Recreational Cannabis to Treat Insomnia in Colorado
New Research Studies Effects of Availability on the OTC Sleep Aid Market – LPC
New research out of Colorado seems to indicate that many people are using recreational cannabis to treat insomnia. The research methods the researchers used are unique – and perhaps ingenious. Scientists from the University of New Mexico and California State Polytechnic University reviewed sales of over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids. They compared those numbers to recreational cannabis use in the area. In short, the better access the population has to recreational cannabis to treat insomnia, the less they buy other OTC sleep aids.
Due to the nature of the study, the investigators couldn’t say why this was happening. They believe though that there are two possible reasons. Either people are actively seeking out recreational cannabis to treat insomnia or their cannabis use means they no longer need OTC medicine. It could also be both.
“Our prior research supports the existence of both mechanisms,” said Sarah Stith, one of the study’s co-authors.
Many will say that this research does not prove that using recreational cannabis to treat insomnia is effective. They would be right. However, the fact that such a significant number of people consistently stop using sleep aids when using recreational cannabis is meaningful.
It’s also important because cannabis research is so hard to do. Cannabis research is limited everywhere in the world; scientists have called cannabis research restrictions a danger to public health. In the US, cannabis is still a Schedule I drug. All cannabis researchers there must get permission from the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Study Indirectly Shows Using Recreational Cannabis to Treat Insomnia an Option – LPC
The fact that patients may be self-medicating is part of the point, too. Jacob Vigil, another researcher on the team, said that at least these findings give medical professionals some evidence. Doctors tend not to give cannabis prescriptions for any ailment due to lack of knowledge.
“It is important for the medical community to recognize that the lack of medical guidance does not necessarily lead to a lack of medical use,” Vigil said. “Studies like ours enable us to monitor clinically significant behaviors that would be difficult to identify by providers.”
However, the research doesn’t prove that people should use recreational cannabis to treat insomnia, Stith said. “The possible widespread use of cannabis for less severe medical conditions both highlights its therapeutic potential and raises concerns regarding the risk-benefit tradeoffs.”
The point is, in a world where there isn’t enough research about cannabis risks and benefits, any information is good information.
The study, entitled “Using Recreational Cannabis to Treat Insomnia: Evidence from Over-The-Counter Sleep Aid Sales in Colorado” was published in November 2019.
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