The results of the study by the School of Psychology of Laval University and the CERVO Research Center, published in the journal Sleep Medicinereveal that just over one in six Canadians have used cannabis or its derivatives as a sleep aid in the past 12 months.
Among young people aged 18 to 35, this proportion increases to 28% of respondents.
The study also concluded that the consumers surveyed used marijuana on average four times a week as a nighttime aid.
No positive effects, but negative ones
These results worry researcher Charles Morin‚ from the School of Psychology at Laval University and the CERVO Research Center. Its teams participated in the study, along with colleagues from elsewhere in Quebec and Ontario.
He highlights the absence of data on the real effectiveness of cannabis in improving sleep, at the same time warning of its potentially harmful effects, especially among young people.
“There is no conclusive evidence that cannabis is safe or effective for insomnia.”
— Charles Morin, researcher and professor at the School of Psychology at Laval University and the CERVO Research Center.
“On the other hand, its negative effects on the mental health of young people are well documented,” he insists.
More and more self-medication
Otherwise, scientific work generally notes a marked increase in self-medication against insomnia.
Nearly 46% of study participants say they have recently used various products to sleep better, compared to only 24% 16 years ago.
In addition to cannabis, Canadians favor natural products, such as melatonin and valerian (29%), alcohol (10%) and prescription drugs (15%).
The study was carried out by 12 scientists from Quebec and Ontario on 4,037 Canadian adults, between April and October 2023.
