{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/insomnia/2","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_2770-markdown","title":"A Holistic Approach to Alleviating Insomnia","slug":"a-holistic-approach-to-alleviating-insomnia","content":"Sleep is just as important for a healthy body as a balanced diet is. Good sleep habits, just like eating, can drastically improve overall mental and physical health. According to an article by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, [proper sleep habits play a role in forming new pathways](https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/node/4605) for learning, decision-making skills, managing emotional issues, healing, repairing blood vessels and more. Plus, a lack of proper sleep can lead to an increased risk of heart and kidney disease, diabetes, stroke and obesity. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nFolks struggling with insomnia are, unfortunately, acutely aware of how vital quality sleep is. Insomnia, defined as habitual sleeplessness, is an incredibly common problem affecting up to 30% of Americans every year. A number of things can cause insomnia including:\n\n* Genetics\n* Hormones\n* Chronic pain\n* Depression\n* Anxiety\n* A snoring partner \n\nWhether you’re suffering from acute or chronic insomnia, the traditional medical fix usually includes sleeping pills. This course of action may not be ideal for many people as sleeping pills come with some serious side effects including addiction, confusion and problems with attention.\n\nIf you find yourself looking for holistic ways to treat insomnia, here’s a quick list of the top methods for getting your zzz’s. And, you guessed it, this list includes: cannabis. \n\n### Take an Hour to Power Down\n\nFor some, insomnia can be the result of simply not putting your brain to rest properly. If you’re like most Americans, our brains are buzzing constantly from incoming text messages, social media imagery, emails and the latest Netflix shows. In an ever-connected world, it’s often hard to get our minds to slow down and our eyes off our screens. This failure to calm the brain ahead of sleep can make good rest hard to find.\n\nAccording to clinical psychologist and sleep specialist [Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.](https://www.thesleepdoctor.com/), quality sleep takes a powering down process. In his book titled _The Power of When_, Breus suggests a three-part, 60-minute approach to bedtime. \n\n* For the first 20 minutes, finish any of the “must accomplish” tasks that will keep you up at night if they aren’t crossed off your to-do list. \n* Use the next 20 minutes to complete your bedtime routine, like brushing your teeth and washing your face. \n* Use the final 20 minutes of your power-down hour to lie in bed and focus on your breathing. \n\n### Stick to a Strict Bedtime\n\nIf you’re experiencing a particularly stubborn bout of insomnia, you may benefit from sticking to a very strict bedtime for at least two weeks. This includes weekends because, despite the rumors, sleeping in on the weekends can actually be more detrimental to sleep than it is restorative. \n\n[Keeping a regular sleep schedule is the Sleep Foundation’s number one tip](https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-tools-tips/healthy-sleep-tips) for healthy sleep. That’s because the brain and body respond well to routine. The more consistent your bedtime schedule is, the more likely your body and mind are to adhere to that schedule. \n\nIf this method means you’d be drastically changing your bedtime, say going from 2 a.m. to 10 p.m., it’s going to take some time to make the change. It’s better to do it in gradual increments, according to the Sleep Foundation. Start by going to bed at 1:30 a.m. for a few days, then move bedtime up by another 30 minutes a few days later. Repeat this process until you reach your bedtime goal. \n\n### Wind Down With Cannabis\n\nThe role that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in vital functions of the body is hard to overstate. The ECS is involved in everything including:\n\n* Hunger\n* Pain\n* Fertility\n* Memory\n* Locomotive activity (walking and running)\n\nSleep is also one of the functions that relies on ECS regulation. When tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) interact with cannabinoid receptors in the body, they can help modulate sleep patterns. \n\nRELATED: [FINDING RELIEF FROM INSOMNIA WITH CANNABIS](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5abe9f5ff24d1300077ccba9/finding-relief-from-insomnia-with-cannabis)\n\nDr. Claudia Jensen, M.D., noticed many of her patients reporting that since taking medical marijuana, they started falling asleep faster. Using data collected from her clinic, Dr. Jensen published a study in 2011 in _The Journal of Cannabis in Clinical Practice_.\n\nPatients fell asleep 30–45 minutes faster, on average, after they began using medicinal cannabis. Of the 116 people interviewed during the study, 79% claimed their sleep quality improved with medical marijuana. \n\nIf you’re interested in taking marijuana to help you fall asleep and stay asleep, you’ll probably need to experiment a bit to find the cannabis strain, consumption method, timing and dose that help you best. Many people find indica strains help them fall asleep, while others pay more attention to the THC-to-CBD ratio than strain variation. Now, in some states, there are even cannabis products marketed specifically for sleep with names like Sleep, Calm and Dissolve. \n\nIt’s worth noting that cannabis edibles seem to be a good choice for people who have problems staying asleep. Because of how the marijuana is processed through the liver, a cannabis edible will take longer to kick in. However, it will last longer than vaping or smoking will—typically 6–8 hours, depending on the dose amount, when you took the edible and what you had for dinner. \n\n### Relax Your Mind With Meditation \n\nMeditation is billed as a tool for calming, among other things:\n\n* Anxiety\n* Anger\n* Sleeplessness\n* Bad mood\n\nAccording to a study published in _JAMA Internal Medicine_, mindful meditation can evoke the [relaxation response necessary for our bodies to fall into sleep](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2110998). The participants in the study included 49 middle-aged to elderly adults who experienced sleeping problems. Half of the participants completed a mindfulness awareness program with exercises designed to focus on the present. The other half was put through a course on sleep education, equipping them with ways to improve sleeping habits.\n\nThe study concluded that the participants in the mindfulness group had less insomnia, depression and fatigue than those in the other group did. \n\nTo practice mindfulness meditation, [Dr. Herbert Benson](https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-helps-fight-insomnia-improves-sleep-201502187726) from the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine suggests two steps: \n\n1. Focus on something that calms you. This could be your breathing or repeating a sound aloud. \n2. Relax your mind and whenever it wanders, gently bring it back to the calming point of focus. \n\nUse this technique throughout the day and before bed to help you relax into slumber. \n\nFinding a way to successfully treat insomnia is vital to your health. Proper quality and quantity of sleep can help you:\n\n* Be more productive.\n* Maintain a healthy weight.\n* Make better decisions.\n* Decrease your risk of developing serious medical issues.\n\nLet us know how any of these holistic insomnia treatments worked for you in the comments section below. \n\nPhoto credit: [Eric Danley](https://www.flickr.com/people/edanley/)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. \n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3888888888888888,"src":"/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/14b42/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.jpg","srcSet":"/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/f836f/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.jpg 200w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/2244e/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.jpg 400w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/14b42/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.jpg 800w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/47498/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.jpg 1200w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/0e329/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.jpg 1600w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/6055f/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.jpg 2327w","srcWebp":"/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/58556/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/61e93/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.webp 200w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/1f5c5/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.webp 400w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/58556/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.webp 800w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/99238/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.webp 1200w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/7c22d/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.webp 1600w,\n/static/d988ff9908c607bb137cfe2c45378b0d/7cad6/a64144c3dec12b9eaa29c2da335a6bbe.webp 2327w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2736-markdown","title":"Goodbye, Insomnia: A HelloMD Educational Event","slug":"goodbye-insomnia-a-hellomd-educational-event","content":"Last week, HelloMD held an educational event—the first of many—in San Francisco, hosted by our Chief Medical Officer Perry Solomon, M.D., and featuring Chris Emerson, Level’s co-founder and chief scientist. Roughly 20 folks attended to find out how cannabis might help with their insomnia. \n\nDr. Solomon along with Chris, who holds a Ph.D. in small molecule chemistry and attended Stanford University as a post-doctoral fellow, started out by going over the basics—from endocannabinoids produced in our body and phytocannabinoids found in cannabis to how these compounds interact with our endocannabinoid system, helping maintain balance, or homeostasis.\n\nThey then spent a good chunk of time going over the what, when and why around insomnia—as well as suggestions on how to get a good night’s sleep. Following are excerpts of their in-depth discussion along with the Q&A session that followed.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nDo you live in or near San Francisco? [Check out our “How to Microdose With Cannabis” event] scheduled for Thursday, July 12.\n\n### What components of cannabis or what products would people use to treat their insomnia? \n\n**Chris Emerson:** Yeah, I think a lot of times it's been about products with delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). After you use THC, you don’t feel tired necessarily, but it's not an energizing thing for the most part. By the time you get done with THC, you do feel a little sluggish. So, as people use delta-9 THC, I think it can help facilitate sleep.\n\nThere are a lot of different reasons why some of the other cannabinoids that are coming on the market, especially cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN), that may not have—for most people—the psychoactivity of delta-9 THC, can also be really good for helping people relax, and to try and treat persistent sleep issues.\n\n### Some people have a problem going to sleep, and some people have a problem staying asleep. Would there be different ways to treat each of those types of insomnia? \n\n**CE:** Yeah, definitely. I think so. Some people just need help relaxing to fall asleep. Once they fall asleep, they can stay asleep; that's one application. Some people are going to fall asleep, and then they'll rebound and wake up at two or three in the morning—mind's racing, the body's tired, and they can't fall back asleep; it’s a different use case. And then all of the combinations that occur in between. And so, the method of using a certain dosage route of administration of cannabis can be very impactful on how it's going to affect your ability to treat your condition of persistent sleeplessness.\n\n![Level's Chris Emerson & HelloMD's Dr. Perry Solomon](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-40aa7621-a438-42e6-be34-e593b77d961d/original.jpg)\n_Level's Chris Emerson (left) with HelloMD's Dr. Perry Solomon share tips on easing insomnia with cannabis._\n\n### Are there other issues that cannabis can help with so that people can go to sleep? In other words, chronic pain or anxiety or whatever it may be. And would you use different types of products for a given condition or symptom?\n\n**CE:** Yes, for sure. So, you're talking about clinical manifestations of pain. There's inflammation in inflammatory and neuropathic conditions, and cannabis treats them slightly different. Maybe you have acute pain, so you want to vape. Either flower or concentrate because you need acute relief to help minimize the pain so you can fall asleep.\n\nOr maybe you can fall asleep, but you wake up in the middle of night. So, maybe you want an edible or some type of oral dosage as you fall asleep as their effects last longer than the effects from vaping.