Joint Relations Among Cannabis, Sleep, and Affective Symptomatology: A Scoping Review

This scoping review used a five-stage framework to evaluate empirical studies positing anxiety and depression as mechanisms or moderators in associations between cannabis use and sleep. Applicable peer-reviewed studies were identified in Google Scholar and PubMed using relevant search terms (e.g., cannabis, sleep, depression, anxiety).

Of the 20 articles included, most examined cannabis effects on sleep using prospective designs with adults recruited based on anxiety and/or depression symptomatology. Fewer studies tested bidirectional associations between cannabis and sleep. Among adults reporting clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression at baseline, certain cannabis product formulations were associated with concurrent and prospective improvements in subjective sleep phenotypes. However, this pattern of findings was not evident among those without anxiety/depression, none of the designs were experimental, and only one study included objective sleep measures.

Providers should be aware that cannabis' perceived sleep benefits are more pronounced among those with anxiety/depressive disorders. Experimental research with objective measures testing how and for whom sleep and cannabis are linked is needed.