Increased cannabis use raises long-term health concerns

 

People turning to marijuana as a nightly sleep fix are now facing renewed warnings from health experts, as new data suggests the long-term effects may be more troubling than many expect.

Recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that nearly 13% of Americans used some form of sleep aid most days or every day over a one-month period in 2024. Among them, 3.7% said they rely on marijuana or CBD products at night, while 5.2% use prescription medications and 5.7% turn to over-the-counter options or supplements.

That trend lines up with broader habits around cannabis use.

A 2025 Sleep Foundation study found that 77% of men and 64% of women between ages 21 and 64 have used cannabis at some point to help them sleep, pointing to how deeply the drug has woven itself into modern sleep routines.

The appeal is easy to understand, especially for those dealing with stress or insomnia. Cannabis can help people fall asleep faster in the short term, but the bigger question is whether that sleep is truly restorative, and that is where concerns start to build.