How to use cannabis for anxiety?

A pounding heart, sweaty palms, racing thoughts: for those living with an anxiety disorder, these unwanted symptoms can make daily life exhausting.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in 13 people worldwide suffers from an anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental disorder in the world. For those living with anxiety, finding a safe way to manage symptoms is challenging.

Fast-acting anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax and Valium can provide immediate relief, but can be addictive. Long-acting anti-anxiety drugs, such as Prozac, can help relieve symptoms over time, but do not work for everyone.

Enter cannabidiol, better known as CBD. CBD has recently been gaining attention as an alternative or complementary treatment for anxiety.

Clinical research on CBD

In recent years, clinical research on CBD as a treatment for anxiety disorders has expanded and evidence of its therapeutic potential is accumulating.

Although most CBD research is preclinical and uses animal models, human clinical trials are now emerging.

In a 2019 double-blind study, 37 Japanese adolescents with social anxiety disorder (SAD) were administered 300 mg of CBD oil or placebo daily for four weeks. The teenagers were assessed using questionnaires used to diagnose and measure SAD symptoms. The anti-anxiety properties of CBD reduced the symptoms associated with the disorder and provided relief comparable to paroxetine, a drug commonly used to treat the condition.

Interestingly, at follow-up, nine of the seventeen adolescents who received CBD intervention also reported that they had opted for some form of treatment. Adolescents with SAD rarely seek help due to the stigma of the condition and fear of interacting with therapists.

A 2019 retrospective case study examined outpatients at a mental health clinic in Fort Collins, Colorado. Forty-seven patients in the trial expressed concerns about anxiety. For three months, the majority of patients received 25 mg of CBD daily as an adjunct to medication.

However, there were also patients who reported that their anxiety symptoms worsened after taking CBD-15.3% felt their anxiety worsened after the first month, and 19.5% felt their anxiety worsened further after the second month.

Another study, done in 2018, also suggests that CBD can increase anxiety. It included a small sample of people with paranoid traits and found that CBD exacerbated anxiety among some participants. Anxiety was measured through symptoms such as cortisol levels, heart rate and systolic blood pressure.

These conflicting findings may be due to factors such as small sample sizes and differences in dosage. CBD is a bidirectional drug, meaning that it can cause opposite reactions at different doses. We will delve into this below.

How should I take CBD cannabis for anxiety?

If you are interested in using CBD oil as a tool to help you manage anxiety, education is essential. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of different ingestion methods will help you determine which form of consumption best suits your needs.

Smoking

Smoking is an almost instant way to enjoy the effects of CBD. By smoking, the cannabinoid enters the lung chambers directly and from there the CBD molecules enter the bloodstream where they are quickly absorbed. However, measuring CBD intake can be difficult when smoking and smoking itself can cause pneumonia. You can buy quality CBD seeds directly from us.

Tinctures and oils

CBD tinctures and oils are a quick, easy and accurate way to consume CBD. Most tinctures contain CBD in an alcohol base. CBD oils contain CBD extracts infused into a carrier oil such as coconut or hemp oil.

Tinctures and oils are taken using an eyedropper, which allows for easy measuring of intake. When taken sublingually, the cannabinoid enters the bloodstream quickly – results can occur in as little as ten minutes and last up to three to four hours.

Edibles

CBD can be added to almost every food under the sun. Although very easy to consume in this form – and often tasty, especially in gummy candy form – it can take an hour or more to see results.

Additionally, the oral bioavailability of CBD can hinder CBD absorption – when CBD is consumed orally, it must pass through the digestive tract before it is metabolized by the liver. As a result, only a limited amount of CBD enters the circulatory system.

It’s also important to note that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently made foods containing CBD illegal. You will need to purchase edibles with CBD from state-licensed adult-use stores.

CBD vape oils

CBD can be vaped using a special pen that vaporizes the oil. Currently, the safety of vaping is under intense scrutiny. A serious lung disease known as VAPI, or EVALI, has hospitalized more than 2,000 people and led to 42 deaths. The federal Center for Disease Control has found that most of the cases are related to the use of vaping cartridges with THC from the illegal market that are contaminated with vitamin E (tocopheryl acetate) oil.

CBD vape cartridges purchased from legal state-licensed cannabis stores are strictly regulated, while CBD cartridges purchased from other sources are completely unregulated. Use caution when considering any vaping product in an unregulated environment.

If you decide to grow your own cannabis plants, always buy good quality, fresh cannabis seeds. You can check out seeds from Nukaseeds.