Is Marijuana The New Ambien?

Science and anecdote in the quest for better sleep 

- Jacob M. Appel, MD

November elections witnessed the legalization of recreational marijuana use in four states and of medicinal marijuana in another four–bringing the total number of states without cannabis prohibitions below the federal level to 28. Along with these political developments came a slew of health claims about the controversial drug, including a rising number touting marijuana as a sleep aid. A post-election headline in the Marijuana Times asked: “What Are Some of the Best Cannabis Strains for Treating Insomnia?” Meanwhile, a week earlier, Broadly staff writer Gabby Bess published “One Woman’s Quest to Get Really High and Have Dreams,” an article tentatively debunking the widely-held belief that pot use impairs dreaming. Internet forums and websites like “Herb” have been pitching marijuana as a substitute for prescription insomnia medications including Ambien and Xanax–and even for the postprandial martini or bedtime shot of schnapps. One widely-circulated news story reported a tale of pot’s efficacy in pets as well as human beings. But does the scientific data support these claims? And how does this evidence comport with the anecdotal experience of individual users?