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Association of Recreational Cannabis Legalization with Frequency of Using Cannabis for Sleep
Zoë Panchal1, Joseph T Sakai1, Jarrod M Ellingson1,2
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
Abstract:
We examined the association of recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) with frequency of using cannabis, alcohol, and sleep medication for sleep and with co-use of cannabis with other sleep aids. We used linear regression models to examine these associations in a population-based sample of adult twins (n = 3,141). Participants (Mage = 37 (SD = 5)) were primarily White (93%), with 5% Hispanic/Latinx, and female (61%). RCL was associated with using cannabis for sleep more frequently even after controlling for cohort, demographics, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, physical health, season, and pre-legalization cannabis use frequency (β = 0.123, p = .001). RCL was not associated with frequency of using alcohol or sleep medication for sleep, or with co-use of cannabis and other sleep aids. More research is needed to determine whether RCL leads to more frequent use of cannabis for sleep.
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