- Few studies have tested the interaction between melatonin and cannabis. However, since both substances can make you drowsy, combining them can intensify fatigue and other adverse side effects such as dizziness and confusion.
- Some users believe the combination helps them sleep better, while others avoid it. Talk with your healthcare provider to decide which sleep aid best meets your needs.
Melatonin, a key sleep hormone, helps you wind down for a quality night’s rest. Your body makes it naturally, but some people need a little bedtime boost—for that, you can use melatonin supplements.
Melatonin supplements help manage short-term sleep issues like jet lag and simple insomnia. So does another treatment option: cannabis.
If you aren’t clocking enough Z’s each night using one medication alone, you might feel tempted to combine melatonin and cannabis. While some users achieve sleepy success with this combination, it can cause unpleasant drowsiness and other adverse side effects.
Don’t let sleep troubles keep you up at night: TeleLeaf is here to help you compare these two popular sleep aids and decide which option best meets your nighttime needs.
Understanding Melatonin and Cannabis
People use both melatonin supplements and cannabis as sleep aids. Both options can help you effortlessly drift off into dreamland, but how they make you drowsy differs.
And, with cannabis, better sleep only scratches the surface of its benefits.
How Melatonin Works
Your body produces the hormone melatonin to regulate the sleep-wake cycle, also known as your circadian rhythm. Melatonin levels remain low throughout the day, keeping you awake and alert, and then increase at night to help you drift off. Like other hormones, melatonin doesn’t always perform as expected.
Several factors can disrupt your normal melatonin levels, including:
- Blue light exposure – Your body relies on light and dark cues for melatonin production. Blue light, emitted by digital screens, mimics daylight. When you use your computer or phone at night, you confuse your body into thinking it’s daytime, preventing the melatonin increase you need for quality sleep.
- Travel to different time zones – Traveling can temporarily throw off your circadian rhythm and upset your melatonin production—a phenomenon also known as jet lag. Travel can make it much harder to fall asleep and wake up normally in your new time zone. In most cases, jet lag wears off after a few days.
- Aging – Melatonin levels naturally decrease as you age.
- Sleep disorders – When your body’s circadian rhythm malfunctions, melatonin production does too. Sleep disorders that affect your circadian rhythm include delayed sleep phase disorder (which pushes your normal sleep-wake cycle forward a few hours) and advanced sleep phase disorder (which pushes it back).
When your body doesn’t produce adequate amounts of melatonin, you may experience sleeplessness or daytime fatigue. To solve these issues, many people take synthesized melatonin before bed to aid with sleep.
You can easily purchase melatonin as an over-the-counter (OTC) dietary supplement. Products vary by dose and consumption method.
Simply take your preferred form of melatonin shortly before bedtime. Experts generally recommend taking 0.3 to 5 mg of melatonin for the most effective results.
How Cannabis Works
Unlike melatonin supplements, cannabis does more than make you drowsy. Some cannabis strains have the opposite effect, leaving you feeling energized and alert.
Additionally, cannabis users also enjoy mind and body benefits such as:
- Pain relief
- Suppressed nausea
- Stimulated appetite
- Mood boosts
- Reduced inflammation
- Relaxed muscles
How can one plant have so much to offer? The answer’s in its chemistry.
The cannabis plant contains hundreds of unique chemical compounds. The ones responsible for its holistic healing benefits are known as cannabinoids. Cannabinoids closely resemble your body’s natural endocannabinoids, which regulate the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The ECS controls some of your most important internal functions, including:
- Sleep
- Pain
- Mood
- Appetite
- Memory
- Inflammatory and immune responses
Cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) can interact with ECS receptors the same way endocannabinoids do.
The exact effects vary between cannabinoids:
- When THC activates these receptors, it produces a euphoric, pain-relieving effect. THC also has sedative properties, which many users leverage for sleep support.
- Researchers still don’t know precisely how CBD interacts with the ECS, but you can’t dispute its benefits. When consumed or topically applied, CBD acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory and soothing mind-body relaxant. CBD can also aid sleep, but it doesn’t make you high like THC does, which some users prefer.
Many states have now legalized marijuana for recreational and/or medical use. If you have a qualifying medical condition, you can access cannabis with a recommendation from a licensed healthcare provider.