\n\n**Perry Solomon:** Yes, exactly. And it might be different for everybody. Maybe you vape to go to sleep; the vape helps you fall asleep. And then you also take a dosage of an edible, so it helps you maintain sleep throughout the night. And part of the journey that Chris was talking about is for people to keep track of their sleep cycles. Because what you eat has something to do with how cannabis, the medicine, reacts in your body. What time you took it before you went to sleep and how you're feeling the next day are also very impactful in terms of what you use.\n\nSomeone may wake up and say, I still feel a little bit high. I took an edible. Maybe I should have used that before—an hour or a half hour before I went to sleep. So, keeping a journal about what it is you took and how you slept that night kind of dials in for each person what works for them. Because everyone reacts differently to cannabis, and everyone goes a different way in their journey of going to sleep.\n\nOne of the biggest frustrations to be able to recommend something is that there's no one size fits all with cannabis. It's more about trying something, seeing what and how it works, and moving onto something else or going on to keep using the same product. Because everyone completely depends on their own personal physiology and what else they do during the day. Cannabis isn't _the_ answer. It's a part of a holistic approach that includes changing your lifestyle and eating habits as well as exercise.\n\n### Do physicians recognize cannabis as an effective treatment for insomnia?\n\n**PS:** No, doctors don't have any idea that cannabis works like that at all because no one taught us about cannabis in medical school. Physicians are very afraid of giving recommendations or talking about it mostly due to their ignorance. If you're going to ask your doctor about cannabis for insomnia, they'll look at you with a blank stare or say, “Well, let me give you some Ambien or some Xanax,” because they know how to prescribe that. They can tell you to take a half a pill every hour. Doctors know exactly how it's going to work.\n\nCannabis is a very individualistic thing, and it's frustrating for a physician not to know exactly how much to prescribe and write that out on their prescription pad. Doctors can write something for pain; they can write something for antibiotics, but they can't write a prescription specifically telling you exactly how much cannabis to take.\n\nThey're learning though. When you go in to talk to your physician about using cannabis, I highly recommend you show them what you’ve learned, because you will educate them about using cannabis—for insomnia specifically, and for other medical conditions. \n\n### So, how does someone know how much cannabis to take for their insomnia? \n\n **CE:** It depends on a person’s experience with cannabis—how much have you tried cannabis—and then understanding dosing and different routes of administration. Essentially, there are five routes of administration. You can have a topical route of administration. You can smoke or inhale. You can swallow things; that's an oral route of administration. You can let it dissolve in your mouth through sublingual or mucosal route of delivery; that's sublingual. There's also rectal and vaginal—or suppository.\n\nMost products on the market are topicals, inhalants, sublingual and oral. And each one has a different effect in your body, because your body processes cannabis differently depending on the route of administration or also because of the uptake for it. And so if people are unfamiliar with cannabis, it's important to understand the different routes of administration. Different products are formulated for different routes, and you're going to have different experiences depending on the route of administration.\n\nFor people who are new to cannabis, start low and go slow. Microdosing is very popular as a term; these are products that are 5 mg or less. If you're concerned about psychoactivity, start with something that’s high in CBD, or CBD only. There’s some other non-psychoactive cannabinoids out there, but CBD is usually a really good one to start with as the baseline. Then you can start to incorporate some delta-9 THC and find a balance between those two that may work for you. Then once you feel confident with those, you can really start exploring. \n\n![Goodbye, Insomnia - a HelloMD educational event in SF](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-e63b7bfc-6f4d-4952-b3d3-3543f7bcd0c3/original.jpg)\n\n### If someone were to say that they’re just lying there in bed, and their mind is racing; they’re anxious. What would you suggest to someone like that? \n\n**CE:** For me, CBD works really well. There’s also a cannabinoid CBN. It's pretty rare. It's kind of hard to find because the plant actually doesn't produce it. It's a non-enzymatic degradation byproduct. So, it converts over time from delta-9 THC to CBN. Purportedly, it has very good sedating or sleep-enhancing properties. But we haven't really been able to look at it, and there's not a lot or very many products on the market that have it.\n\nSo, CBD is a great one to really look at. It helps people relax. A lot. It may calm your mind, reduce anxiety. There's also delta-8 THC that's starting to hit the market. This is a very relaxing cannabinoid, and we find that when combined with CBD, it has very relaxing qualities. I actually use a mixture of these two cannabinoids every night to sleep because it helps me calm, helps my mind stop racing.\n\nSo, you get into a pattern or ritual of going to sleep every night. You take some cannabis, whatever it is that works for you. You put your phone down since you’re trying to calm your body down and relax from the day, and then potentially use an oral dosage 30–60 minutes before you lay down.\n\nAnd when you’re lying down, maybe you use a tincture or some type of sublingual that's fast-acting, usually 5–15 minutes, that then helps this onset ramp before the oral dosage kicks in to help you maintain throughout the night. There's a ton of products out there that you can take that are between 5–20 mg, depending on what's going to work for the individual. \n\nAlso, can you identify parts of your day when you could incorporate breathing or meditation or supplement with some cannabis, too? During the day, we can get really stressed, whether we're dealing with some crisis or interacting with family or employees. We don't think about it. We just get through the day.\n\nSo, when we start shutting our bodies down, and we're in the middle of our sleep, we wake up in a panic, because now our bodies are trying to process all of these emotions from the day. So, can we identify throughout the day what's happening that leads to us having these persistent sleep issues, and then in that, can we use cannabis to help us address these issues?\n\nI think when we don't try to change patterns and adjust throughout the day, that's when we say, “Oh, I want a silver bullet. I just want to sleep, so I'm going to take some Ambien.” We’re going to take something that can knock us out and not address a systemic issue in our lives. \n\nPhoto credit: [Cris Saur](https://unsplash.com/@crisaur)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/14b42/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg","srcSet":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/f836f/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/2244e/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 400w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/14b42/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 800w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/47498/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 1200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/0e329/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 1600w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/25bba/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 2868w","srcWebp":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/58556/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/61e93/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/1f5c5/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 400w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/58556/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 800w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/99238/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 1200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/7c22d/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 1600w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/cca17/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 2868w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2636-markdown","title":"Finding Relief From Insomnia With Cannabis","slug":"finding-relief-from-insomnia-with-cannabis","content":"Are you having sleepless nights? You aren’t alone. Roughly 30–35% of adults experience the symptoms of insomnia at least on a temporary basis. These symptoms include the [inability to fall or stay asleep, fatigue during the day, mood disturbances, poor memory and the inability to focus](http://www.sleepeducation.org/news/2014/03/10/insomnia-awareness-day-facts-and-stats). Meanwhile, up to 20% of adults experience longer-lasting insomnia (up to three months), while 10% have chronic and ongoing insomnia.\n\nWhile there’s a large selection of sleeping pills and other solutions available, many folks find these options don’t work well. Or they don’t like the sometimes unsettling side effects they can encounter. People have reported unusual and out-of-character behavior while on sleeping pills. From racking up high bills online shopping to making embarrassing phone calls or taking the car out for a drive in the middle of the night—while asleep, these [side effects can be as bizarre as they are dangerous](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/15/business/15drug.ready.html).\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nIn this article, part of our series geared towards folks new to cannabis, we go over how cannabis offers hope to those suffering from insomnia. The medicinal plant acts as a natural and effective sleep aid that will leave you snoozing instead of sleepwalking. Many patients are already reaping great benefits from this alternative sleeping solution. \n\n### Nicole’s Success Using Cannabis for Her Insomnia\n\nNicole, a 38-year-old writer, yoga teacher and riding therapist, says that cannabis has made a big difference with her insomnia. \"My insomnia was really debilitating,\" she says of her lifelong sleep issues. “If I did fall asleep at all ... I would wake every one-and-half or every three hours. You could almost set a clock to it.”\n\nAnd lack of sleep was just the beginning for Nicole. “Several times a month, I’d have either sleep paralysis or night terrors, really terrible screaming nightmares where I would wake everyone around me.” she says. The anxiety and guilt over disturbing everyone else’s sleep only made Nicole’s insomnia worse. \n\nNicole thought about trying cannabis, but in New Jersey, where she’s from, insomnia isn’t a qualifying condition for cannabis use. So, she tried an array of medications—from over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol PM and Benadryl to prescription drugs like Xanax, but nothing seemed to work. \n\nThen, a few years ago, Nicole moved to California and began to experiment. Soon, she found that cannabis was just the medicine she’d been looking for. Finally, she was able to sleep. \n\n“When I take a dose of cannabis, I'm usually asleep within 20 minutes,” Nicole says. “It's a very pleasant feeling of falling asleep.” According to Nicole, she can now sleep through the night about 90% of the time. “When I do wake up, I can usually get back to sleep,” she explains. “So it's been a really significant change.” \n\nNicole says that cannabis has also helped with her nightmares. “I tend to not recall very much active dreaming when I use it,” she says, adding that the times she’s woken up from nightmares has gone from several times a month to only two or three times in the last few years. Now, Nicole says she’s also seen improvement in other health issues like anxiety and intense premenstrual symptoms. \n\n“Sleep is at the heart of everything,” she says. “It lets you heal from a lot of other issues.\" \n\n### Treating Insomnia With Cannabis \n\nAs it turns out, the body’s natural endocannabinoid system (ECS) is key to regulating sleep. When the ECS is stimulated by plant-based cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), it can activate your body’s natural mechanisms for modulating sleep patterns.\n\nStudies show that [many patients report falling asleep easier and more quickly after consuming cannabis](http://www.beyondthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Tringale-Jensen-20111.pdf). In addition, cannabis can decrease episodes of sleep apnea, helping patients sleep more consistently throughout the night.\n\nIf you suffer from insomnia and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one of HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. \n\nThere are many cannabis options on the market today. Indicas are traditionally recommended for sleep because they tend to make people sleepy. Others find CBD strains to be most helpful, because they relax the body without many side effects.