Does melatonin interact with cannabis?

Both melatonin and cannabis may help you sleep better. But taking them together can increase the risk of certain side effects, including excessive dizziness and drowsiness.

Learn how melatonin and cannabis may interact with each other, and how to use them together safely to improve sleep.

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What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle, known as your circadian rhythm. Your brain naturally releases melatonin when it gets dark in order to trigger sleep.

However, your circadian rhythm can be thrown out of balance due to various factors, such as:

• Jet lag: Traveling to a different time zone can change your sleep-wake cycle.

• Exposure to blue light or bright light: Both bright light and blue light (from devices like smartphones) can suppress melatonin.

• Working at night: Working the late shift can impact your circadian rhythm.

• Caffeine: Caffeine (especially in large amounts close to bedtime) can prevent your brain from making enough melatonin.

• Alcohol: Alcohol can suppress melatonin, disrupting your sleep cycle.

As a result, many people take melatonin supplements to support their circadian rhythm and promote better sleep.

How does melatonin work?

At nighttime, your body creates melatonin, which tells your body it’s time to slow down for the day and get some sleep. Melatonin supplements boost the amount of melatonin in your body to help regulate sleep.

Melatonin supplements are sold over-the-counter. They come in different forms, including:

• Gummies
• Capsules
• Tinctures

Melatonin creams are also available, but the supplement may not absorb as effectively through the skin as it does when taken orally.

Melatonin supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but they’re generally considered safe when taken as directed. That said,  they can cause mild side effects, including:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Vivid dreams
• Next-day grogginess

Melatonin may not be effective for everyone. While it can help promote a healthy sleep-wake cycle, it may not treat insomnia in the long term. It also may not address common underlying factors that contribute to poor sleep, such as:

• Anxiety
• Hormonal imbalance
• Chronic pain

Is it safe to mix melatonin and weed?

Taking melatonin and cannabis together is generally considered safe. But combining them may increase the risk of certain side effects, including:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Next-day grogginess

Cannabis may also make the effects of melatonin stronger and last longer, which might make you sleep later than you wanted to or feel groggy the next day. That’s because cannabis may affect liver enzymes that break down substances, including melatonin.

Can I take CBD and melatonin?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nonintoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis. Many people use it to help improve sleep.

Taking CBD and melatonin together is generally considered safe, and may improve sleep. In fact, there are many products that combine CBD with melatonin, which may help you sleep.

However, CBD can also alter how melatonin is metabolized by your liver, which may increase drowsiness or next-day grogginess in some users.

Benefits of using cannabis with melatonin

Cannabis users report that cannabis helps improve sleep, especially how long it takes to fall asleep. Cannabis can also help increase natural levels of melatonin in the body. By combining cannabis with melatonin, you may be able to achieve the desired results with a lower dose of supplementary melatonin.

How to take weed and melatonin

If you plan to use cannabis and melatonin together, ask your doctor for guidance. They can help you develop a treatment plan that works for you.

To lower your risk of side effects, follow these tips:

• Start with low doses: Consider taking lower-than-normal doses of both cannabis and melatonin to see how this combination makes you feel. Increase each dose slowly until you achieve the results you’re looking for.
• Consider your other medications: If you’re taking other medications, talk with your doctor before mixing them with cannabis and melatonin.

The takeaway: Cannabis and melatonin can both help with sleep, but combining them may increase the risk of side effects

Cannabis and melatonin are two popular remedies for poor sleep. Although combining them is considered low-risk, you might experience stronger or longer-lasting side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, or headache.

If you have any concerns, or want to develop a cannabis-based treatment plan for sleep, contact a Leafwell provider who can offer personal guidance.

Resources

• Cannabinoid metabolites as inhibitors of major hepatic CYP450 enzymes, with implications for cannabis-drug interactions. https://dmd.aspetjournals.org/article/S0090-9556(24)08016-4/fulltext
• Cytochrome P450 isoforms involved in melatonin metabolism in human liver microsomes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11317475/
• Is time elapsed between cannabis use and sleep start time associated with sleep continuity? An experience sampling method. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871620300119
• Melatonin. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23411-melatonin
• Melatonin and your sleep: Is it safe, what are the side effects and how does it work? https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/melatonin-and-your-sleep-is-it-safe-what-are-the-side-effects-and-how-does-it-work/2025/02
• Recent legalization of cannabis use: Effects on sleep, health, and workplace safety. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5656354/
• Regulation of nausea and vomiting by cannabinoids. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3165951/
• The safety of melatonin in humans. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40261-015-0368-5

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