Cannabis shows potential for treating insomnia

Over an 18-month period, patients suffering with insomnia who were treated with cannabis- based medical products reported improvement in sleep.

The findings were published on Aug. 27, 2025 in PLOS Mental Health .

Co-author Dr. Simon Erridge, Research Director at Curaleaf Clinic in London, UK, said “Over an 18-month period, our study showed that treatment for insomnia with cannabis-based medicinal products was associated with sustained improvements in subjective sleep quality and anxiety symptoms. These findings support the potential role of medical cannabis as a medical option where conventional treatments have proven ineffective, though further randomized trials are needed to confirm long-term efficacy.”

As background, the authors noted that 10 percent of adults have an insomnia disorder. “Current treatments have their limitations,” they said. “And there is growing evidence on the therapeutic potential of cannabis-based medicinal products for insomnia.

In this retrospective study the investigators extracted data on 124 eligible subjects from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry (UKMCR). They analyzed the data for changes in sleep-specific and general patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in subjects prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products for insomnia. They also analyzed the data for adverse events related to cannabis treatment.

The subjects reported statistically significant improvements in sleep quality lasting over the 18 months of treatment (p=.001).

They also reported improvement in anxiety/depression and reduction in pain.

About nine percent of the subjects reported adverse effects such as fatigue, insomnia, or dry mouth. None were life-threatening.

The authors concluded, “The study demonstrated improvements in subjective sleep quality and other captured PROMs [patient-reported outcome measures] in insomnia patients treated with cannabis-based medicinal products. Although the treatment was generally well-tolerated, randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of cannabis-based medicinal products.”