\n\nIn terms of which forms work best, some folks favor edibles, because they stay in your system all night, providing a consistent supply of cannabinoids, thereby helping patients stay asleep. Others prefer smoking flower or vaping extracts because these methods give you a large dose of cannabinoids that affect you almost immediately. This can greatly aid in the process of falling asleep.\n\nWhatever you try, remember that cannabis can affect people differently, so you might need to try a few options before you find the right one for you. \n\nStay tuned for the next installment of the Cannabis for Newbies guide, where we’ll get into how cannabis can help ease depression.\n\nPhoto credit: [Matheus Vinicius](https://unsplash.com/@matheusdk00)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/14b42/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg","srcSet":"/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/f836f/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 200w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/2244e/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 400w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/14b42/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 800w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/47498/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 1200w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/0e329/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 1600w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/7c307/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 3071w","srcWebp":"/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/58556/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/61e93/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 200w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/1f5c5/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 400w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/58556/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 800w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/99238/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 1200w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/7c22d/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 1600w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/ad95e/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 3071w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2612-markdown","title":"How Cannabis Helped Solve My Menopause-Induced Insomnia","slug":"how-cannabis-helped-solve-my-menopause-induced-insomnia","content":"When I began going into menopause, I wasn't sure what to do. All I knew is that I didn't want to take pharmaceuticals to treat what was a natural process in the female human body—the end of menstruation.  \r\n\r\nThe worst symptoms for me were depression, insomnia, night sweats and hair loss. Soaking wet pajamas woke me up in the middle of the night and usually resulted in full body rashes. My insomnia was not helping my depression. To say I was miserable would be an understatement. I tried modifying how I ate and began yoga to ease some of the symptoms I was experiencing, but I wasn’t finding relief.\r\n\r\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\r\n\r\nI read about cannabis and how it could be used for relaxation and as a sleep aid. Coming from the “Just Say No” generation, the idea of buying and smoking “pot” seemed wrong to me, but so did suffering for months on end.\r\n\r\nFinally, I pushed through my fear, got a medical marijuana card and learned to vape from a woman I know. I was terrified, paranoid and felt completely out of my element using cannabis as medicine in my 50s—but I wanted to feel better. \r\n\r\nThe first night I vaped a little cannabis before bedtime, I slept through the night. When I woke up the next morning after uninterrupted sleep, I cried from relief. With more sleep, many of my other menopause and stress-related symptoms began to diminish.\r\n\r\nRELATED: [THE INS AND OUTS OF VAPING MEDICAL MARIJUANA](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a1f473a100a820006562eb3/the-ins-and-outs-of-vaping-medical-marijuana)\r\n\r\n### Cannabis Tinctures Can Help for Menopause-Related Insomnia\r\n\r\nI’m not the only woman whose found relief from menopause-related insomnia through the use of cannabis. \r\n\r\nKim in Alaska began having problems sleeping through the night when she started menopause. \r\n\r\n“I would wake after five hours and not be able to return to sleep,” she recalls. “I tried many over-the-counter herbs and essential oils with mixed results.”\r\n\r\nHer sleep issues were compounded by her day job where she was constantly on the computer. This would cause her hands to tingle and fall asleep at night, which would wake her up and interrupt her sleep cycles.\r\n\r\n“I tried cannabis in tincture form to see if I could find some relief, and it helped,” Kim says. “My hands no longer wake me up, and I sleep through most nights.” Kim says she uses any indica strain tinctures to aid in a more restful night.\r\n\r\n### Powdered Cannabis & THC Pills for Sleep\r\n\r\nAshley in Colorado says her sleepless nights were caused by a combination of stress and [perimenopause](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/perimenopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20354666). Being a more regular consumer of cannabis, she didn’t feel that smoking was doing the trick in terms of promoting sleep. \r\n\r\nAfter some research and recommendations, she found two products, Ripple by Stillwater Brands and Altus, were well-suited for her.\r\n\r\n“They help me mellow out, lower my stress level and ease me into a more restful sleep,” says Ashley.\r\n\r\nRipple is a powdered, water-soluble tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) product while Altus makes pills in addition to gummies and topicals. The product Ashley found more sleep-inducing were the indica-dominant 5 mg pills, although it took some time for her to find her optimal dose.\r\n\r\n### Best Marijuana Strains for Sleep\r\n\r\nDepending on whom you ask, you’ll hear a variety of opinions and experiences around consuming cannabis for sleep. Some strains that seem to come up regularly from women I’ve spoken with and cannabis consultants alike as ideal for deep relaxation and slumber include Skywalker, Afghan Kush, and [Northern Lights](https://www.hellomd.com/strains/5a7ce57ed520d60009f4f4bb/northern-lights).\r\n\r\n### Tips for Solving Menopause-Related Sleep Issues With Cannabis\r\n\r\nEvery person’s body is different, so what works for one woman may not work for you. If menopause is disrupting your sleep, here are some things you can do:\r\n\r\n* **Monitor your sleep using an app.** Apps like SleepCycle, FitBit and Sleep Better, or a wearable device like FitBit or Misfit can be great tools for understanding how you sleep—or don’t sleep. By tracking your personal sleep data, you’ll gain a better understanding of what else besides hormones might be affecting your sleep including food, beverages—especially alcohol, electronics, sugar and pain.\r\n* **Keep a journal.** Record your marijuana consumption as you try different strains and forms of cannabis to address your sleep issues. Keep track of each product and watch your sleep data to see which ones are working for you.\r\n* **Have patience.** The right strain, intake form and amount are unique to each individual and can be affected by many factors including weight, frequency of cannabis use, metabolism and more. So don’t give up if you don’t find the right product right away.\r\n\r\nThe more you understand your sleep cycles and can spend the time finding the ideal cannabis strain, form and dose, the more likely you are to get a good night’s sleep. For me, my surefire sleep solution is a few puffs from a vape pen with an indica or indica-dominate strain. Let me know in the comments below what you use to help alleviate insomnia from menopause.\r\n\r\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3888888888888888,"src":"/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/14b42/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.jpg","srcSet":"/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/f836f/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.jpg 200w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/2244e/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.jpg 400w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/14b42/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.jpg 800w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/47498/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.jpg 1200w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/0e329/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.jpg 1600w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/86636/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.jpg 2630w","srcWebp":"/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/58556/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/61e93/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.webp 200w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/1f5c5/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.webp 400w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/58556/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.webp 800w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/99238/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.webp 1200w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/7c22d/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.webp 1600w,\n/static/500f4fc1b871ba83ce97416068694cfd/6e55b/f38a3e5b20ea5e22ad0067eda0a4c037.webp 2630w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2627-markdown","title":"Top 5 Cannabis Products to Help You Stay Asleep","slug":"top-5-cannabis-products-to-help-you-stay-asleep","content":"
If you’re one of the roughly 10 million Americans who rely on a prescription drug like Ambien or Lunesta to help relieve your insomnia, you may also find yourself dealing with a host of side effects such as drowsiness during the day, dizziness, headache and memory loss. As it is, these sleeping pills, which can become habit-forming, are meant to treat insomnia only in the short term.\n\nFor folks having trouble staying asleep, a safer, long-term solution is—you guessed it: cannabis. This powerful plant not only helps regulate sleep patterns, but it can also reduce stress, anxiety and pain as well as improve mood—all things that can determine whether you’ll have a good night’s sleep.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nWhen it comes to middle-of-the-night or late insomnia, edibles are likely the best choice as they typically last about 6–8 hours. And because effects aren’t immediate, you can consume a marijuana edible an hour or two before bedtime with the expectation that the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) or other cannabinoids will come on right as you’re hitting the hay.\n\nOf course, because everyone reacts differently to cannabis’s various chemical compounds, some experimentation is required. If you’re not sure what product or dose is right for you, start out with a small amount, and see if it helps you sleep through the night. If it doesn’t, slowly increase your dose with the goal of consuming the smallest amount possible to ease your insomnia.\n\nRELATED: [TOP 5 CANNABIS PRODUCTS TO HELP YOU FALL ASLEEP](https://hellomd.com/articles/top-5-cannabis-products-to-help-you-fall-asleep)\n \nWith that in mind, take a look at our top five picks of cannabis edibles that we’ve found ensure a full night’s sleep.\n\n### 1. Kiva Blueberry Terra Bites\n\n![Kiva Blueberry Terra Bites](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aaab2c6f24d1300077ccb8b-5a54fc2f-ad5d-4b2b-ab71-86e4edf5bf3c/original.jpg)\n\nCloaked in cocoa powder and creamy milk chocolate, Kiva’s Blueberry Terra Bites are a crowd favorite. These easy-going edibles lay claim to a number of awards, including winner of the best edible from The Errl Cup, _SF Weekly_ and _East Bay Express_.\n\nAt just 5 mg of THC per blueberry, Kiva Terra Bites are a great choice for folks looking for a lower dose of cannabis to achieve a solid night’s sleep. And for those who need more, it’s a cinch to up your amount by popping a second—or third—blueberry before bedtime.\n\n### 2. Kikoko Tranquili-Tea\n\n![Kikoko Tranquili-Tea](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aaab2c6f24d1300077ccb8b-83ee1b9d-12fa-42ba-aa64-439e70078310/original.jpg)\n\nAs far as cannabis teas go, Kikoko has it dialed in. Each cannabis-infused tea bag is water-soluble, carries an exact dose and uses only organic ingredients.\n\nPeppermint, chamomile, lemon myrtle and lavender are just a few of the items that spice up the flavor profile of [Kikoko’s Tranquili-Tea](https://www.hellomd.com/products/58dc2cfe53635624bf2a4992/tranquili-tea), which contains 3 mg of THC and 5 mg of cannabinol (CBN). [Non-psychoactive CBN](https://hellomd.com/articles/having-trouble-sleeping-try-non-psychoactive-cbn), which results when THC oxidizes, is touted for its sedative effects, and Kikoko’s Tranquili-Tea is one of only a handful of products out on the market that contains this sleep-inducing cannabinoid.\n\n### 3. Sensi-Chew Insomnia With Melatonin\n\n![Sensi-Chew Insomnia With Melatonin](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aaab2c6f24d1300077ccb8b-24b5479d-8a24-41e0-b6f3-27d09f914529/original.jpg)\n\nIf you’re in need of a bit more indica to keep you in the land of Nod, you may want to try Sensi-Chew’s cannabis-infused chocolate caramels. Each dose comes loaded with 10 mg of full-spectrum THC along with small amounts of several other cannabinoids including CBN.