Why the latest sleep study that says cannabis is bad for sleep is deeply flawed

Many people use cannabis to help them fall asleep. It is one of the most common uses of cannabis in the medical context. However, a recent study aims to challenge the idea that cannabis is good for sleeping and believes it found reasons to question our assumptions.

In today’s article, I’m going to do another Reginald Review to see if this study has any merit or not. I will use pure critical thinking and logic to analyze the data and see if or not we need to worry about cannabis and sleep.

My gut instincts tell me that we are likely to hear phrases like “may cause” or “need further study” indicating that research is reaching for straws. Still, it would be good to know the implications of our choices and adapt accordingly if the study has any benefit. After all, the best way to reduce harm is to know what you are doing.

Let’s begin!

What the study claims

CNN reported on the study, saying, “

Weed consumption can actually harm sleep, a new study found. The study, published Monday in a BMJ journal, found that adults who consumed weed for 20 days or more in the past month were 64% more likely to be less than six hours a night and 76% more likely to use weed for more than nine hours a night slept. Optimal sleep for adults is defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at seven to eight hours per night. ”- SOURCE

Basically, the study found that people who smoked more than 20 times a month (I know an arbitrary number) were more likely to sleep more than eight hours at a rate of 47%.

Lead researcher Calvin Diep said, “Large population-based studies show that both short sleeps and long sleeps are linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as the long-term progression of things like atherosclerosis, diabetes, coronary artery disease and one of the most important heart disease Circulatory diseases. “

While this may be true unless they tested cannabis users for these conditions too, the information would by no means be causal. It could just be a fluke, or there could be numerous other things that could lead to the same results.

In fact, even the lead researcher said so;

“The problem with our study is that we can’t really tell if it’s causal, which means we can’t know for sure if it was just someone who had trouble sleeping and was therefore using cannabis, or whether it was caused by cannabis has.” – Calvin Diep

CNN also interviewed another clinician-scientist, Dr. Karim Ladha, on these results, about which he had the following to say;

“Studies tell us what is happening at the population level, but at the individual level this discussion is much more personal,” he said. “The studies only give us the possibility that (marijuana) might affect your sleep, but it can help and we just don’t know until you try.”

Therefore, additional studies need to be done, he added.

“Patients invest money, time, and resources in obtaining cannabis to help them fall asleep,” Ladha said. “I think as a medical community we must do everything we can to ensure that our patients can make the best possible choices about their health.” – CNN

On this point, I agree with Ladha, it is the responsibility of the medical community to help people make the best decisions about their health. These studies tend to analyze the data in a “generalized” way and cast a wide net – but this does not mean that some people individually actually benefit from cannabis use.

Why do they publish unfinished science?

Science is a process and it is important to document the results. However, it’s also important to note that CNN and many other media outlets have been against cannabis in the past. Most of the time, cannabis is reported either ironically, sarcastically, or in a negative light. It wasn’t until recently that news outlets were forced to spin another narrative.

If we look at funding large networks, you’ll find that a lot of it comes from drug companies – who happen to be selling drugs to help you sleep. The difference is that you can grow one of the drugs at home while the other has to be bought exclusively from a licensed doctor who also makes some nice profits on his drugs prescription.

Does this mean we should ignore the study? I can’t say that the study was mainly funded by the pharmaceutical industry because I didn’t look at the funding. However, I can definitely say that CNN is getting money from the pharmaceutical industry and therefore potentially has serious bias when it comes to reporting on the negative effects on cannabis.

Prohibition could only last so long through media networks. You’re helping shape the narrative for the government, and if you haven’t figured it out by now, you’re deep in Soylent Green.

You have something on your face!

I would have no problem if they published these results with an open mind, but if we look at their headline; Marijuana can make sleep worse, especially among regular users, research shows

This heading does not mean that there is no causal relationship between the results. It makes you believe that smoking cannabis affects your sleep, especially if you smoke more than twenty times in a single month.

Really? Twenty times? Is that dabs? Joints? Vaping? Edible? What about the potency? How close to bedtime did users consume cannabis? Or are we simply using the ambiguity of the statement as a means of claiming that due diligence was required in this study?

While this study is sure to be cited by some anti-cannabis organizations in the future, the fact is that it is a study done to build a narrative. Which is a shame. You should be doing legitimate research on these things.

Compared to a control group, conducting clinical studies with cannabis from pharmacies would have no ethical consequences. Especially in places like Canada.

Reginald Review concludes – “I’m calling BS!”

IS CANNABIS GOOD FOR SLEEP, READ MORE …

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MARIJUANA FOR SLEEPING, READ HERE!

OR..

CAN CANNABIS REPLACE LUENSTRA, AMBIEN OR RESTORIL?