PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

‘Sleepy cannabis’: first study to show cannabinol increases sleep

Non-hallucinogenic marijuana constituent increases sleep in rats

‘Sleepy cannabis’: first study to show cannabinol increases sleep
2024-11-12
(Press-News.org) Research by scientists at the University of Sydney has identified a constituent in the cannabis plant that improves sleep.

Their report is the first to use objective measures to show the component, known as cannabinol (CBN), increases sleep in rats. 

The study has been published in the leading journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

“For decades, cannabis folklore has suggested that aged cannabis makes consumers sleepy via the build-up of CBN, however there was no convincing evidence for this,” said lead author on the study Professor Jonathon Arnold, Director of Preclinical Research, at the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics and the Sydney Pharmacy School.

“Our study provides the first objective evidence that CBN increases sleep, at least in rats, by modifying the architecture of sleep in a beneficial way.”

CBN is an end-product of the main intoxicating constituent of cannabis, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC in cannabis is slowly converted to CBN over time, which means older cannabis contains higher levels of this compound. It has been suggested that the consumption of older cannabis is associated with a sleepier cannabis “high”.

In the United States, highly purified CBN products are being sold as sleep aids, but there has been little high-quality scientific evidence to support this application.

The research team at the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics tested the effects of purified CBN on sleep in rats. Using high-tech monitoring, the experiments provided insights into the rats’ sleep patterns including the amount of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

NREM is deep sleep that promotes physical recovery and strengthens memories, while REM sleep is associated with dreaming and processing of emotions.

Professor Arnold said: “CBN was found to increase both NREM and REM sleep, leading to increased total sleep time, with a comparable effect to the known sleep drug zolpidem.”

NON-INTOXICATING

Unlike its parent molecule THC, CBN did not appear to intoxicate rats. THC intoxicates by activating CB1 cannabinoid receptors, which are present in the brain. The study showed that unlike THC, CBN only weakly activates these receptors. To their surprise, the researchers found that a metabolite of CBN had significant effects on cannabinoid CB1 receptors.

A metabolite is a chemical produced via the metabolism of a larger molecule in the body.

They also found that the 11-OH CBN metabolite had some impact on sleep architecture, which might contribute to the overall effects of CBN on sleep.

“This provides the first evidence that CBN indeed increases sleep using objective sleep measures. It was a surprise that CBN metabolism in the body can yield a much greater effect on cannabinoid CB1 receptors than the parent molecule CBN, which has much more limited activity,” Professor Arnold said.

“At this stage our results are confined to testing in rats. Further research is needed to see if this translates to humans.” 

FURTHER STUDY

In a parallel study, yet to be published, Professor Iain McGregor, Director of Clinical Research at the Lambert Initiative, initiated a placebo-controlled randomised human clinical trial in insomnia patients. This was led by PhD student Isobel Lavender with leading sleep researcher Dr Camilla Hoyos from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. The trial has now been completed with very promising results that were recently announced at the International Cannabinoid Research Society and Sleep DownUnder scientific conferences.

“Our research encourages further basic and clinical research on CBN as a new treatment strategy for sleep disorders, including insomnia. Our clinical study only administered CBN on a single occasion. A trial on a larger scale, that includes repeated dosing, is the logical next step,” Professor McGregor said.

Professor Arnold said: “The team has now commenced a preclinical drug discovery program around CBN, as well as observing whether the pro-sleep effects of CBN can be further amplified by other molecules found in cannabis, or by conventional sleep aids, such as melatonin.”

-ENDS-

Download images of researchers at this link.

INTERVIEWS

Professor Jonathon Arnold | jonathon.arnold@sydney.edu.au

Professor Iain McGregor | iain.mcgregor@sydney.edu.au

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Marcus Strom | marcus.strom@sydney.edu.au | +61 474 269 459

RESEARCH

Arnold, J. et al ‘A sleepy cannabis constituent: cannabinol and its active metabolite influence sleep architecture in rats’, Neuropsychopharmacology (2024)
DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-02018-7 

DECLARATION

This study was funded by the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics.

ANIMAL ETHICS

The experimental protocols for the study were approved by the University of Sydney Animal Ethics Committee and were in accordance with the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes.

ABOUT THE LAMBERT INITIATIVE

The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney provides national and international leadership both in the science of medicinal cannabis and in the discovery and development of cannabis-based medicines. It was established thanks to a philanthropic donation by Barry and Joy Lambert.

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
‘Sleepy cannabis’: first study to show cannabinol increases sleep

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Mount Sinai team shows AI can detect serious neurologic changes in babies in the NICU using video data alone

Mount Sinai team shows AI can detect serious neurologic changes in babies in the NICU using video data alone
2024-11-12
A team of clinicians, scientists, and engineers at Mount Sinai trained a deep learning pose-recognition algorithm on video feeds of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to accurately track their movements and identify key neurologic metrics. Findings from this new artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool, published November 11 in Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine, could lead to a minimally invasive, scalable method for continuous neurologic monitoring in NICUs, providing critical real-time insights into infant health that have not been possible before. Every year, more than 300,000 ...

