Cannabis Shows Promise for Sleep Apnea Patients

Sleep apnea is a medical disorder that results in frequent interruptions of breathing during sleep. The condition is associated with numerous physiological disorders, including fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack and stroke. In 2002, in an issue of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, researchers at the University of Illinois Department of Medicine reported “potent suppression” of sleep-related apnea in rats administered with cannabinoids. Investigators reported that doses of delta-9-THC and the endocannabinoid oleamide each stabilized respiration during sleep and blocked serotonin-induced exacerbation of sleep apnea in a statistically significant way. A more recent rat trial also reported that injected doses of synthetic THC mitigates sleep apnea and augments the upper airway muscles. With human adults in a clinical trial setting, the administration of synthetic THC/Marinol has similarly been shown to mitigate sleep apnea.

Source: NORML