\n\nAnd for good measure, one chewy chocolate caramel contains 4 mg of melatonin, which helps reset your sleep and wake cycles. Though your body typically produces enough melatonin on its own, there are times when a melatonin supplement can prove helpful—for example, when you’re suffering from jet lag or the occasional insomnia.\n\n### 4. Care by Design 18:1 Softgel Capsules\n\n![Care by Design 18:1 Softgel Capsules](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aaab2c6f24d1300077ccb8b-b23b6d59-1aa9-48da-85f0-84983c216989/original.jpg)\n\nSensitive to THC’s psychoactivity? No worries. You can still achieve a restful sleep by consuming products with high levels of non-psychoactive CBD. Known to reduce anxiety as well as modulate pain, mood and stress, [CBD—when taken regularly—can help individuals](https://hellomd.com/articles/whats-so-great-about-cannabidiol-or-cbd) waking up mid-sleep for these reasons.  \n\nEnter Care by Designs 18:1 CBD gel caps, which contain cannabis oil that’s been CO2 extracted and lab tested to ensure each dose has a consistent level of potency and is free of contaminants. Care by Design’s 18:1 CBD-rich capsules come in 10 mg and 20 mg doses and use coconut oil to increase the cannabis’s absorption rate.\n\n### 5. Mind Tricks Cannabis-Infused Toffee\n\n![Mind Tricks Cannabis-Infused Toffee - PB+J](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aaab2c6f24d1300077ccb8b-6d6018c0-7b5c-442e-9b0e-e7ebbb503142/original.jpg)\n\nTo satisfy your sweet tooth, we recommend following dinner up with a little dessert—specifically, Mind Tricks’ cannabis-infused toffee. A collaboration between canna-business Jetty Extracts and candy shop Sweetbricks, [Mind Tricks Toffee](https://deskgram.org/mindtricksedibles) comes in a variety of tantalizing flavors including cookies n cream, salted dark chocolate walnut and PB+J (pictured).\n\nEach Mind Tricks bag comes with five chunks of toffee dosed at 20 mg of THC each. If 20 mg is too much, crack off a piece to get your desired dose, then let the feelings of relaxation and well-being wash over you as you slide into bed and a peaceful slumber.\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) guide. [HelloMD](https://hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAANABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGQAAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwQF/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAeusOmYvD//EABoQAAMAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRExL/2gAIAQEAAQUC2kukmPL7XKBTKFMo/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEP/aAAgBAwEBPwE//8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEP/aAAgBAgEBPwE//8QAGRAAAwEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERITEi/9oACAEBAAY/AreCm0sH5W9MXDEf/8QAGxABAAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQARITFRYeH/2gAIAQEAAT8hvEA2eJZkKLKi4QgPqoAAmhBaEOp//9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABDHD//EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABITH/2gAIAQMBAT8QRlv/xAAXEQEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASEx/9oACAECAQE/EE7T/8QAHBABAAIDAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQARITFhQaHB/9oACAEBAAE/EEv6u72mDvK1sNsZug1Q8H7AyAZ7ZdguAUHgjJeboT//2Q==","aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/14b42/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.jpg","srcSet":"/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/f836f/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.jpg 200w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/2244e/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.jpg 400w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/14b42/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.jpg 800w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/47498/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.jpg 1200w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/0e329/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.jpg 1600w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/6a059/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.jpg 6000w","srcWebp":"/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/58556/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/61e93/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.webp 200w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/1f5c5/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.webp 400w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/58556/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.webp 800w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/99238/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.webp 1200w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/7c22d/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.webp 1600w,\n/static/e1aefa0dfff1b7732cce50ea8d5eab90/3041e/532b6a5c936949d323a5684d1643bebe.webp 6000w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2614-markdown","title":"Cannabis: A Better Alternative to Benzodiazepines","slug":"cannabis-a-better-alternative-to-benzodiazepines","content":"While the opioid epidemic has been grabbing headlines nationwide for its staggering impact on lives and productivity, [prescriptions of benzodiazepines, another class of potent drugs, have also been soaring](https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2016.PP3b2?code=psychnews-site). Between 1996 and 2013, the number of adults filling a prescription for some type of benzodiazepine, or benzo, jumped by 67%. These powerful medications for anxiety, insomnia and a number of other conditions are implicated in roughly 8,000 overdose deaths a year. But just as it does for opioids, cannabis could be an exit drug out of benzodiazepine dependency and abuse, because of its ability to affect the same neural pathways in the brain.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### What Are Benzodiazepines?\n\nBenzodiazepines are a large [class of lab-synthesized drugs](https://www.rxlist.com/benzodiazepines/drugs-condition.htm) that includes:\n\n* Diazepam (Valium) \n* Lorazepam (Ativan) \n* Clonazepam (Klonopin)\n* Alprazolam (Xanax)\n\nThese [medications are widely prescribed](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/demystifying-psychiatry/201505/how-many-people-take-benzodiazepines) for conditions such as:\n\n* Anxiety \n* Insomnia \n* Nervousness \n* Panic disorders \n* Seizures \n* Muscle spasms \n\nSometimes they’re also used for sedation during surgery, and to treat premenstrual syndrome and the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. \n\n### The Many, Sometimes Deadly Side Effects of Benzodiazepines\n\nLike opioids, benzodiazepines are intended largely for short-term use, because they act relatively quickly. This means they’re prescribed for acute situations, such as calming a patient before a surgical procedure or easing the anxiety of a traveler before a flight. But also, similar to opioids, these drugs are frequently prescribed for long periods of time, which can lead to a number of serious side effects and addiction. \n\nBenzodiazepines alone are only rarely responsible for overdose deaths. But because they depress the central nervous system, which controls respiration, heart rate and other autonomous functions, they can contribute to death by overdose when they’re taken along with other kinds of central nervous system depressants such as alcohol or opioids.  \n\nThough they’re not likely to be fatal, these drugs do have a long list of side effects. The more minor of these include:\n\n* Dizziness\n* Confusion\n* Problems with memory and concentration\n* Gastrointestinal problems\n* Poor balance\n* Fatigue \n\nBut serious effects can also occur, such as:\n\n* Jaundice\n* Severe low blood pressure\n* Elevated heart rate\n* Musculoskeletal problems\n* Cognitive decline and dementia (especially in older people who take them for long periods of time)\n\n### How Do Benzodiazepines Work?\n\nScience still hasn’t clearly established the exact reasons benzodiazepines work, but recent research points to their ability to affect a network of receptors in the brain related to the body’s production and use of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid that inhibits the transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system. Because GABA slows neural activity, and benzodiazepines have been shown to enhance the effects of GABA, this relationship appears to account for benzos’ calming, slowing effects that reduce anxiety and promote sleep and muscle relaxation. \n\nMalfunctions in the GABA receptor system seem to play a role in a number of psychological and neurological conditions such as:\n\n* Anxiety\n* Panic\n* Insomnia\n* Epilepsy\n\nSome research suggests that schizophrenia and other psychoses might be related to GABA deficiency. Though GABA receptors are found in many areas of the brain, they’re especially prevalent in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala, areas related to managing emotion, cognition and coordination.  \n\nBenzodiazepines can bind to GABA receptors to boost their inhibitory activity. But so can cannabis—and the relationship between the GABA receptor system and the body’s large network of endocannabinoid receptors reveals why cannabis products can be safe and effective alternatives to benzodiazepines for just about every condition these drugs are used to treat.\n\n### The Cannabis/GABA Connection\n\nEndocannabinoid receptors are found in organs and tissue throughout the body, binding both to cannabinoids produced internally and to those from outside sources such as spices and cannabis. The [cannabinoid receptor CB1 occurs widely in the \nbrain](http://www.jneurosci.org/content/21/23/9506?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=JNeurosci_TrendMD_0), especially in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala—areas that are also rich in GABA receptors.  \n\n[Anandamide](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a949d06f24d1300077ccb66/eating-anandamide-the-bliss-molecule) and 2-AG, the body’s natural cannabinoids, also promote feelings of calm and relaxation—and recent research indicates that [they can affect processes\nthat reduce the release of GABA](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00213-017-4648-z), just as benzodiazepines do. And because cannabinoids from cannabis, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), bind to the same receptors as natural cannabinoids do, they support those processes, too. \n\n### Cannabis Offers Benzo Benefits—Without the Risks\n\nCannabis products of all kinds, especially those high in CBD, can be effective—and far safer—alternatives for benzodiazepines. Although endocannabinoid receptors are found in relatively large numbers in many areas of the brain, they’re notably absent in the brainstem—unlike receptors for both opioids and GABA. For that reason, cannabis is extremely unlikely to cause or contribute to an overdose death.   \n\nRELATED: [TOP 10 HIGH-CBD MARIJUANA STRAINS FOR ANXIETY](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/57f2b7f12b1e99000a671ac3/top-10-high-cbd-marijuana-strains-for-anxiety)\n\nWhen used for long periods of time, benzodiazepines can override the body’s own expression of GABA. These medications can become addictive, and when stopped, they can trigger a series of potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms. The risk of benzodiazepine addiction is so high that a majority of drug rehab programs now include treatment for them alongside protocols for opioids and other kinds of drugs.\n\nBut stopping cannabis causes few, if any, physical withdrawal symptoms. And because cannabis affects all of the functions of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), it brings with it other positive effects such as immune system support and relief from pain and the symptoms of a long list of health conditions.\n\nRecent research on cannabis as a substitute for prescription medications reveals that an [overwhelming majority of cannabis consumers were able to reduce or stop using not only opioids, but also other medications](https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/06/survey-pain-patients-overwhelmingly-prefer-medical-marijuana-over-opioids) including benzodiazepines, by using cannabis. \n\nThe documented benefits of cannabis include relief from anxiety, insomnia and depression, as well as the symptoms of epilepsy and other disorders that are currently treated with benzodiazepines. In all its forms, cannabis works with the brain’s GABA pathways just as benzos do—and it just might be an exit drug from this burgeoning addiction epidemic, too.