Marijuana’s long reputation—both bad and good—is being re-evaluated these days, by the public, lawmakers, and scientists. Public approval of recreational marijuana use has never been higher, and a record 19 states have now legalized recreational use. The growing acceptance has led researchers to take a closer look at the side effects of cannabis, and one new study has found that pot can have an unexpected and potentially dangerous effect on your daily routine. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

Marijuana is a well-reputed relaxant. But a new study has found that it might be frankly bad for sleep health. According to research published in BMJ, recent marijuana users were 34% more likely to report short sleep duration—less than six hours a night—than non-users.

Recent marijuana users were also more likely to say they had difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much during the past two weeks. They were also more likely to tell their doctor they had trouble sleeping.

Heavy cannabis users (meaning those who used the drug 20 or more days within the past month) were even more likely to report sleep problems. They were 64% more likely to experience short sleep duration and 76% more likely to have long sleep duration than non-users.

“Large population-based studies show that both short sleep and long sleep are associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as the long-term progression of things like atherosclerosis, diabetes, coronary artery disease and any of the major cardiovascular diseases,” the study’s lead author, Calvin Diep, told CNN. “It seems with sleep there’s kind of this ‘Goldilocks phenomenon’ where there’s an amount that ‘just right.'”

Published: December 13, 2021

L.A. Cannabis News

Founder & Interim Editor of L.A. Cannabis News