Marijuana may often be associated with helping users sleep better, but a new study found this association to be unfounded, and instead suggested that marijuana may be related to user's sleep problems, not the solution.
The study, now published online in the Journal of Addictive Diseases, found that daily marijuana users actually scored higher on the Insomnia Severity Index and on sleep-disturbance measures than those who used the drug less frequently. For example, 20 percent of the nonsmokers met the criteria for clinical insomnia, compared with 39 percent of the daily users meeting those criteria. According to the lead author, the association with marijuana and better sleep may be similar to the idea that alcohol makes you sleep better, but frequent use actually worsens sleep quality.
“Study participants who didn’t smoke every day usually smoked in the evening but once you’re smoking multiple times a day, there’s a greater chance that you’ll report disturbed sleep,” said lead researcher Michael Stein in a press release, explaining that the only way to truly understand weed’s effect on sleep quality is to stop for an extended period of time before starting up again.
For the study, the team analyzed the sleeping patterns of 98 individuals: 49 daily users, 29 non-daily users who smoked at least once a month and as much as five days a week, and 20 individuals who did not smoke at all. There was no difference in the sleep patterns of the non-daily users and the control group but daily users had significantly more instances of both insomnia and disturbed sleep.
Marijuana treats different users differently, and while it can reduce anxiety for some, it can increase it for others. One study found that for some users, marijuana can have a similar effect on their brain as schizophrenia, and in extreme cases the drug can even induce psychosis, or a complete split from reality. It’s not clear as to why daily marijuana users have more difficulty sleeping, but the study suggests it may be because the drug exacerbates an already existing anxiety in users, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Source: Conroy DA, Kurth ME, Strong DR, Brower KJ, Stein MD. Marijuana use patterns and sleep among community-based young adults. Journal of Addictive Diseases.2016
Addiction
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One of the most common misconceptions regarding marijuana is that it is completely nonaddictive. Although it is not nearly as addictive as heroin or cocaine, people can be diagnosed with marijuana use disorder if they meet criteria for two of the 11 symptoms of dependence, which include craving, withdrawal, lack of control, and negative effects on personal and professional responsibilities within the last 12 months. Researchers from Columbia University recently examined the prevalence of marijuana use disorder and how it often goes untreated. They found that out of six million adults experiencing this condition, only 7 percent seek treatment. In addition to symptoms of addiction, people with the disorder also tend to suffer from withdrawal symptoms that include inability to sleep, restlessness, mood swings, and depression.Respiratory Issues
© Photo Courtesy of Pixabay Like alcohol, habitual use of marijuana can be detrimental to sleep quality.
Just like cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke contains harmful chemicals that can wreak havoc on the airway and lungs before it is absorbed by the blood stream. To intensify their high, people tend to inhale marijuana smoke for longer and more deeply than they do cigarette smoke. There is no concrete research showing a link between marijuana use and lung cancer, but smoking pot has been associated with abnormal lung function. Researchers from the University of California San Francisco led a study that compared the inhalation of cigarette smoke and marijuana smoke. Even though the findings showed that marijuana is less damaging on the lungs than tobacco, the research team still discovered an uptick in wheezing, coughing, bacteria in the lungs, and airway inflammation among pot users. These respiratory issues were exacerbated in the few heavy users that were included in the analysis. Of course, this would only apply to people who smoke marijuana and not those who consume edibles.Cognitive Effects
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Marijuana users often claim they are using the drug to expand their minds or increase their creativity. Experts from Columbia University Medical Center agreed that cannabis does stimulate the brain in a recent study, but this becomes problematic with continued use. A total of 11 adults between the ages of 21 and 40 who were severely dependent on cannabis had significantly lower levels of dopamine release compared to people who did not use marijuana. What does that mean for a user's cognitive function? Dopamine is crucial neurotransmitter responsible for the brain's reward and pleasure centers, and addiction experts are well aware that drugs like cocaine and heroin can compromise how the brain releases it. Since drugs stimulate the brain more than natural rewards, it responds by reducing the number of dopamine receptors it contains. Lower dopamine release in certain areas of the brain has been associated with an impaired dopaminergic system, which impacts cognitive learning and behavior.Schizophrenia
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Research on marijuana use continuously shows a link to schizophrenia, but scientists are still trying to understand whether cannabis is the chicken or the egg. Researchers from the Baycrest Health Sciences' Rotman Research Institute in Canada conducted a study that examined young males with a genetic predisposition for schizophrenia. Those who reported marijuana use had a thinner cortex, which can make it hard for a person to construct reality and lead to hallucinations. Could the same set of genes influence schizophrenia and cannabis use? Australian researchers measured genetic risk profiles for 2,082 health participants, including 1,011 who reported marijuana use, to analyze each individual's number of schizophrenia-related genes — the same ones that make this disorder hereditary. People who carried the schizophrenia gene were more likely to use cannabis in greater quantities. Each person's risk for schizophrenia is influenced by a complex set of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors; marijuana may be one piece of the puzzle.Anxiety
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Researchers from Boston Children's Hospital recruited 40 people between the ages of 15 and 24 who reported using marijuana at least twice a week. Participants were asked to file a report gauging their mood directly before and after marijuana use. The research team found that the troubles participants were trying to escape were heightened in the 24 hours before marijuana use. So the drug did alleviate the problem in the short term, but ended up making them worse as time went on. The effect marijuana has on anxiety is indicative of the effect it has on all areas of mental and physical health. Each of the negative health consequences included in this list are not even remotely associated with short-term cannabis use. They are the result of using copious amounts of pot over an extended period of time. Like most things, marijuana should be used in moderation whether it's for recreational or medicinal purposes.
source : Medical Daily (http://www.medicaldaily.com/)
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