products for sleep!
