Marijuana and Morpheus: Why does pausing cannabis use spark vivid dreams?

In a dream that has stuck with him long after waking, Eric was caught in the middle of a flood. That means, during the withdrawal period, people who stop using marijuana may take longer to fall asleep, have more REM sleep and have more memorable dreams that reemerge more intensely and vividly. We suspect that is why people report intense dreams because they're probably having more REM than the average person during their sleep.” While most symptoms of cannabis withdrawal, including not being able to fall asleep, changes in appetite and anxiety, tend to go away within a few weeks, the effects on dreaming occur on the day people stop smoking and can last for up to 45 days. It’s still unclear to what extent changes in REM and other aspects of sleep — in what is sometimes called “sleep architecture” — caused by THC use are affecting overall health. “That's the concern.” Because of the challenges and restrictions on studying marijuana, which is a Schedule I substance still illegal in 27 states, it’s still unclear whether there’s certain dosing that enriches sleep or deteriorates it, how smoking versus eating edibles changes sleep or whether any effects can be mitigated with using combinations of THC and CBD) The fact that many CBD products on the market have small amounts of THC and vice versa further complicates things.