Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39476498›Full record

ArticleAddiction (Abingdon, England)2025

Cannabis use and sleep problems among young adults by mental health status: A prospective cohort study.

Claire A Walsh, Erin Euler, Lauren A Do, Amy Zheng, Sandrah P Eckel, Bernard L Harlow, Adam M Leventhal, Jessica L Barrington-Trimis, Alyssa F Harlow

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Dynamic associations between cannabis use and sleep in adolescents and young adults during a cannabis intervention trial.Journal of research on adolescence : the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Claire A WalshDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, CA, Los Angeles, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6557-7183
Erin EulerDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Lauren A DoDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Amy ZhengDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Sandrah P EckelDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, CA, Los Angeles, USA.
Bernard L HarlowDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Adam M LeventhalDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, CA, Los Angeles, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1217-525X
Jessica L Barrington-TrimisDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, CA, Los Angeles, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3331-0326
Alyssa F HarlowDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, CA, Los Angeles, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6744-6988

Funding

Vaping Nicotine and Cannabis Across Adolescence and Young AdulthoodR01CA229617 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI BARRINGTON-TRIMIS, JESSICA LOUISE, LEVENTHAL, ADAM MATTHEW · 2019 to 2024
$4.3M
Understanding Transitions from Vaping to Smoking Across AdolescenceK01DA042950 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI BARRINGTON-TRIMIS, JESSICA LOUISE · 2017 to 2021
$1.0M
The Tobacco and Cannabis Retail Environment, Neighborhood Disadvantage, and Adolescent VapingK01DA058084 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI Alyssa Fitzpatrick Harlow · 2023 to 2026
$752k
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA229617NCI NIH HHS R01CA229617NIDA NIH HHS K01 DA042950NIDA NIH HHS K01DA042950NIDA NIH HHS K01 DA058084NIDA NIH HHS K01DA058084
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsYoung adult cannabis use is common; while cannabis is often marketed as a product that can improve sleep, evidence supporting these claims is limited, and effects may differ for individuals with underlying mental health issues. This study measured the association between cannabis use and sleep problems among young adults and determined whether associations differ by mental health status. DESIGN, SETTING AND

participantsUsing two waves of a young adult cohort study (baseline: March-September 2020; follow-up: January-June 2021), we measured the association of cannabis use frequency with subsequent sleep problems overall and stratified by baseline sleep quality and mental health status in separate moderation analyses. This study was conducted in Southern California, USA, and included 1926 participants aged 20-23 years (mean age = 21; 61% female, 46% Hispanic). MEASUREMENTS: Exposure was baseline cannabis use frequency (never use, prior use, 1-5 days/month, 6-19 days/month, ≥ 20 days/month). The outcome was sleep problems at follow-up (range = 4-24, higher score indicating worse sleep). Models were adjusted for socio-demographic factors, baseline sleep problems, mental health symptoms (depression and/or anxiety versus neither) and past 30-day nicotine or alcohol use. In moderation analyses, models were additionally stratified by mental health symptoms and baseline sleep quality (excellent versus imperfect sleep).

findingsAmong the young adult sample, 11% used cannabis ≥ 20 days/month at baseline. For participants without baseline anxiety or depression symptoms, using cannabis ≥ 20 days/month (versus never use) was associated with greater sleep problems at follow-up [mean difference (MD) = 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.59-2.74]. Among participants with anxiety and/or depression and pre-existing sleep problems at baseline, using cannabis ≥ 20 days/month (versus never use) was associated with fewer sleep problems at follow-up (MD = -1.42, 95% CI = -2.81 to -0.02).

conclusionsThe effects of cannabis use on sleep appear to differ by underlying mental health symptoms. Frequent cannabis use may improve sleep for young adults with depression and/or anxiety who have pre-existing sleep problems, but worsen sleep for young adults without depression and/or anxiety.

Indexed as

Marijuana UseMental HealthSleep Wake DisordersAdultAnxietyCaliforniaDepressionFemaleHumansMaleProspective StudiesSleep QualityYoung AdultAnxietycannabisdepressionmarijuanasleepTHCyoung adults

Identifiers

PMID39476498
PMCPMC11908928

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.