Jeffrey Popma, MD, joins CRF as Chief Scientific and Strategic Officer

2024-11-11
NEW YORK – November 11, 2024 – The Cardiovascular Research Foundation® (CRF®) proudly announces the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey Popma as Chief Scientific and Strategic Officer. A world-renowned leader in cardiovascular research, Dr. Popma will drive forward pivotal programs and initiatives that will shape CRF’s future and fuel innovation at the CRF® Clinical Trials Center (CTC). His leadership will be instrumental in the development of the recently launched Real-World Data and Outcomes Center, advancing CRF’s commitment to impactful ...

Seiber elevated to IEEE senior member

Seiber elevated to IEEE senior member
2024-11-11
Larry Seiber, an R&D staff member in the Vehicle Power Electronics group at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elevated to senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE.  Senior member status requires extensive experience that reflects professional accomplishments. Only 10% of IEEE’s more than 450,000 members achieve this level.  Seiber has conducted decades of cutting-edge research in power electronics and electric machinery. He developed the hardware ...

Study sheds light on how BRCA1 gene mutations fuel breast cancer

2024-11-11
People inherit two copies of each gene — one from each parent — an evolutionary fail-safe to ensure survival even when one of them doesn’t function. For cancer-suppressor genes like BRCA1, researchers have long hypothesized that a single healthy copy could still guard against tumor development. Yet women with one harmful BRCA1 mutation are far more likely to develop breast cancer — a risk traditionally explained by a second mutation that arises later in life, damages the healthy copy of the gene, ...

A new wrinkle in turtles: Their genomes fold in a unique way, Iowa State researchers find

2024-11-11
AMES, Iowa – In their long strings of nucleotides, DNA molecules hold massive troves of genetic data providing instructions for how living organisms should function – the blueprint of life. How the blueprint is stored, however, impacts how it is read and used. As cells divide and replicate, DNA strands coiled around proteins – chromatin – are in tightly bundled chromosomes. After division, the chromosomes loosen and chromatin is less compact. How and where the chromatin fiber folds and ...

Adequate sleep significantly reduces the risk of hypertension in adolescents, according to new study

2024-11-11
Adolescents who meet the recommended guidelines of nine to 11 hours of sleep per day were shown to have a significantly lower risk of hypertension, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston.   Recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the research revealed that adolescents had a 37% lower risk of developing incidents of high blood pressure by meeting healthy sleep patterns, and underscoring the importance of adequate sleep behavior. The research further explored the ...

Research spotlight: Uncovering the mechanisms behind T cell differentiation

2024-11-11
How would you summarize your study for a lay audience?  T helper (TH) cells are essential immune cells that help other immune cells function effectively. When activated in response to environmental stimuli, these cells can differentiate into either TH1 cells, which fight against viruses and intracellular pathogens, or TH2 cells, which fight against extracellular pathogens like bacteria and parasites. However, scientists haven’t fully understood whether infected tissue itself has any role in directing the optimal T cell differentiation in response ...

Study reveals best timing for getting the RSV vaccine during pregnancy to protect newborns

2024-11-11
Current guidelines recommend that pregnant people receive a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—which typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms in most adults but can be deadly for infants—during weeks 32–36 of pregnancy. New research led by investigators at Mass General Brigham suggests that vaccination earlier in that timeframe, closer to 32 weeks, could provide the best protection for newborns against RSV. The findings are published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. “Receiving ...

Could lights stop shark attacks

Could lights stop shark attacks
2024-11-11
Surfers could be protected from future shark attacks following new discoveries about how to trick sharks’ visual systems made by Professor Nathan Hart, head of Macquarie University’s Neurobiology Lab, Dr Laura Ryan and colleagues. Hart, Ryan and their co-authors of a new paper in Current Biology titled Counterillumination reduces bites by Great White Sharks say their work “may form the basis of new non-invasive shark deterrent technology to protect human life”. These researchers previously discovered that great whites place a high reliance ...

Alarming increase in alcohol use during pandemic persists

2024-11-11
Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 11 November 2024     @Annalsofim          Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time

‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’

Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible

Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound

American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care

Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce

Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care

Resident physician intentions regarding unionization

Healthy nutrition and physical lifestyle choices lower cancer mortality risk for survivors, new ACS study finds

Mass General Brigham researchers reveal 17 modifiable risk factors shared by stroke, dementia, and late-life depression

Promising drug discovery research gets funding boost from Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

Carbon capture could become practical with scalable, affordable materials

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center opens state-of-the-art Newport Beach Radiation Oncology and Imaging Center

Chan Zuckerberg Biohub New York announces new investigators for immune system research to improve human health

New research suggests White Americans in areas with higher Black poverty are more likely to blame racial inequality on lack of effort

Solar wave squeezed Jupiter’s magnetic shield to unleash heat

[Press-News.org] ‘Sleepy cannabis’: first study to show cannabinol increases sleep
Non-hallucinogenic marijuana constituent increases sleep in rats