As the efforts to normalize and legalize cannabis use roll on, we’re hearing more and more about all the medicinal benefits of marijuana.

One of the most popular relates to sleep.

Many users report cannabis helps them fall asleep faster.

But how does cannabis affect the overall sleep cycle?

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis, may reduce the amount of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is important for restorative sleep.

This can lead to a feeling of grogginess the next day or less restful sleep. Additionally, regular use can lead to dependence, which might further impact sleep quality when not using cannabis.

Cannabis use can also cause memory problems, particularly with short-term or working memory (the cognitive system which allows you to temporarily hold and manipulate a limited amount of information).

THC affects your hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory formation, which can lead to difficulties in learning new information or recalling recent events while under the influence.

These effects are generally more pronounced with higher doses and in people who use cannabis frequently.

For some people, these memory issues may improve after discontinuing use, but others experience longer-lasting effects, especially with heavy, long-term use.

For these reasons, a new study was conducted by The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol on how cannabis affects both sleep and memory, making it the first of its kind.

The study found long-term users have issues with both sleep and memory. They also found sleep and visuospatial memory issues, or the ability to process and retain visual and spatial information, such as an object’s identity and location.

The study compared chronic users (those consuming cannabis more than five days per week) to non-users.

They assessed memory performance, visuospatial learning (the ability to process visual information in the environment) and verbal memory (the ability to remember words, sentences, stories, or other information that is presented verbally or in written form).

They didn’t find a significant difference between the two groups with verbal memory, but poor-quality sleep and spatial memory (the ability to remember words, sentences, stories, or other information that is presented verbally or in written form) was highly prevalent among the long-term users.

As a result of the study, they recommended reducing cannabis use because of these issues and the overall effect cannabis has on brain health.

At Sanctuary Clinics, the world’s foremost Christian Cannabis Cessation program, we take these studies and their results very seriously.

As a society, we need to slow the rush towards mainstreaming cannabis use.

As more of these studies come to light, it is clear that more research is needed, and more regulation must be put into place before cannabis can be declared “safe” and “medicinally beneficial.” Scientific research against such claims is mounting.

Get the facts. Don’t believe the fiction.

If you are considering cannabis for its supposed medicinal qualities, talk to your physician.

If you or someone you love is struggling with cannabis, call Sanctuary Clinics. We can help.