Insomnia, a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulties in falling and staying asleep, affects up to 30% of the general population. A recent study has shown that the use of medicinal cannabis oil can significantly improve sleep in adults suffering from this condition.

The research, a randomized crossover double-blind placebo-controlled 6-week trial, was undertaken by researchers Karin Ried, Tasnuva Tamanna, Sonja Matthews, and Avni Sali, and was first published on 20 December 2022. The aim of the study was to evaluate the tolerability and effectiveness of Entoura-10:15 medicinal cannabis oil as a potential treatment for insomnia.

The trial involved 29 participants with self-reported clinical insomnia. They were randomly allocated to receive either a placebo or the active oil containing 10 mg/ml of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 15 mg/ml of cannabidiol (CBD) over a period of two weeks, after which there was a one-week wash-out period before switching to the other treatment.

The results were promising – Entoura-10:15 medicinal cannabis oil was not only well-tolerated but also effective in improving sleep. The study found that 60% of participants no longer classified as clinical insomniacs at the end of the 2-week intervention period. Furthermore, midnight melatonin levels, a reliable physiological tool to assess sleep quality, improved significantly in the active group, demonstrating a 30% increase compared to a 20% decline in the placebo group.

The medicinal cannabis oil also improved the time and overall quality of sleep, with light sleep increasing by an average of 21 minutes per night compared to the placebo group. The quality of sleep improved overall by up to 80% in the active group, which also included higher daily functioning.

The findings are significant because insomnia, besides causing sleeplessness, can also impact an individual’s daily functioning, energy levels, concentration, mood, and overall physical well-being. Given that 10% to 30% of adults are affected by this condition, the potential of medicinal cannabis oil as a treatment cannot be underestimated.

The cannabis plant is known to produce approximately 100 cannabinoids and a further 400 non-cannabinoid chemicals. The two main therapeutic cannabinoids are THC, which has a sedative effect, and CBD, which has an activating effect at low doses. However, at higher doses, CBD exhibits more sedative effects and is therefore recommended to treat insomnia due to its non-psychoactive nature.

This research highlights the importance of exploring alternative, non-pharmaceutical treatments for sleep disorders. The authors conclude that additional randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of cannabinoids on sleep as a primary outcome measure are warranted. The hope is that these future studies will further solidify the role of cannabinoids as a viable treatment for sleep disorders and ultimately augment the arsenal of interventions available to healthcare professionals.