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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with heightened risks for depression and medical disorders (hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart failure). The positive airway pressure device, the first-line treatment, is effective but has poor long-term adherence. Animal study results indicate that decreasing afferent vagal feedback to the medulla improves respiratory patterns and that dronabinol (a nonselective agonist of cannabinoid type I and II receptors; FDA-approved for cancer-related nausea and appetite stimulation) reduces central apneas via this mechanism. In a small, pilot, clinical study, dronabinol was associated with reductions in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), an objective measure of OSA severity obtained through overnight polys…