Cannabis dispensaries in the Bay Area often recommend specific strains and doses of cannabis to customers for sleep and pain — despite a lack of scientific evidence for most of the recommendations, according to a new UCSF study.
Cannabis dispensary sales associates, or budtenders, in San Francisco and Alameda County most frequently recommend topicals for pain and edibles for sleep, often citing personal experience as their reason for their recommendation, the study found. Budtenders also strongly prefer indica strains for sleep.
But there is limited evidence that cannabis is beneficial for sleep disorders and recurring pain. While some studies show cannabis may help specific conditions like chemotherapy-induced nausea and pain related to multiple sclerosis, the vast majority of people using cannabis are not treating those issues, said study co-author Dr. Pam Ling, director of the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education…