The recent legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational use in many states in the United States and internationally has resulted in a decrease in stigma and of perceived risk of cannabis use, more frequent use of cannabis, use of higher potency cannabis products, and increased dependence on cannabis use. Cannabis sativa and its derivatives are often used for improved sleep and relaxation; characteristics originally attributed to Indian hemp in the nineteenth century. Cannabis alters the sleep–wake cycle, increases the production of melatonin, and can inhibit the arousal system by activating cannabinoid type 1 (CB1 ) receptors in the basal forebrain and other wakepromoting...

The effects of the central (CB1) cannabinoid receptor antagonist SR 141716A on the sleep-waking cycle were investigated in freely-moving rats using time scoring and power spectral analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG). Over a 4-hour recording period, SR 141716A (0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg I.P.) dose-dependently increased the time spent in wakefulness at the expense of slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement sleep (REMS), delayed the occurrence of REMS but did not change the mean duration of REMS episodes. Moreover, the compound induced no change in motor behavior. At the efficient dose of 3 mg/kg I.P., SR 141716A reduced the spectral power...