How Melatonin Supplements and Cannabis Interact
Melatonin and cannabis undoubtedly interact with each other: they both influence your natural melatonin levels, increasing your sleepiness more than either could individually. Taking melatonin and cannabis together won’t cause serious harm.
It can, however, increase risks of undesirable side effects such as:
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Concentration issues
Beyond this, researchers don’t know much about what happens when you combine melatonin and cannabis. With this much uncertainty, some doctors will advise you to practice caution or avoid the mixture altogether.
Combining Melatonin and Cannabis: What Users Say
Many people with sleep difficulties have tried mixing melatonin and cannabis, with varying degrees of success. Some do it frequently, while others would rather stick with one, or none. Overall, they give this combo mixed reviews.
Some say they:
- Enjoy a better night’s sleep
- Sleep well but feel groggy in the morning
- Experience intense dreams
These accounts can offer some first-hand insight into cannabis and melatonin’s combined effects, but shouldn’t be used as medical advice. Remember that you should always consult with a healthcare provider before changing your treatment plan, especially when few studies have measured the impact of mixing these medications.
Superior Sleep Aids: Melatonin Supplements vs. Cannabis
If you can’t take melatonin and cannabis together, which should you choose?
To kickstart the conversation, let’s compare a few key factors of each:
- Products – Melatonin comes in many forms, including gummies, liquids, and tablets. Cannabis offers even more variety, with hundreds of unique strains to choose from. The best strains for sleep often have high THC content and lots of terpenes, particularly myrcene.
- Dosage – Melatonin dosages can vary wildly between products, and some may contain more or less melatonin content than stated on the label—not all over-the-counter supplements that aren’t FDA approved are lab-tested for purity. In contrast, when you purchase cannabis from a trusted dispensaries, you can have greater confidence that your products will deliver what they claim. dispensaries and pharmacy products are highly regulated and lab-tested—you’re always getting what you see on the label.
- Recommended uses – Most doctors only recommend using sleep aids—including melatonin supplements and cannabis—in the short term.
- Additional benefits – Melatonin supplements only increase your body’s melatonin levels. It can’t account for other potential factors causing your sleep issues. Cannabis, on the other hand, does. Some strains target known sleep disruptors such as stress, anxiety, and chronic pain.
A 2023 survey found that cannabis can help users quit traditional prescription and over-the-counter sleep medications. Over 80% of participants only used cannabis to fall asleep at night.
Additionally, the researchers asked participants if they were getting the recommended 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night:
- Of the people who only used cannabis, 60% said yes
- Of the people who used traditional sleep aids (or cannabis combined with another sleep aid), only 20% said yes
Ultimately, this decision belongs to you and your healthcare provider. Discuss your sleep and healing goals before beginning or changing your treatment plan.
Connect With Medical Marijuana Experts Through TeleLeaf
Wondering if cannabis could help you better manage your sleep troubles? Explore your treatment options with TeleLeaf.
In many states, clinicians can recommend cannabis if they believe you would benefit from treatment—no matter your current slate of conditions. TeleLeaf will connect you with a state-certified medical marijuana healthcare provider who can determine if you qualify. If not, you’ll receive your money back, guaranteed.
We value your time as much as you value your sleep: our appointments are virtual, efficient, and affordable. Schedule yours today.
Sources:
Cleveland Clinic. Melatonin.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/
Harvard Health Publishing. Blue light has a dark side.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side
Harvard Health Publishing. Medical marijuana.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/
Healthline. A Simple Guide to the Endocannabinoid System.
https://www.healthline.com/health/endocannabinoid-system
Drug.com. Drug Interactions between cannabis and melatonin.
https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/cannabis-with-melatonin-2758-0-1548-0.html
Ro. Is it safe to mix melatonin and weed?
https://ro.co/health-guide/mix-melatonin-and-weed/
StayHonest.org. Best Strains For Sleep & Insomnia: Key Factors for Choosing The Right Cannabis Strain for Your Needs.
https://stayhonest.org/best-strains-list/best-cannabis-strains-for-sleep-and-insomnia/
WSU Insider. Cannabis users appear to be relying less on conventional sleep aids.
https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2023/11/13/cannabis-users-appear-to-be-relying-less-on-conventional-sleep-aids
Dr. Chance Miller 
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