When was the last time you enjoyed seven to nine hours of uninterrupted, quality sleep in one single night? If you’re a parent, a student, or employed, it’s probably been a while. But sleeping less as an adult doesn’t necessarily mean you have sleep problems, although it wouldn’t be uncommon if you did.
According to WebMD, millions of Americans rely on cannabis to help alleviate insomnia. And their reasoning may make some scientific sense, since cannabis does increase the amount of adenosine in your brain, a neurotransmitter that helps you fall asleep. But research from 2025 found no evidence that cannabis has any long-term positive effect for sleep issues. In fact, cannabis use may be worsening them.
What’s Insomnia?
The Mayo Clinic reports that insomnia is a disorder that consists of not getting enough sleep, so much so that you struggle to complete daily responsibilities or activities. In addition to making it hard to fall asleep, insomnia can make it hard to stay asleep, too.
Unfortunately, insomnia is common; it affects many Americans, and over 35% of surveyed South Carolinians reported struggling with insufficient sleep in 2022.
Here are the biggest signs that you may be dealing with more than just one bad night’s sleep:
- You consistently wake up at night or too early.
- You feel grumpy, down, or anxious more often than not.
- You struggle with memory or focus, which can lead to errors or accidents.
- You usually lie awake in bed for hours before you can fall asleep.
- If you’re struggling with these symptoms, it’s best to see a doctor. However, some people resort to using cannabis—commonly called marijuana or weed—to help manage their insomnia. What they may not know is that cannabis could actually be making their sleep issues worse.
Does Cannabis Help With Insomnia?
It’s kind of up for debate. The Sleep Foundation published an article that says it can, especially if you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms or diseases that may cause chronic pain.
But that Sleep Foundation article speaks to short-term use. Long-term use can disrupt sleep, with daily users reporting more sleep issues than non-daily users. The article pointed out a potential explanation for this:
- Short-term use helps you spend more time in the sleep stage that leaves you feeling refreshed.
- Long-term use reduces your time in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage, where you dream, process emotions, and solidify new memories.
Here’s what the University of Michigan found on the topic:
- Around a quarter of Americans between the ages of 19 and 30 use cannabis, alcohol, or both to soothe themselves to sleep—although cannabis is used at higher rates.
- Over 40% of those adults admitted that their sleep issues encourage them to use cannabis, since it can make them drowsy every night. Short-term, this may sound super attractive to anyone getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night.
- The university found that using cannabis this way could actually lead to poor sleep quality and sleep difficulties long-term.
- Additionally, cannabis use could lead to dependence, compounding the sleep issues and introducing cannabis use disorder into the mix.
The other important caveat to note here is that cannabis use for insomnia can impact different demographics of users in more negative ways. Women use cannabis for sleep troubles more than men, while non-binary people are the most likely to use it. Both women and non-binary individuals are often more vulnerable populations, so dependence-forming habits and their effects can hit them even harder.
The Verdict on Cannabis For Insomnia
Classified as an illegal substance, cannabis is too risky to try in South Carolina—it’s not even medically decriminalized, yet. So even if you had another condition that cannabis could potentially help you manage, you can’t legally access it in the Palmetto State.
That said, there just isn’t enough research to justify using it for insomnia, especially when the research we do have only recognizes short-term use as potentially beneficial. Plus, its overall harms could outweigh its help. Cannabis use disorder is real, and it could affect more people as use continues to rise in the state, possibly increasing their chances of developing cardiovascular disease and other health issues.
Treat Cannabis Use Disorder in South Carolina
Cannabis’s long-term sleep-enriching qualities may just be another marijuana myth. But if you feel like it’s been working for you, we don’t judge. Our only concern is that you remain free to live your life safely and in good health.
That’s why we recommend reaching out if you’re considering quitting THC cold-turkey after reading this article, since a disorder may be present, and quitting cannabis can trigger uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
Contact our care teams in Cameron or North Charleston to learn more and take more control of your rest.
