Skip to main content
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal logoLink to CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal
letter
. 2018 May 7;190(18):E572. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.69128

Medical marijuana in treating obstructive sleep apnea

Harold A Pupko 1
PMCID: PMC5940460  PMID: 29735536

The results of the recent pharmacotherapy of apnea by cannabimimetic enhancement (PACE) trial that studied the effects of dronabinol (a cannabinoid) on the effects of obstructive sleep apnea look promising.1 In light of this study and the upcoming legalization of marijuana in Canada, could the authors of the recent CMAJ review2 on the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults please comment on the use of marijuana and its pharmacologic derivatives in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea?

Additionally, modafinil is available by prescription by primary care practitioners for patients with obstructive sleep apnea who report excessive daytime sedation. I am interested in the authors’ opinion on its use.

Footnotes

Competing interests: None declared.

References

  • 1.Carley DW, Prasad B, Reid KJ, et al. Pharmacotherapy of apnea by cannabimimetic enhancement, the PACE clinical trial: effects of dronabinol in obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep 2018;41:zsx184. 10.1093/sleep/zsx184. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Laratta CR, Ayas NT, Povitz M, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults. CMAJ 2017;189:E1481–8. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Medical Association

RESOURCES