Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
Review finds insufficient evidence for medicinal cannabis to treat insomnia
A review of nine clinical trials looked at medicinal cannabis for insomnia in 537 adults.
The studies compared regulated cannabis products with a placebo, or, in one trial, with the antidepressant amitriptyline.
Insomnia can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep and leave people feeling unrefreshed, and it can affect daily life.
The review found too little reliable evidence to recommend cannabis for the condition.
Compared with a placebo, it had little or no meaningful effect on sleep quality, total sleep time or daytime functioning.
The evidence was rated very low to low certainty, so the findings do not show that cannabis is ineffective; they show that its benefits are not yet clear.
Trials lasted no more than 12 weeks, leaving long-term risks uncertain.
The review says each case needs individual assessment while better evidence is awaited.
A Cochrane review of nine clinical trials found insufficient evidence to recommend medicinal cannabis for insomnia.
The trials included 537 adults, and the evidence was rated as very low to low certainty.
The review found little or no clinically relevant effect on sleep quality, total sleep time or daytime functioning compared with placebo.
The lead researcher said the lack of certainty does not prove that medicinal cannabis is ineffective.
- Who
- Researchers from the Cochrane Associate Centre at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and the University of Manitoba reviewed the evidence.
- What
- A review found insufficient evidence to recommend medicinal cannabis for insomnia.
- When
- The latest search for studies was conducted on 5 April 2025. The article was published on 13 October 2026.
- Where
- The research team included researchers from Argentina and Canada.
- Why
- The available studies were too uncertain to establish whether medicinal cannabis improves sleep or daytime functioning.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The review’s latest search for studies was conducted.
Infobae published an article reporting the review’s findings.
- Studies reviewed
- 9 clinical trials
- Participants
- 537 adults
- Evidence certainty
- Very low to low
- Latest study search
- 5 April 2025
- Sleep-time estimate
- 7.68-minute average difference in six studies with 194 participants
What people are saying
The research currently available is not sufficient to reliably answer whether medicinal cannabis helps people with insomnia.
Sources
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