Can Cannabidiol Help You Manage Anxiety?
Anxiety is a natural response to uncertainty. Often described as a feeling of “worry and nervousness,” this powerful emotion can take over your senses, pushing you into different mental states and into a world of “what ifs.” Most people experience anxiety at some point in their lives, but it can become problematic if it’s felt constantly. There are many ways to address this issue, and one of them may be the use of cannabidiol (CBD).
Feelings of fear and nervousness are extremely common. Nearly 13.5 million patients in the United States have been prescribed medications to treat anxiety. In Canada, up to 10 percent of the population has been prescribed sedatives to address anxiety and sleep issues.
However, not everyone turns to prescription medications to manage anxiety. Recently, there’s been a public shift toward greater acceptance of natural remedies and lifestyle changes for health management, including medical cannabis.
Although research restrictions have made it difficult for scientists to study the effects of cannabis compounds in humans, a growing body of evidence suggests that at least one compound in the plant may have a profound impact on mood, anxiety, and fear. The molecule in question? Cannabidiol (CBD).
Cannabidiol is a unique phytochemical produced only by the cannabis plant. While consumers didn’t have access to this common cannabis component for decades, it’s now often extracted and sold online as CBD oil. Well-known companies like Green Roads have even developed pharmaceutical-grade formulations and shipped botanical extracts throughout the United States and Canada.
Can You Use Cannabidiol to Manage Anxiety?
When researchers test new medications, mice and other rodents are often the first test subjects. While cannabis has long been known to calm the mind and improve mood, it was in rats that the anxiety-reducing potential of CBD was first discovered.
Back in 1990, researchers placed rats in a maze with both enclosed and open spaces. Rodents typically avoid open spaces, preferring the safety of closed walls. When forced into open areas, most rats freeze in fear. But with a dose of CBD, things changed dramatically.
To test CBD’s potential for reducing fear and anxiety, scientists at the University of São Paulo in Brazil observed rats injected with CBD as they ventured beyond their usual boundaries and entered open spaces. Remarkably, at doses up to 10 milligrams of CBD per kilogram of body weight, the animals willingly left their comfort zones.
CBD’s calming nature may also work in humans. More than two decades later, the compound was given to patients with social anxiety who were asked to speak in front of an audience. In 2011, Brazilian researchers had 24 subjects perform public speaking to compare CBD with a placebo during a stressful, anxiety-inducing situation.
Just like in the earlier rodent studies, those who received CBD showed fewer signs of stress. The authors concluded that the cannabis compound significantly reduced anxiety, improved cognitive performance, and decreased discomfort compared to the placebo group. The participants who received CBD were given a 600-milligram dose of the cannabinoid.
However, many consumers self-administer various CBD products. For example, Green Roads allows users to easily determine their own CBD doses, offering pharmaceutical oils ranging from seven to over 50 milligrams per serving.
CBD May Help Overcome Fear
Surprisingly, CBD’s anxiety-reducing properties may be partly due to its effects on memory. While research is still in the early stages, there’s growing evidence that CBD may help prevent the formation of fearful memories after traumatic events. Learned fear is a major factor in chronic anxiety.
To make this discovery, scientists at the University of Western Ontario tested the memory-related effects of CBD on rodents exposed to trauma. After experiencing a frightening shock in a specific location, the rats were given CBD and placed back in the unpleasant environment.
According to this early research, CBD treatment blocked the rodents’ ability to form a memory link between environmental triggers and the traumatic event. Interestingly, the molecule appeared to disrupt the development of fearful memories by interacting with a cellular receptor (the serotonin receptor) that is commonly targeted by antidepressants.
Human studies are needed, as these early experiments could have major implications for people with anxiety and trauma-related conditions. CBD has been found to ease symptoms of anxiety and stress in patients at high risk of developing psychosis. Still, much remains to be learned about the mood-enhancing properties of this botanical medicine and how it relieves anxiety.
How Can You Access CBD?
Research on this topic is ongoing, but many patients are already turning to CBD oil. To further support the case for CBD oil in anxiety management, a study published in Health Affairs in 2016 found that anxiety medication prescriptions dropped by an average of 562 doses per doctor per year in states with medical cannabis policies.
Another survey conducted in 2017 among medical cannabis patients, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, showed that 63 percent of participants chose cannabis over prescription medications. Sixteen percent of those who preferred medical cannabis used the plant specifically as an anti-anxiety remedy.
However, you don’t need to live in a state with medical cannabis laws to access anxiety-relieving CBD oils. While it’s commonly believed that only those in a few privileged locations can obtain the remedy, cannabidiol sold as CBD oil can be easily purchased online from suppliers like Green Roads, giving more consumers access to a natural supplement that could change their lives.
That’s why CBD oil for anxiety remains something of a mystery. However, the emerging science is fascinating. Can CBD help you manage your anxiety? Right now, human trial data is limited and scattered. Still, for many, the early evidence is enough to warrant trying this natural therapy.