Insomnia has been linked to many other conditions or circumstances based on findings from research in the area of sleep disorders. Medical experts and physicians have conclusively found that certain medications, depression, anxiety and an excessive intake of caffeine, tobacco products and alcohol have contributed massively to the number of people who cannot sleep at night. Because of the calming effects of marijuana, the link between marijuana and insomnia has been a topic hotly debated among average Americans and professionals alike.
At issue is whether marijuana for insomnia is effective or prohibitive. Now and in civilizations past, marijuana has been used for pain management and to prompt relaxation. It is not hard to see why marijuana and insomnia might have some helpful connection based on the ability of the drug to induce rest.
Marijuana contains about 60 chemicals and is considered a medical herb. One of the chemicals, known as cannabinoid, acts on receptor cells in the brain to control memory and movement.
Smoking or eating the cannabinoid in marijuana alters balance and motor coordination making depression and anxiety subside. It is not hard to see why the effects of the drug can easily bring a restful sleep or why many might consider using medical marijuana for insomnia.
Some of the other effects of marijuana make some skeptical. It can intensify your emotional state – whatever that state may be – and cause an increase in appetite. Some have reported having fits of giggles after smoking the drug. Any of these conditions would be cause to believe that marijuana actually causes insomnia rather than helping to relieve it.
A finding that might support this belief is the fact that if a person smokes marijuana for a long period of time and then quits, he experiences a period of withdrawal. The withdrawal period is filled with anxieties and, for some, depression. These are the very same symptoms that have been copiously noted as being the culprits for causing insomnia. Those who believe the drug is the cause of sleeplessness might call this state marijuana insomnia.
No matter which side of the debate you fall on, it is clear that marijuana and insomnia appear to have some kind of link. Those who suffer from insomnia have been able to use the drug and cure themselves of restless nights when there is no sleep in sight. The fact that, with a few state exceptions, the drug is still illegal in the United States, even for medical reasons, has given it a legal stigma that makes those who need its calming effects turn away from it. Those who want to sleep, though, take the risk.
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