What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Sleep, Addiction, Mental Health.

Where was this research published?

Published in BMJ open on June 17, 2026.

Can better sleep reduce cannabis use? A new clinical trial investigates

Q: What did this research study find?

This randomised controlled trial investigates whether **cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi)** can help adults with frequent *cannabis* use improve their sleep and reduce their consumption. The study will enrol **200 adults** who struggle with both chronic insomnia and regular *cannabis

Cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia in adults to decrease cannabis use: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in a community sample of adults with frequent cannabis use.

BMJ open • June 17, 2026 • Moderately Relevant

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AI Summary

This randomised controlled trial investigates whether cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) can help adults with frequent cannabis use improve their sleep and reduce their consumption. The study will enrol 200 adults who struggle with both chronic insomnia and regular cannabis use, comparing six sessions of telemedicine-delivered CBTi against sleep hygiene education. Participants will be assessed before treatment, immediately after, and at 3 and 6 months follow-up, with overnight brain activity monitoring to measure sleep quality and sleep homeostasis mechanisms.

The research recognises a critical gap in treatment: many cannabis users report using the drug to help them sleep, yet frequent use often worsens insomnia and daytime functioning. By targeting the underlying sleep problem with an evidence-based psychological therapy, researchers hypothesise they can break this cycle and reduce cannabis dependence. The study will measure improvements in sleep quality, mental health symptoms, and cannabis use frequency, providing insight into whether treating insomnia is an effective strategy for reducing frequent cannabis use in the general population.

This approach addresses a practical real-world problem: rather than simply telling people to quit cannabis, the trial tests whether addressing the root cause—poor sleep—creates lasting behaviour change. Results could transform how addiction and sleep specialists approach treatment for the substantial portion of frequent cannabis users whose primary motivation is self-medication for insomnia.

📄 Original Abstract

Cannabis use is common in the USA and is associated with adverse outcomes across many domains, including sleep difficulties. Targeting insomnia with an evidence-based treatment could improve sleep and reduce frequent cannabis use. This randomised controlled trial (RCT) will compare evidence-based telemedicine-delivered cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia for adults with frequent cannabis use (CBTi-CB) against an active comparator, sleep hygiene education (SHE), for improving insomnia/sleep, associated daytime symptoms and cannabis use. The study will also determine the effects of treatment on sleep mechanisms and their association with clinical outcomes. This is a single-site RCT with planned enrolment of 200 adults (21+ years of age) who meet criteria for both chronic insomnia and frequent cannabis use. Eligible participants will be randomised 1:1 to six sessions of CBTi-CB or SHE with clinical assessments conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment and at 3 and 6 months post-treatment. Overnight polysomnography (PSG) will be conducted before and after treatment. Primary outcomes will include the Insomnia Severity Index, 12-item Short-Form Health Survey Mental Composite Score and cannabis use frequency as assessed by the interview-administered Timeline Follow Back. Electroencephalogram delta activity, derived from overnight PSG, will be the primary end point to assess the sleep homeostasis mechanism. Ethical approval for the study has been obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Michigan Medical School (IRBMED #HUM00222302). The results of the investigation will be published in scientific papers. The data from the investigation will be made available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Data Archive, which allows researchers on NIH grants to share and access raw data. NCT05814822.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: BMJ open
Published: June 17, 2026
PMID: 42309658
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-116524

Authors (10)

Cecilia Bolling Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
M Elizabeth Cardoni Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Deirdre A Conroy Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Amanda Price Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Jason E Goldstick Department of Emergency Medicine, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
+5 more authors

MeSH Keywords

Humans Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Adult Female Polysomnography Telemedicine Male Young Adult