Cannabis Use Before Bedtime Does Not Cause Next-Day Impairment Of Cognitive Ability
Marijuana Use Before Sleep Shows Minimal Impact on Next-Day Performance, Study Finds.
A new study suggests that using marijuana before sleep has minimal if any effect on a range of performance measures the next day.
These include simulated driving, cognitive and psychomotor function tasks, subjective effects and mood. The study involved 20 adults with physician-diagnosed insomnia who rarely used marijuana.
“The results of this study indicate that a single oral dose of 10 mg THC (in combination with 200 mg CBD) does not notably impair ‘next day’ cognitive function or driving performance relative to placebo in adults with insomnia who infrequently use marijuana,” said the researchers at Macquarie University in Sydney, the University of Sydney, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Gold Coast-based Griffith University and Johns Hopkins University.
While cannabis is often used as a sleep aid and there are concerns about next-day impairment, particularly on safety sensitive tasks such as driving. However, the results showed no differences in 27 out of 28 cognitive and psychomotor function and simulated driving tests compared to the placebo.
“Almost all of the cognitive tests conducted, involving attention, working memory, speed of information processing, and other domains, showed no ‘next day’ effects of THC/CBD,” the report says. Some cannabis users report feeling residual effects the next day, but a recent study found no evidence that marijuana causes a hangover.
“Unlike long-acting sedatives and alcohol, cannabis was not associated with a ‘hangover’ effect, although individuals reported some lingering effects such as sleepiness and changes in mood,” a Washington State University study found.
