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Cannabis and REM

HepcatB

Greenlighter
Joined
Dec 2, 2014
Messages
33
I have only been smoking cannabis fairly regularly since I was 27 which was over 15 years ago. I got a late start which is probably a good thing considering the studies that indicate that cannabis use in adolescents can possibly affect the rapidly developing brain in ways that might be harmful. (Whether those allegations are true or if they're just a load of horse hockey is unknown to me.) When I first started smoking, I had several intense experiences on common Missouri schwag (the kids today call it "reggie") alone. I'm pretty sure they weren't laced with Sherman Hemsley or anything like that, I just think I was a greenhand with no experience or knowledge and with very low tolerance who was just starting to learn about all of the joys of cannabis. I had several fairly profound psychedelic experiences that I attained by simply smoking some Mexican dirtweed which is possible with a guy with no tolerance. During some of these experiences my eyes would randomly and involuntarily turn just like they move in fast, jerking motions when a person is in the REM state. Has anybody had an experience where your eyes were moving like you had REM? This was a long time ago and it hasn't happened in probably 15 years. These always happened when I was in deep, almost meditative states with my eyes closed. I'm interested in whether cannabis can affect REM sleep and what the mechanism it uses to influence REM sleep? What is the function of awake REM movement of the eyes? Is it just some random glitch or is it something more significant? What experiences have you have with cannabis-induced wakeful REM? Has it ever happened to you?
 
I've seen people incorrectly claim that because weed affects REM sleep, it decreases sleep quality. That's not true because REM is not a deep state of sleep. It's one of the least important stages of sleep. Of course they're (probably) all important, but usually what happens when you sleep 8-9 hours and still feel like shit the next day is that you didn't get into a deep state of sleep enough. It's never going to be because you didn't get enough REM stage sleep.

I believe it's possible that weed causes muscle twitches, I've seen police use twitchy eyelids as probable cause to believe someone is under the influence while driving. Of course that doesn't make it right but it's something. This likely has nothing to do with how it affects REM sleep though.
 
I've seen people incorrectly claim that because weed affects REM sleep, it decreases sleep quality. That's not true because REM is not a deep state of sleep. It's one of the least important stages of sleep. Of course they're (probably) all important, but usually what happens when you sleep 8-9 hours and still feel like shit the next day is that you didn't get into a deep state of sleep enough. It's never going to be because you didn't get enough REM stage sleep.

I believe it's possible that weed causes muscle twitches, I've seen police use twitchy eyelids as probable cause to believe someone is under the influence while driving. Of course that doesn't make it right but it's something. This likely has nothing to do with how it affects REM sleep though.

Source for this statement please? I find it quite difficult to swallow.
 
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