Overactive bladder is a chronic disease. People with this condition experience urgent, frequent urination — including waking up to pee throughout the night — a condition known as nocturia (via The American Journal of Medicine). In the study, researchers referenced data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from the years 2005 to 2018 and found that roughly 24% of Americans regularly used marijuana. Compared to those who did not use cannabis on a regular basis, those who regularly used marijuana were more likely to develop overactive bladder and/or experience more severe cases of the disorder.
Those with overactive bladder experience involuntary muscle contractions within the bladder. Mayo Clinic experts explain that while this function is necessary to expel urine from the body, in cases of overactive bladder, these contractions occur even when minimal amounts of urine are being held in the organ. While the causes of the disorder are not always clear, cases may be related to alternate bladder conditions like bladder stones or may be due to an enlarged prostate, hormonal fluctuations during menopause, or certain neurological conditions.