\n\nPhoto credit: [Thought Catalog](https://unsplash.com/@thoughtcatalog)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3888888888888888,"src":"/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/14b42/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.jpg","srcSet":"/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/f836f/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.jpg 200w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/2244e/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.jpg 400w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/14b42/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.jpg 800w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/47498/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.jpg 1200w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/0e329/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.jpg 1600w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/0cde8/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.jpg 3671w","srcWebp":"/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/58556/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/61e93/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.webp 200w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/1f5c5/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.webp 400w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/58556/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.webp 800w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/99238/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.webp 1200w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/7c22d/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.webp 1600w,\n/static/4bf290492e24a284c177d3093d87e627/2bed0/f91d21380072882e5728c4f5267e65ad.webp 3671w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2591-markdown","title":"Top 5 Cannabis Products to Help You Fall Asleep","slug":"top-5-cannabis-products-to-help-you-fall-asleep","content":"Insomnia is one of the most common reasons for people to seek out cannabis, and it’s easy to see why: A recent study in the _Journal of Psychopharmacology_ found that [65.2% of 264 medical marijuana patients who were using sleep medications reduced their consumption of these drugs with the help of cannabis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28372506).  \n\nIndeed, many insomnia sufferers say they’ve found relief in medical marijuana. However, cannabis affects each individual differently, so what helps one person go to sleep might not work for another. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, we’ve compiled a diverse list of cannabis products that can help you wind down for the night. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### 1. Dosist Sleep Dose Pen\n\n![Dosist Cannabis Sleep Dose Pen](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aa05f6cf24d1300077ccb7e-d722df9b-ae5d-4763-8f66-3e03905153d6/original.png)\n\nIt can take marijuana edibles up to an hour or more to kick in, so if you’re looking to fall asleep quickly, vape pens are the way to go. Upon inhaling, cannabinoids—the active chemical compounds in cannabis—enter the bloodstream via the lungs leading to a much more immediate effect. \n\n[This vape pen by Dosist has a CBD (cannabidiol) to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) ratio of 1:8](https://dosist.com/formula-detail/sleep) and a terpene blend that includes myrcene and nerolidol, aromatic compounds that are believed to have sedating properties. Dosist pens also vibrate to let you know that you’ve consumed 2.25 mg of the oil inside the cartridge, a feature that lets you dose accurately. \n\nRELATED: [3 POPULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA & INSOMNIA ANSWERED](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a020cd61d901d0dde1bb18a/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-insomnia-answered)\n\n ### 2. Care By Design Drops\n\n![Care By Design Cannabis Sublingual Drops](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aa05f6cf24d1300077ccb7e-1390c74a-89a9-4c8f-a369-f62d5084c02a/original.png)\n\nSublinguals can come in the form of tinctures, sprays or lozenges; they’re one of the few non-inhalable cannabis options that still offer fast-acting effects. These products are held under the tongue, which is packed full of capillaries—small blood vessels that provide a direct route for cannabis to enter to the bloodstream. By bypassing the digestive system, sublinguals usually take effect in as little as 15 minutes. \n\nFor cannabis consumers who aren’t interested in inhalables or THC, [Care By Design’s sublingual drops](https://www.cbd.org/products/cbd-sublingual-spray) are a good option. The drops come in a variety of CBD to THC ratios, so you can find a combination that suits your needs. \n\n### 3. Bloom Farms PAX Era Pod Indica+\n\n![Bloom Farms PAX Era Indica Pods](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aa05f6cf24d1300077ccb7e-50e0e4fb-50f4-481c-b20b-ed6ff7e1eaca/original.png)\n\n[Bloom Farms PAX Era Indica Pods](http://getbloomfarms.com/bloom-farms-era-pods/) contain a special blend of CO2 extracted cannabis oil that’s meant to promote a full night’s sleep. \n\nThese pods are only compatible with the [Pax Era Vaporizer](https://www.paxvapor.com/era), so if you don’t have one, it’s a great excuse to get one. Often dubbed a revolutionary vaporizer by many reviewers in the cannabis world, the Pax Era is easy-to-use, lightweight, compact and allows consumers to control temperature ranges and settings via an app. \n\n### 4. AbsoluteXtracts Grand Daddy Purp Cartridge \n\n![AbsoluteXtracts Gran Daddy Purp Cartridge](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aa05f6cf24d1300077ccb7e-431d01da-4f6e-47bf-822c-f16d785f5c54/original.png)\n\nThe strain [Grandaddy Purple](https://www.hellomd.com/strains/5a7cbbc4d520d60009f4f4a4/granddaddy-purple) is a favorite in the cannabis world for its powerful, relaxing effects. And now, with [AbsoluteXtract’s Grand Daddy Purp Cartridge](https://www.abx.org/vape-strains#gdp), you can have this much-loved flower in vaporizer form. The oil in each cartridge is formulated to match the cannabinoid and terpene content of the Granddaddy Purple cannabis strain, so you’ll be able to kick back and melt into your couch—or in this case, your bed. \n \n### 5. Garden Society Mini Joints\n\n![Garden Society Mini Cannabis Joints](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5aa05f6cf24d1300077ccb7e-c1a2b908-3629-4a0c-9c4c-5a48e6815570/original.png)\n\nThe modern-day cannabis world has a variety of options for cannabis consumers, but sometimes sticking with the classics is the way to go. Case in point: Garden Society’s mini joints. Pair these minis with your favorite book to wind down for the night. Each tin comes with 10 pre-rolled miniature joints for easy, no-fuss smoking. These minis come in both high CBD (28:1) and high THC options, so you can find one to meet your needs. \n\nDo you have a favorite product that helps you fall asleep at night? If so, share them with the community below. \n\nMain photo credit: [Benjamin Combs](https://unsplash.com/@b3njamin)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3793103448275863,"src":"/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/14b42/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.jpg","srcSet":"/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/f836f/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.jpg 200w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/2244e/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.jpg 400w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/14b42/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.jpg 800w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/47498/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.jpg 1200w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/0e329/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.jpg 1600w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/b56c7/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.jpg 3640w","srcWebp":"/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/58556/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/61e93/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.webp 200w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/1f5c5/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.webp 400w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/58556/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.webp 800w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/99238/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.webp 1200w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/7c22d/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.webp 1600w,\n/static/12279779ab352bc3eaf95a52e2d2c3b7/fe53a/c20702a76db3ba916d3056402c2216ff.webp 3640w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2574-markdown","title":"Does Cannabis Reduce REM Sleep & Your Ability to Dream?","slug":"does-cannabis-reduce-rem-sleep-and-your-ability-to-dream","content":"Sleep is unbelievably important for humans. As far as biological needs go, sleep is right up there with water and oxygen. It plays an important role in boosting our immune system, regulating metabolism, controlling appetite and so much more.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, good sleep is elusive to many Americans. According to the [National Sleep Foundation](https://sleepfoundation.org/media-center/press-release/lack-sleep-affecting-americans-finds-the-national-sleep-foundation), 45% of Americans report that “poor or insufficient sleep” affected their daily activities at least once in the last week. And according to a Consumer Reports survey of over 4,000 U.S. adults, [68% reported having trouble sleeping at least once a week](https://www.consumerreports.org/sleep/why-americans-cant-sleep/). \r\n\r\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\r\n\r\nMany people credit insomnia as the reason they turned to medical marijuana. [Cannabis has been shown to effectively decrease sleep latency](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.12003.x/abstract), or the time it takes for a person to fall asleep, in male chronic cannabis consumers. \r\n\r\nAnd while cannabis can help you say hello to quality sleep, it could cause you to say goodbye to something else: dreams.  \r\n\r\nRELATED: [MEDICAL MARIJUANA COULD HELP INSOMNIACS SLEEP BETTER](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55e5c6573236300006350000/medical-marijuana-could-help-insomniacs-sleep-better)\r\n\r\n### The 5 Stages of Sleep\r\n\r\nIn one eight-hour night of sleep, we go through the sleep cycle about three times on average. There are five stages total: Stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep; each stage has specific brainwaves associated with it. \r\n\r\n* Stages 1, 2 and 3 are transition stages that help you travel from the world of wakefulness to the world of sleep. \r\n* The fourth stage is known as “deep sleep,” which is the most restorative for our bodies. \r\n* REM sleep, the final stage in the cycle, is when almost all dreaming occurs. Dreams can occur in non-REM sleep. However, it’s very uncommon, and the dreams are much less likely to be remembered upon awakening. \r\n\r\n### Does Cannabis Decrease Your REM Sleep?\r\n\r\nA study from 1972 used young adult male volunteers and dosed one group with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and another with a synthetic compound similar to THC, called synhexl. Each subject then had their brainwaves measured with an electroencephalogram (EEG) while they slept. Researchers found that [varying levels of THC as well as synhexl increased Stage 4 sleep (deep sleep), but decreased REM sleep](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/cpt1972133426/abstract).  \r\n\r\nWe know that dreaming happens during REM sleep. If THC decreases the amount of REM sleep a person gets, then it also decreases the amount of time a person has to dream. \r\n\r\nOf course, these findings should be looked at with a critical eye. The study is from 1972, and there hasn’t been, so far as we can find, a study done like it since. Only a small handful of subjects—all of whom were young and male—were studied, so the sample isn’t representative of the entire population. \r\n\r\n### Are Dreamless Nights Bad for You?\r\n\r\nLet’s imagine that the results from the study above and the anecdotal evidence is correct, and cannabis consumers do experience a decrease in dreams. Is that a bad thing? How important is dreaming on a biological and emotional level?