Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis and sleep, a Supreme Court ruling on cannabis and guns and a humorous video on finding the right stain. Enjoy.
Cannabis and Sleep
Top takeaway: A new study indicates cannabis strains rich in CBD and CBN, not THC, are associated with better sleep.
New research, recently published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, suggests the future of sleep therapy may depend not on asking whether cannabis works, but on identifying which cannabinoids work best and that the strongest evidence for improving sleep was associated with cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN) and combinations of the two—but not primarily THC.
In addition, the available evidence suggests medical cannabis was associated with reduced sleep disturbance, increased total sleep time and less daytime sleepiness.
So says Andrea Efre, an associate professor at the University of South Florida College of Nursing and a nurse practitioner with over a decade of experience, in an op-ed she penned for Marijuana Moment that describes the study and its findings.
She contends that dispensary recommendations, product marketing and consumer assumptions have reinforced the belief that THC is the cannabinoid most responsible for helping people sleep, because of its sedating qualities.
The study reviewed nearly 4,600 studies and identified 18 that met rigorous inclusion criteria, with seven eligible for meta-analysis. These studies evaluated CBD, CBN, THC and cannabinoid combinations administered as capsules, oils, tinctures and sublingual preparations.
What they found, she writes, is that compared with placebo, medical cannabis was associated with meaningful improvements in sleep disturbance, total sleep time and daytime sleepiness. Adverse effects were generally mild to moderate and most commonly included drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness and gastrointestinal symptoms.
On the other hand, she notes that THC-containing formulations produced mixed results and were associated with higher rates of adverse effects, while CBD- and CBN-focused formulations demonstrated more consistent benefits across studies.
This does not mean THC has no role in sleep management, but it does suggest, she believes, that its reputation as the primary sleep-promoting cannabinoid may be stronger than the evidence supporting it.
She also stresses that people taking blood thinners, cardiovascular medications, psychiatric medications or multiple prescription drugs should talk with their healthcare provider about potential interactions before adding cannabinoid products to their routine.
The bottom line is that mature consumers who are turning to cannabis as a sleep aid need to find strains and products that are rich in CBD or CBN.
To learn more, we urge you to read Andrea Efre’s op-ed. It appeared in the June 15, 2026 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Cannabis Quote of the Week
Top takeaway: The Supreme Court has ruled cannabis use alone should not deprive someone from owning a gun.
“The government maintains that it may automatically strip Mr. Hemani of his Second Amendment right to possess a firearm because he uses marijuana a few times a week. More than that, because he possessed a gun despite this prohibition, the government insists it may imprison him for up to 15 years and disarm him for life.
“According to the government, none of this turns on how much marijuana Mr. Hemani uses or what effect it has on him. It makes no difference either if he keeps a firearm only in his home for self-defense, never misuses a gun while intoxicated, and never poses a danger to himself or others as a result of his marijuana use. The only thing the government must show, it says, is that an individual like Mr. Hemani regularly uses any amount of any controlled substance.”
….All that we know about (the) respondent’s marijuana use is that he used the drug about every other day. We do not know how much he used, the strength of the marijuana he used, how many times he used it on the days in question, the time of day when he used it, where he used it, or the degree to which this use affected his ability to exercise judgment and perform daily tasks responsibly. As a result, the Government has failed to show that a marijuana user like respondent is incapacitated in a way analogous to the habitual drunkards that the Government’sanalogues regulated.” – Neil Gorsuch, Supreme Court Justice
Justice Gorsuch’s comment is taken from an opinion he authored that the prosecution of a man for possessing a gun solely because he was a regular consumer of marijuana, violated his Second Amendment rights.
Six other justices signed onto Gorsuch’s majority opinion, and three separate concurring opinions were also issued.
In his opinion, Gorsuch also stated that marijuana use today is like alcohol use at the founding (of the nation). Wrote Gorsuch, “It is widespread and increasingly considered socially acceptable in many quarters. And from a practical standpoint, law enforcement widely tolerates the use of marijuana.”
He also made the point that some surveys suggest there may now be more adults in this country who regularly use marijuana than consume alcohol.
According to Tom Angell, reporting for Marijuana Moment, the opinion authored by Justice Gorsuch is narrow in scope and does not entirely strike down the federal law known as 922(g)(3) that prohibits people who illegally consume controlled substances from possessing or purchasing firearms.
Said Cecillia Wang, legal director at the ACLU, “Today’s unanimous 9-0 decision makes it clear that the government cannot make it crime for people to own a gun, which the Supreme Court has held is a fundamental constitutional right, simply because they use marijuana,”,
She went on to say, “With nearly half of Americans reporting marijuana use at some point in their lives, this ruling protects the rights of millions and curbs the government’s ability to impose arbitrary and discriminatory penalties. The court has sent a strong message that the government cannot criminalize the the conduct of large numbers of people by making categorical and unfounded assumptions about whether they are dangerous.”
Angell notes that in May of this year the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) posted a proposed revised version of Form 4473, which must be filled out by anyone purchasing a gun from a federally licensed firearms dealer, that appeared to acknowledge the federally legal status of medical marijuana under the Trump administration’s recent move to reschedule the drug.
However, that proposed change has yet to be ratified.
More new as more news develops.
To learn much more, we suggest reading Tom Angell’s article in the June 18, 2026 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
The Shape of Things to Come
Top takeaway: When shopping for cannabis, finding the right strain can make all the difference.
We have long been proponents of having a specific purpose – sleep, pain relief, relaxation – when using cannabis. We believe this can help the consumer evaluate their experience and it can motivate both consumers and retailers to go the extra mile when it comes to finding a specific strain that will help a consumer meet his or her objective.
We also believe the following video by comedian and actor Joe Clabby does a rather elegant job of presenting that idea. It’s called “Budtender.” Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boxXa2dAntI
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at Joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.