Surveys

PAH will be conducting monthly surveys on specific topics and conditions in order to gather practical information and compile results to help our patients with a variety of needs.   Modern medicine relies on randomized double-blind placebo control studies as the gold standard in treating diseases with specific drugs.  Cannabis is still federally illegal which makes this type of study almost impossible with many legal and financial hurdles.  Anecdotal evidence is data collected based on personal testimonies.  We feel it is our responsibility to our patients to begin a collection of this type of data and utilize it as a tool for suggesting effective cannabis protocols.  We appreciate you taking the time to thoughtfully respond and encourage you to keep an eye out for a summary of the reported data. 

This months focus: insomnia!

Insomnia 

While we see a variety of conditions respond successfully to cannabis, insomnia seems to be a hard one to conquer completely.  According to The American Acadamy Of Sleep Medicine, 30% of adults have symptoms of insomnia.  Finding the root of the problem can seem impossible, leaving patients feeling hopeless.  The cause could be excessive caffeine or sugar, a light in the room, a noise, a vitamin deficiency, stress, pain, and even timing.  Setting a regular and consistent sleep schedule is vital.  Next, identifying the cause and using the right cannabis protocol accordingly could help tremendously.   

There are a few different schools of thought when approaching insomnia with cannabis. We know that THC, CBD, and CBN are cannabinoids that can encourage relaxation.  In addition, terpenoids found in cannabis including, myrcene, linalool, and B-caryophyllene offer sedating effects.   Oftentimes, patients assume choosing the indica strain highest in THC is the way to go, and for many that has been effective.  Another approach is to use a sativa strain a few hours before bed, with expectations for it to lift you up and then offer heavy relaxation as it wears off.  Using a combination of inhaled cannabis and ingested cannabis products targets initially falling asleep and staying asleep.  Many patients find that a full spectrum CBD oil helps tremendously by itself without the possible THC hangover.  Aging cannabis in the sun will cause THC to convert to cannabinoid CBN which is known for its calming actions.  Processors are now making CBN products to target sleep problems specifically.  As you see, there is a lot of information with many different starting points.  With your input, we can look for certain trends and hopefully develop more precise suggestions on how to remedy this widespread condition.