Patients with insomnia who took cannabis-based medicinal products reported an improved quality of sleep after up to 18 months of treatment, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Arushika Aggarwal of Imperial College London, United Kingdom, and colleagues.
About one in three people have some difficulty getting a good night’s sleep, and 10% of adults meet the criteria for an insomnia disorder. But current treatments can be difficult to obtain, and the medications approved for insomnia carry a risk of dependence.
To understand how cannabis-based medicinal products might affect insomnia symptoms, the authors of this study analyzed a cohort of 124 insomnia patients who were taking cannabis-based medicinal products. They examined patients’ reports of sleep quality, anxiety/depression, and changes in quality of life between one and 18 months of treatment.
Patients reported an improvement in sleep quality that lasted beyond 18 months of treatment. They also showed significant improvements in anxiety/depression, in addition to reporting less pain. About 9% of patients reported adverse effects, such as fatigue, insomnia, or dry mouth, but none of the side effects were fatal. Although randomized clinical trials are needed to establish that the products are safe and effective, the authors suggest that cannabis-based medicinal products may improve sleep quality in patients with insomnia.
The co-author Simon Erridge, Director of Research at Curaleaf Clinic, summarizes: “Over a period of 18 months, our study showed that treating insomnia with cannabis-based medicinal products was associated with sustained improvements in the subjective quality of sleep and in anxiety symptoms. These findings support the potential role of medical cannabis as a medical option when conventional treatments prove ineffective, although more randomized trials are needed to confirm long-term efficacy.”
Erridge concludes: “This long-term study provided valuable real-world evidence of patient outcomes that go beyond what is typically observed in short-term trials. It was particularly interesting to observe signs of potential tolerability over time, which underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring and individualized treatment plans.”