\r\n\r\nThe jury is still out on just how important dreams really are to humans. Researchers haven’t quite nailed down the exact function of dreams or determined their exact biological value. But there’s some interesting scientific literature on the topic. \r\n\r\nHistorically, most researchers have agreed that dreaming plays a role in processing emotional memories, balancing mood and learning. But David Maurice, Ph.D. and professor of ocular physiology at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, believes REM sleep plays a different role: [providing much needed oxygen straight to the cornea of the eye](http://www.columbia.edu/cu/21stC/issue-3.4/breecher.html). \r\n\r\nIf dreams really do help process emotional memories, especially traumatic ones, dreaming could be an essential part of grief therapy and conquering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). On the other hand, those experiencing PTSD with intense night terrors could be grateful for a break from the dreams. \r\n\r\nOne clear way that decreased REM sleep and increased Stage 4 sleep can adversely affect humans has nothing to do with dreams at all. Stage 4 sleep, while the deepest and most restorative stage in the sleep cycle, is very hard to wake up from. Forget waking up on the wrong side of the bed: If you wake up during the wrong stage of the sleep cycle, you’ll end up irritable and mentally foggy. If marijuana increases Stage 4 sleep like the 1972 study suggests, then that could explain why many cannabis consumers feel groggy when they wake up. \r\n\r\n### What Happens to REM Sleep & Dreaming When You Take a Cannabis Cleanse? \r\n\r\nBut don’t worry too much. Just because you consume cannabis now doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to dreaming and REM sleep forever. If you abstain from marijuana, it’s likely you’ll eventually begin to dream normally again. In fact, you’ll probably experience a period of intense dreaming right after you quit consuming. This is known as [REM rebound](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-less-sleep-means-more-dreams/), which is known to occur after a person has been deprived of REM sleep. \r\n\r\nSo, if you’ve been using cannabis as a sleep aid and don’t think you’ve been dreaming as usual, there’s scientific research that says this can happen. If you miss your dreams, abstain from cannabis for a while and slide back into REM sleep. \r\n\r\nPhoto credit: [Alexandra Gorn](https://unsplash.com/@alexagorn)\r\n\r\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAAPABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMFAf/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAAGjPr7DhRX/xAAbEAACAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADBBESE//aAAgBAQABBQLItKAiyh55oYa0Yc6n/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEP/aAAgBAwEBPwE//8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEP/aAAgBAgEBPwE//8QAHRAAAgIBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAERIQITEyof/aAAgBAQAGPwIKvZvIr55XoCVubqJzP//EABkQAQADAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAETEhEP/aAAgBAQABPyHR1oYsoupF3zhBGKZDAwOwXA5//9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABAcz//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAh/9oACAEDAQE/EIf/xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIf/aAAgBAgEBPxCn/8QAGhABAAIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAxESFBcf/aAAgBAQABPxBlwY7YOsSBTY24jXsNhrExulpPhiBUAJSVANAVlZ//2Q==","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/14b42/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.jpg","srcSet":"/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/f836f/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.jpg 200w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/2244e/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.jpg 400w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/14b42/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.jpg 800w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/47498/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.jpg 1200w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/0e329/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.jpg 1600w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/48615/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.jpg 3911w","srcWebp":"/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/58556/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/61e93/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.webp 200w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/1f5c5/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.webp 400w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/58556/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.webp 800w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/99238/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.webp 1200w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/7c22d/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.webp 1600w,\n/static/4a83a1e4987202dce6c4f941b94a49a5/186a0/87708b4e65262e53b2d82ca9a3a1c007.webp 3911w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2521-markdown","title":"A Holistic Approach to Living With Parkinson’s Disease","slug":"a-holistic-approach-to-living-with-parkinsons-disease","content":"Conventional therapeutic approaches to Parkinson’s disease usually involve surgery and medications to address symptoms and supply the body with dopamine. However, patients can also undertake a number of holistic lifestyle changes to improve their quality of life. Researchers, nutritionists and patients advocate for a healthy diet, regular exercise, sound sleep and a positive outlook on life—all of which cannabis can help support. \r\n\r\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\r\n\r\n### Marijuana as Part of a Healthy Diet for Parkinson’s Patients\r\n\r\nNerve cell inflammation in Parkinson’s disease is thought to contribute to the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain—research indicates that [decreasing inflammation in affected areas may help slow progression of the disease](https://www.spandidos-publications.com/mmr/10/5/2223). Therefore, a diet rich in antioxidants and aimed at reducing inflammation may be beneficial to Parkinson’s patients. And incorporating cannabis into that diet—which has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties—may also be helpful. \r\n\r\n“The first thing I always ask people is, ‘What do you eat?’” says [Liz Rudner](https://www.hellomd.com/people/56d528d2d63ac30003000180/moonmans), an expert in holistic wellness who works with Parkinson’s patients. “It all starts with food—if you’re eating well, your body is going to react to that.”\r\n\r\nLiz is also the cofounder of MoonMan’s Mistress, a company that focuses on nutrient-dense edibles for the health conscious and those with dietary restrictions. She incorporates cannabis into her products because of its health benefits. “We really see ourselves as a health and wellness brand that just happens to be in the cannabis space,” Liz explains. \r\n\r\n“With Parkinson’s disease, it’s all about phytocannabinoids and omegas—things that are going to be anti-inflammatory. We want to make sure our ingredients won't cause additional inflammation in the body—they should help reduce it,” she says. \r\n\r\nRELATED: [3 POPULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA & PARKINSON’S DISEASE ANSWERED](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a2ec309100a820006562ebd/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-parkinsons-disease-answered)\r\n\r\nWellness Consultant [Jan Lavelle](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/57a7cefba123030007ba033a/how-cannabis-helped-me-find-relief-from-parkinsons-disease) was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago and began incorporating cannabis into her lifestyle as a supplement. She’s also careful about what she eats, making sure that it’s “as close to the earth as possible.”  \r\n\r\nJan takes a CBD tincture three times a day, which she says helps with movement, stiffness, pain and any kind of discomfort. She adds that it took her about a month or so for the tincture to build up in her system. “People take [CBD] and think they are going to feel good right away—it’s not like that,” she says. \r\n\r\n### Marijuana Can Help Parkinson’s Patients Sleep\r\n\r\nGetting adequate sleep is an essential component to any healthy lifestyle, and people with Parkinson’s disease often suffer from insomnia due to many factors, including pain, side effects from medications, and psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. \r\n\r\n“I don’t know anyone with Parkinson’s disease who doesn't have sleeping issues,” says Jan. “Sleep is more important than anything...It restores and revamps your body. If you can take something natural to help you sleep—that’s key.”\r\n\r\nPreliminary research suggests that [cannabidiol (CBD) can help treat insomnia, while tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can help you fall asleep faster](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11920-017-0775-9), though the latter may also have an effect on the quality of sleep. However, [plenty of cannabis users report having success treating insomnia](http://www.beyondthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Tringale-Jensen-20111.pdf) with the use of either THC or CBD, or even both—it all depends on the user. \r\n\r\nJan says that CBD tends to keep her up, so she uses CBD tinctures during the day and smokes an indica strain at night because of its immediate effects. “It totally relaxes your body; it’s all I use for sleep,” she says. \r\n\r\nLiz also notes that she’s seen her clients’ sleep improve with cannabis consumption: “The most radical change I’ve noticed is one patient was sleeping an hour a day, and now she’s sleeping 5.5 hours a day after a week [of working with us].” \r\n\r\n### Exercise is Key for Parkinson’s Disease Patients & Cannabis Can Help \r\n\r\nVisit the webpage of any organization or foundation dedicated to Parkinson’s disease, and you’ll notice it touting the benefits of an exercise regimen. Research has found that a [comprehensive and structured exercise program can help improve mobility in Parkinson’s patients](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mds.21922/full) and may even have [neuroprotective](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136051/) and [neurorestorative](http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/19532109) benefits—in other words, exercise may help slow or even reverse disease progression.\r\n\r\n[Jamel Ramiro](https://www.hellomd.com/people/57aa65444059f8000b62a8f7/jamel), Liz’s cofounder in MoonMan’s Mistress, is also a personal trainer who specializes in movement; he works with Parkinson’s patients by creating exercises to develop their balance. \r\n\r\nOne patient Jamel works with also boxes, which Jamel says has many benefits. “With boxing, you do a lot of repetitive combos: pad work, hand drills, jab crosses and uppercuts—that exercises your mind and the footwork involved provides you with balance.”  \r\n\r\nJamel says that this particular patient likes to use CBD to recover after his workouts. Indeed, some [professional athletes use cannabis in their training regimen](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/599a051e503739404aa2215d/nfl-to-conduct-study-on-pain-management-and-cannabis) because its anti-inflammatory nature helps them recuperate after an intense workout. It seems consuming cannabis post-workout can also help some Parkinson’s patients in the same way. \r\n\r\nJan also exercises, although her approach is a bit different—she prefers practicing Iyengar yoga, hiking, and pursuing activities that emphasize slow movement and breath work. She’s even attended a Qigong retreat for Parkinson’s patients, saying that it was both comforting and inspiring to see so many people changing the narrative of what it’s like to live with Parkinson’s disease. \r\n\r\n### Cannabis Can Help Maintain Mental Health in Parkinson’s Patients\r\n\r\nThe visible symptoms of Parkinson’s disease—pain, rigidity and difficulty moving—often overshadow the mental health issues that some patients face. Jan has firsthand experience with this, saying, “With diseases like this…there’s no cure; it’s so easy to get depressed.” \r\n\r\nThe endocannabinoid system is known to be involved in the stress response, and a 2007 study by McGill University found that [low doses of THC could act as an effective antidepressant](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023183937.htm) in animal models. Perhaps this is why many people say that cannabis helps maintain their mental health. \r\n\r\nJan, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 44, lives a very full life: She runs her own bookkeeping company, has a 12-year-old son and is physically active. She’s dedicated to healthy living—finding a way to wind down after a long day is important for her mental health, she says. She also emphasizes the importance of being open-minded and having a positive outlook. For Jan, cannabis helps with all of these aspects.  \r\n\r\n“My most relaxed state comes from THC because it takes me out of my day and out of my head. I’m not good at relaxing, so smoking marijuana at night lets me mellow out,” she says.\r\n\r\n### Holistic Living Is a Commitment When It Comes to Managing Parkinson’s Disease\r\n\r\nBoth Liz and Jan make one thing clear: For Parkinson’s patients to truly see improvements with a holistic approach, they must make a commitment to living a healthy lifestyle.\r\n\r\n“There is no push button fix,” says Liz. “You have to eat well, you have move well, and you have to sleep well—you have to do all three. Any time you take one of those components out, that’s when your body starts shutting down.”\r\n\r\nJan agrees and goes on to say that cannabis can only do so much—embracing healthy living is key, and cannabis is only one part of the puzzle. \r\n\r\n“It’s a combination—you have to do everything. I feel like I’m getting stronger every day. I don’t think anyone in my yoga class would know that I have Parkinson’s,” she says.   \r\n\r\nPhoto credit: [Aaron Ang](https://unsplash.com/@aaronandrewang)\r\n\r\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/14b42/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.jpg","srcSet":"/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/f836f/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.jpg 200w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/2244e/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.jpg 400w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/14b42/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.jpg 800w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/47498/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.jpg 1200w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/0e329/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.jpg 1600w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/00216/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.jpg 3639w","srcWebp":"/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/58556/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/61e93/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.webp 200w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/1f5c5/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.webp 400w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/58556/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.webp 800w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/99238/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.webp 1200w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/7c22d/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.webp 1600w,\n/static/ba0c3e52dbb90d7d661e34cec1d46136/15cef/16aca8c65479562c64920243e73fe195.webp 3639w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2450-markdown","title":"3 Popular Questions About Marijuana & PTSD Answered","slug":"3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-ptsd-answered","content":"This past Veteran’s Day, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo allowed people in his state suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) access to legal medical marijuana. Anecdotally, people with PTSD say that medicinal cannabis helps ease insomnia, anxiety and other issues associated with the disorder—without the unwanted side effects that many pharmaceutical medications have.\n\nWe’ve gathered three of our top questions from our [Answers](https://www.hellomdcom/) platform about how marijuana can help with symptoms of PTSD. Answers were submitted by knowledgeable members of our community including doctors and cannabis-business owners. We hope this discussion clarifies how medical marijuana could help you or someone you know who suffers from PTSD. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### Q: Does marijuana ever make PTSD worse?\n**_What has been your experience with vets in general? If it helps someone with PTSD, why?_**\n\nAnswer: @andrewvanmd Veterans and others dealing with PTSD often experience panic attacks, nightmares, pain, insomnia, anxiety and other debilitating issues. Most of the medications that are prescribed for these conditions can have serious side effects. Cannabis is very safe and there is no harm in giving it a trial. It should be used with care, and patients should start with small doses and observe closely for effects. CBD is a good option if anxiety is a concern.\n\n### Q: My husband just returned from serving overseas and is very anxious. The doctors are treating him for PTSD.\n**_He doesn't like the drugs they’re prescribing; the side effects are horrible! Some of his friends are using marijuana and having great results. Do you recommend this? Should he smoke it? What strains are best for PTSD? I'll do whatever I need to do to help him feel better and to get my \"old\" husband back._**\n\nAnswer: @dredmunds I’ve treated several patients suffering from PTSD that found cannabis to be helpful for their condition. As you state that he is very anxious due to his condition, I would recommend indica strains. Indicas tends to be sedating and relaxing and is also helpful for sleep. If your husband has depression as a component of his PTSD, an indica-dominant hybrid containing some sativa may be helpful.\n\nI discourage smoking cannabis, as the products of combustion (carbon monoxide, tar, carcinogens) contain compounds that may be harmful to one's health. Vaporizing is a great shorter-acting alternative to smoking as are oral tinctures. Edibles are much longer acting and are therefore helpful for patients also suffering from insomnia.\n\n`embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUJ13-kqsRU`\n\n### Q: As a Women with PTSD; I have been having an awful time. \n**_I started with a high CBD product that worked great but for only three weeks, now I have severe depression. Then I tried to increase THC, but nothing happened. I tried tapering off my meds (the usual stuff for PTSD and depression) but I had such bad time, I ended up back on meds. Because I am on supplemental security income and state insurance, I am unable to find therapy to work on this horrific bout of PTSD and depression._** \n\n**_In making this long story even longer—do you have any suggestions? I am so novice on the whole concept. I like the CBD for getting out of my head, but need something that’s energizing too. I haven't been out to socialize in months, so I’d like to find something that will help with that and also help keep my thoughts quite at night._**\n\nAnswer: @jessicapeters, President of Moxie Meds I'm so sorry to hear about your experiences with PTSD—and of course the lack of appropriate resources to address it. As a fellow non-veteran woman with PTSD, I've also found I had easier access to pharmaceuticals than to therapy and I understand your frustrations. It's also difficult to find a medication only temporarily successful. While it's unclear to me what ratio of high CBD medication you tried first, and what the small increase of THC equated to in terms of ratio, I suggest trying something in the range of 4:1 to 1:1. Unless of course you have a very low tolerance to THC, in which case you might want to stick to 4:1 or above and stay at a low dose initially. We find that it's very worthwhile to try a couple different CBD-rich medications with a bit of range on the ratios so that you can assess what may work best for you. This can be costly so it's worthwhile to take advantage of sampling events, sales, free gifts and donations where you can.\n\nYou bring up a very good point about how many patients have to troubleshoot before they find what ratio, dose, and delivery system works best for them. It's also important to consider that your dosing needs can potentially change over time as you develop a tolerance or as your body and wellness experiences change. I encourage patients not to give up and to work with advocacy organizations to request medications providers, dispensaries, and delivery services to offer more free samples so this process doesn't become financially taxing for those who are on a fixed income.\n\nWe also find a lot of benefit to taking notes of your experiences with various cannabis medications so that you can better suss out which options may be most effective for you in the long run. This \"note taking\" may also include your experiences with pharmaceutical medications as well as diet, exercise and other natural medicine modalities—it's all about allowing you, and any caregivers or health practitioners you engage with, a full picture of your experience with wellness and health.\n\nPhoto credit: [Vin Stratton](https://unsplash.com/@vinstratton)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/14b42/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.jpg","srcSet":"/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/f836f/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.jpg 200w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/2244e/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.jpg 400w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/14b42/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.jpg 800w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/47498/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.jpg 1200w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/0e329/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.jpg 1600w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/3340d/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.jpg 3200w","srcWebp":"/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/58556/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/61e93/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.webp 200w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/1f5c5/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.webp 400w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/58556/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.webp 800w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/99238/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.webp 1200w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/7c22d/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.webp 1600w,\n/static/208f8464dab90cb2524f98ea4aa5f72a/f9eef/b871da9d48273bb30352a8a4c83272fc.webp 3200w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2459-markdown","title":"Marijuana’s Role in Helping Parkinson’s Disease Patients","slug":"marijuanas-role-in-helping-parkinsons-disease-patients","content":"Scientists have been investigating the endocannabinoid system in neurodegenerative diseases for many years. So, it’s no surprise that cannabis, which acts on this system, could have an important role to play in the treatment and management of Parkinson’s disease. While more studies—especially clinical trials—still need to be done, many Parkinson’s patients are already using cannabis to manage their symptoms, and others have begun to incorporate marijuana into their holistic approach to living with the disease. \r\n\r\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\r\n\r\n### What Is Parkinson’s Disease?\r\n\r\nParkinson’s disease is a disorder that originates in the substantia nigra—the part of the brain responsible for motor control. In the substantia nigra, there are nerve cells that normally produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, behavior, sleep and cognition. In Parkinson’s disease patients, these cells become damaged and stop their production of dopamine—causing the body’s normal operations to go awry. \r\n\r\nParkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive disorder, which means symptoms change and worsen overtime. Because early-stage symptoms such as insomnia and constipation often seem minor, Parkinson’s usually isn’t diagnosed until the disease has progressed significantly.\r\n\r\nOnce 60–80% of dopamine-producing nerve cells are damaged, patients begin to experience difficulty controlling movement; tremors and limb rigidity are often the most visible symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, but because dopamine regulates many facets of behavior, patients can also experience less visible symptoms like depression, anxiety and difficulty thinking. The rate of progression in the disease varies from patient to patient, and while Parkinson’s doesn’t often lead to death, loss of motor control and mental impairments can reduce quality of life and put the patient’s life in danger. \r\n\r\nThe cause of Parkinson’s disease is still largely unknown, though research suggests that genetic and environmental factors play a role. Currently, there’s no cure and treatment options usually involve surgery or medication to both manage symptoms and supply the body with dopamine. Every individual experiences Parkinson’s differently, and lifestyle changes can determine how well patients cope with this disease.\r\n\r\n### Who’s Most Affected With Parkinson’s Disease? \r\n\r\nParkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in the United States, second only to Alzheimer’s. According to the [Davis Phinney Foundation](https://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org) Parkinson’s disease affects one to one-and-a-half million Americans—that’s more than the number of Americans with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig’s disease combined—with 50,000–60,000 new cases being reported annually. Around the world, it’s estimated that seven to 10 million people are living with Parkinson’s, but none of these numbers take into account people who are experiencing symptoms but have yet to be diagnosed. \r\n\r\nParkinson’s disease affects about 1% of people over age 60, although most people living with Parkinson’s are older than 65. This disease is one-and-a-half times more common in men, with about 60% of those affected being male. Fifteen percent of people with Parkinson’s are under age 50, and 5% are under age 40—those diagnosed with Parkinson’s under age 50 are designated as having young onset Parkinson’s disease, which is usually characterized by a slower progression of the disease.  \r\n\r\n### How Can Cannabis Help Those With Parkinson’s Disease?