First off – let’s chat about anxiety. Anxiety is the feeling of tension, worried thoughts and even physical changes like high blood pressure. Anxiety is a normal feeling, particularly in challenging or dangerous situations. But for some people they feel anxiety at a heightened or consistent level and this can be challenging to live with.
Anxiety can get in the way of doing the smallest, most common of tasks – and this type of anxiety should be addressed by a medical professional.
How to cope with anxiety using THC & CBD
For many years doctors have been prescribing the use of antidepressants to help their patients cope with anxiety. Antidepressants provide relief for many, but do not work for all.
After many years of research it has been proven that some people can now use medicinal cannabis to help them cope with anxiety. Through research it has been discovered that cannabis can help put that worrying and nervous feelings at ease which can help you cope.Â
It is important to note that the research that has been done does not say that consuming cannabis will cure or treat cannabis – that is a more challenging idea to tackle.
Instead of treating or curing one’s anxiety, the research on cannabis and anxiety has proven the following:
- THC has shown significant help with anxiety-induction
- CBD has helped reduce anxiety symptoms
Use Low THC and high CBD strains
It is important to note that the use of medicinal cannabis – particularly the heavy THC strains – may not be ideal. THC is known for creating that ‘high’ or psychoactive feeling that for some can create a sense of paranoia and therefore lead to anxiety.Â
On the other hand CBD may just be an anxious person’s best friend. CBD does not have the psychoactive or ‘high’ quality like THC which means you get all of the benefits without the risk of paranoia. Therefore choosing strains with higher CBD concentration is probably your better option.
If you are interested in using cannabis to reduce your anxiety we highly recommend to not self medicate. As stated above – smoking the wrong strain could end up leaving you feeling more anxious than before you started smoking. Consulting a professional is an ideal place to get started!
Health Benefits from Cannabis
Even before the legalization of cannabis in 2018 the research on the medicinal benefits was growing each and every year – and this has not stopped! Researchers continue to explore and discover different ways in which cannabis can enhance one’s life. Focusing on the benefits related to anxiety, it can be broken down by looking at two of the most common anxiety disorders.
For those who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) cannabis can help in the following ways:
- CBD specifically reduces stress levels
- CBD reduces other anxiety symptoms
- CBD reduces negative mental effects caused by fear, those reducing that worrying feeling
For those who suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD) cannabis can help in the following ways:
- CBD has been known to lessen anxiety for some consumers
- CBD helps increase blood flow to the part of the brain that is impacted by anxiety
- CBD helps to reduce embarrassing memories and thoughts, improving social interactions
And for those who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cannabis can help in the following ways:
- CBD helps lessen the brain’s response to traumatic memories
- CBD comes with fewer side effects than other PTSD prescribed medication
- CBD can help relieve insomnia
CBD
is smoking weed good for anxiety?
At the end of the day the relationship between anxiety and cannabis continues to grow in a positive way however, it is still important to note that it is not a solution to the problem. Cannabis has proven to be beneficial for many who suffer from a variety of levels of anxiety but this has been done with proper consultation and research. So if you are interested in exploring the use of cannabis for your anxiety – do your research and get the right strain!
