Boston (CBS)-Tens of millions of Americans have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Although there are many over-the-counter and prescription sleeping pills, most of them are not permanent solutions.

Now, a marijuana retailer in Massachusetts is offering a cannabis-based alternative.

Garden Remedies is working with the treatment company Real Isolates to develop a cannabis pill that is directly designed to help people sleep. It is suitable for people like Peter Riggs of Newton, who have PTSD and need extra help to close their eyes.

"I am going to bed, and my heart is not afraid," Peter said. "It's really whimsical."

Miyabe Shields is one of the scientists responsible for this work. She said the process involves extracting two compounds from cannabis.

"We captured the formula from the smoke," Shields said. "We heat the marijuana. We selectively capture it in the filter. We take the active ingredients from the smoke and the smoke shuttles out. This is an excerpt."

Then the extract, THC and CBN are combined to make a "Sleep Plus" pill.

Shields calls it a perfect combination. "Using our method, the edible cannabidiol or CBN content is higher."

Shields used a molecular 3D model to prove her point, she said: "The only difference is the top ring-this molecule is not as small or strong as THC."

This means that you may feel less excited than using other forms of marijuana.

Dr. Staci Gruber, Director of Marijuana Investigations of the Neuroscience Discovery Project at McLean Hospital, first suggested developing good sleep habits.

"Be active during the day; make sure you have good sleep hygiene; turn off electronic devices before going to bed."

But if this does not work, Dr. Gruber believes that cannabis products can help if taken properly.

"Some of these products are changing people's lives. They really are. They are changing lives. If you are not worried about exposure to THC, there is no reason not to consider it."

Dr. Gruber said this may be better than an over-the-counter solution, but more research is needed on this topic.

"There is every reason to think that this is safer than some of our more traditional medicines."

As for Peter, he has sold it and intends to continue his daily cannabis regiment.

"For me, it makes the world different."