\r\n\r\nAnecdotal evidence suggests that cannabis can play a role in helping those with Parkinson’s disease: A 2011–2012 study by Israeli researchers analyzed the [effect of cannabis on motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24614667) in 22 patients and revealed significant improvement in symptoms after only 30 minutes of smoking cannabis; and most recently, an October 2017 study in _Clinical Neuropharmacology_ interviewed 47 patients with Parkinson’s and found that [medical marijuana improved symptoms in the initial stages of treatment](https://insights.ovid.com/crossref?an=00002826-900000000-99616&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&utm_campaign=sfc_greenstate_dailybriefing) without major adverse effects. \r\n\r\nRELATED: [HOW CANNABIS HELPED ME FIND RELIEF FROM PARKINSON’S DISEASE](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/57a7cefba123030007ba033a/how-cannabis-helped-me-find-relief-from-parkinsons-disease)\r\n\r\nIt’s not surprising that many patients report that cannabis alleviates their symptoms: Among those in the medical marijuana community, cannabis has long been known to help ease anxiety, depression, insomnia, muscle rigidity and pain—all of which are associated with Parkinson’s or are side effects of medications involved in a traditional treatment regimen for the disease. \r\n\r\nParkinson’s disease has no cure, so existing therapies can only relieve symptoms or supply the body with dopamine—none address the destruction of dopamine-producing neurons, which is the root cause of the disorder. The neuroprotective qualities of cannabis and cannabinoids may provide guidance to future research: \r\n\r\n* In a mice cell culture, researchers found that [THC and THCA can protect the brain cells that make dopamine from neurotoxins](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22571976). Moreover, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, has been shown to have further neuroprotective properties in [a study that involved a human cell culture](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22236282). \r\n\r\n* Cannabidiol (CBD) is also neuroprotective, but likely by way of a different mechanism than seen in THC. In rats, CBD [protects brain cells that project into the substantia nigra](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17672854)—the part of the brain that’s affected in Parkinson’s disease and other neurological diseases. \r\n\r\nThe extensive reports of positive patient experiences combined with promising pre-clinical research has led scientists and patients to advocate for more in-depth studies on what role cannabis can play in this debilitating disease. \r\n\r\n### How Does Marijuana Complement Traditional Therapies in Parkinson’s Disease? \r\n\r\nConventional therapeutic approaches to Parkinson’s disease usually involve a combination of surgery and medications to address symptoms and supply the body with dopamine. However, patients can undertake a number of lifestyle changes to improve their quality of life. Research and experts in this disease advocate for sleeping well, eating well and engaging in regular exercise—all of which cannabis can help support. \r\n\r\nGetting adequate sleep is an essential component to any healthy lifestyle, but people with Parkinson’s often suffer from insomnia due to many factors, including pain, side effects from medications, and psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. Preliminary research suggests that [CBD can help treat insomnia, while THC can help you fall asleep faster](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11920-017-0775-9), but may also have an effect on the quality of sleep. However, [plenty of cannabis users report having success treating insomnia](http://www.beyondthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Tringale-Jensen-20111.pdf) with the use of either THC or CBD, or even both—it all depends on the user. \r\n\r\nInflammation of nerve cells in Parkinson’s disease is thought to contribute to the degeneration of dopamine producing neurons in the brain—thus, research indicates that [decreasing inflammation in affected areas may help slow progression of the disease](https://www.spandidos-publications.com/mmr/10/5/2223). Moreover, the carbidopa-levodopa drug combination often used to help with symptoms of Parkinson’s disease often leads to a slew of side effects, including dyskinesia and triggering more inflammation in the body. Therefore, a diet rich in antioxidants and aimed at reducing inflammation may be beneficial to Parkinson’s patients. And incorporating cannabis—which has anti-inflammatory  and neuroprotective properties—into this regimen may also be helpful. \r\n\r\nVisit the webpage of any organization or foundation dedicated to Parkinson’s disease, and you’ll notice it touting the benefits of an exercise regimen. Studies show that [regular exercise can be neuroprotective and neurorestorative](http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/19532109)—in other words, exercise may help slow or even reverse disease progression.\r\n\r\nSome [professional athletes use cannabis in their training regimen](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/599a051e503739404aa2215d/nfl-to-conduct-study-on-pain-management-and-cannabis) because its anti-inflammatory nature helps them recover after an intense workout. Likewise, consuming cannabis post-workout may help some Parkinson’s patients in the same way. \r\n\r\n### Effective Cannabis Consumption Methods & Dosages for Parkinson’s Disease\r\n\r\nWhile plenty of evidence points to cannabis’s place in a Parkinson’s disease therapy regimen, there’s no recommended dosage in helping treat the symptoms of the disease. Like most conditions and symptoms that respond well to cannabis, it all comes down to the individual user. Because Parkinson’s is a progressive disease, even if you were to find a cannabis regimen that worked for you, you may discover that as the disease changes, so will your needs in terms of cannabis dosage. \r\n\r\n[Liz Rudner](https://www.hellomd.com/people/57aa64a72bf1bd000ba8922e/lizrudner), a holistic wellness expert who works with Parkinson’s patients and the co-founder of MoonMan’s Mistress, a company that produces healthy edibles, says she’s found that her clients need a solid 10 mg of THC daily, along with 15–25 mg CBD. She also notes that CBD tends to help her clients find daytime relief. However, she also emphasizes that every person’s biochemistry is different. \r\n\r\n“This might work for you, but it might not work for the next person—or this might work for you right now, but you might get to a point where your body doesn't want anymore, and you're going to have to find something else,” she says. \r\n\r\nThe general rules of cannabis dosing apply to this disease: Start small and increase until the desired effect is achieved. If you’re looking for immediate relief from a certain symptom, smoking or vaping brings about effects more quickly. Ingesting cannabis in edible or tincture form will provide longer-lasting relief, but effects may take up to an hour to kick in. \r\n\r\nPhoto credit: [Soragrit Wongsa](https://unsplash.com/@invictar1997) \r\n\r\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3513513513513513,"src":"/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/14b42/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.jpg","srcSet":"/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/f836f/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.jpg 200w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/2244e/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.jpg 400w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/14b42/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.jpg 800w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/47498/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.jpg 1200w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/0e329/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.jpg 1600w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/77d93/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.jpg 3600w","srcWebp":"/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/58556/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/61e93/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.webp 200w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/1f5c5/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.webp 400w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/58556/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.webp 800w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/99238/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.webp 1200w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/7c22d/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.webp 1600w,\n/static/d35be94e8b3aa28fe96db84727f73abe/d4378/bc79f805d802fdacec162b8a0e5b3356.webp 3600w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2453-markdown","title":"3 Popular Questions About Marijuana & Insomnia Answered","slug":"3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-insomnia-answered","content":"We’re all looking for a better night’s sleep, which is why increasingly more people are looking to medicinal marijuana for help. [Lack of sleep has been shown to cause many harmful side effects](https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/10-results-sleep-loss#1), from raising cortisol levels to contributing to memory problems. It can also negatively affect your performance at your job or in school as well as lead to sexual dysfunction. But with so many consumption methods—smoking, vaping, consuming edibles or tinctures—and so many indica-dominant strains to choose from—Afghan Kush, Dutch Treat and Grape Ape, just to name a few—how do you know what works best for you?\n\nWe’ve gathered the top three questions about marijuana and sleep issues from our [Answers](https://www.hellomdcom/answers) platform, along with some suggestions for what kinds of medical marijuana helps with insomnia. Our community of experienced cannabis users, nurses and doctors came up with some great suggestions to help you figure out how cannabis can help you get a good night’s sleep. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### Q: With so many choices, what would you recommend for insomnia?\n\nAnswer: [@mark](https://www.hellomd.com/people/mark) It really depends first on how you like to consume your cannabis? Do you like to smoke, vaporize, take edibles or tinctures?\n\nOnce you have that decided, you should choose a pure indica variety, of a strength appropriate to your experience and tolerance. Go for an indica not a sativa as that is what will make you sleep. For example, [Rest from Humboldt Apothecary](https://www.hellomd.com/products/5bb3cbcf7fa32808cf85f54a/rest) is an indica tincture formulated specifically for sleeping.\n\nThe other thing to consider is that if you smoke, the effect is going to come on immediately, but then will likely wear off within 4 hours or so, at which time you may wake up. If your problem is staying asleep more than falling asleep, you might want to try an edible as the body metabolizes this over a longer period, and so you might find you stay asleep longer.\n\nTry a low dose indica, about two hours before bed. Start with 10 mg and work your way up from there.\n\nHope this helps. \n\n\n`embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Fdubl_kX8`\n\n### Q: Is CBD oil good for insomnia?\n\nAnswer: @Chronic 727 Insomnia is one of the most popular applications for medical cannabis, but like with other conditions there may be some trial and error to find the right formula. Personally I have had luck with 2 x CBD-to-1x THC ratios.\n\nI can suggest this resource to get started with:\n\nHelloMD’s Insomnia community has lots of posts on sleep:<br>\nhttps://www.hellomd.com/learn/insomnia \n\nGood luck with it.\n\n[Read more answers to this question.](https://www.hellomd.com/answers/587079bb6d8234000cbea1cb/is-cbd-oil-good-for-insomnia)\n\nRELATED: [TOP MARIJUANA PRODUCTS TO HELP WITH INSOMNIA](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/top-marijuana-products-to-help-with-insomnia)\n\n### Q: What are the best specific edibles for anxiety and insomnia?\n\nAnswer: [@drb]( https://www.hellomd.com/people/drb) Edibles can be tricky as they can take 1-3 hours to begin working. A product that some boast has a quicker result time such as 20 minutes is a product called Kiva Blueberry Terra Bites. The product treats insomnia via a chocolate-covered blueberry in small increments of 5 mg each bite. Recommended dosing is 1-3 bites, 1-3 hours before bed. \nAs always with edibles, I would recommend taking a 1/4 of the recommended dose with each new edible batch and waiting 3 hours before increasing as to avoid toxic effects such as profuse unwanted vomiting. \n\nFor anxiety, I would recommend a sublingual tincture or spray of CBD:THC ratio of >14:1. Care by design makes a CBD:THC ratio of 18:1 spray.\n\n[Read more answers to this question.](https://www.hellomd.com/answers/581d147a23537600074d712c/what-are-the-best-specific-edibles-for-anxiety-and-insomnia)\n\n`embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc215PQPzFI`\n\nPhoto credit: [Toa Heftiba](https://unsplash.com/@heftiba)\n\nIf you're new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient.  \n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/14b42/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.jpg","srcSet":"/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/f836f/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.jpg 200w,\n/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/2244e/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.jpg 400w,\n/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/14b42/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.jpg 800w,\n/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/47498/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.jpg 1200w,\n/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/231d7/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.jpg 1393w","srcWebp":"/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/58556/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/61e93/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.webp 200w,\n/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/1f5c5/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.webp 400w,\n/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/58556/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.webp 800w,\n/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/99238/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.webp 1200w,\n/static/51ea74b5ee9a0f69d9a0f27d90c46428/bd6e8/ddb1d1178a927419eb96648c7295ac8f.webp 1393w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":12,"numPages":5,"currentPage":2,"id":5389,"name":"Insomnia","slug":"insomnia","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}