Cannabis Users Report Having Less Anxiety and Better Sleep

Cannabis users that participated in a study published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research reported having less anxiety, better sleep, and using fewer prescription drugs while using cannabis as a therapeutic.

The 2-year study had participants submit online surveys every three months to report changes to their health conditions, Newsweek reported. Common health ailments among participants were chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD, depression, and epilepsy.

Compared to a control group, the marijuana users reported a better quality of life and having more satisfaction with their health.

“Of note, most participants in this study were using cannabis for health conditions other than the FDA-approved [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] uses of CBD or THC, and for which effective doses have not been determined in controlled clinical trials,” the authors noted. “These include THC for weight loss in AIDS patients, and nausea and vomiting in cancer patients having chemotherapy; or CBD for the rare forms of epilepsy known as Dravet and Lennox/Gastaut syndromes.”

58% of participants took cannabidiol (CBD) at an average daily dose of 79 mg, while others used tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at an average daily dose of 3 mg.

“When we evaluated people before and after using medical cannabis, and then saw the exact same changes seen in the cross-sectional comparison between cannabis users and controls, that’s when we knew we had a compelling validation showing actual medical benefit,” the authors said.