CBD is a natural non-psychoactive compound that provides relief in many areas including ease of anxiety. Many people around the world are choosing CBD every day to deal with the stress and anxiety of their daily routine, and due to its recent popularity, and studies, we can certainly say that CBD does help.
However, CBD is a new compound, and with any new things comes a lot of doubt and uncertainty. So, we created this article to clear all your doubts and answer all your concerns regarding CBD and anxiety.
But before we get started, there are a few things you should know about CBD:
- Hemp-extracted CBD that contains less than 0.3% of THC is legal in the US, with certain restrictions from some states. Check the current CBD law for your state here.
- CBD is currently not regulated by the FDA, which means there are no standard dosages or guidelines that govern the CBD space.
- CBD and CBD products can be classified into three categories:
- Full spectrum CBD: Contains whole plant extracts including a wide range of cannabinoids including up to 0.3% of THC, and terpenes.
- Broad spectrum CBD: Contains a wide range of plant extracts except for THC.
- CBD Isolate: Contains CBD only.
- Certain full-spectrum CBD products have a chance of testing positive on a cannabis drug screening test.
- According to WHO, CBD has zero risk of abuse and dependency.
- While there are some side effects of CBD, In most cases they are pretty minimal and well-tolerated.
- CBD can also interact with certain types of medications, so it is best to consult a healthcare professional first if you are on other medication and planning to take CBD for anxiety.
Addressing anxiety
Anxiety is something most people have experienced at some point in their life. Sweaty palms, a racing heart, and a feeling like you are going to throw up are some of the signs of anxiety. Whether it shows up in the form of constriction in your throat, chest tightness, a sensation of not feeling at ease or comfortable in your own skin, or a general fear kind of feeling, all of it can be considered anxiety.
While it’s normal to feel anxious sometimes, when it starts to affect your daily life, that’s when it becomes serious.
Despite there being many anti-anxiety drugs on the market, the problem isn’t getting any better. The drug approach to anxiety does have its merits but it is a temporary fix that comes with a risk of dependency and its long-term results are questionable.
Traditional anti-anxiety medicine also comes with a long list of side effects like sleepiness, fatigue, drowsiness, and confusion.
These drugs, unfortunately, do little to help the nervous system regain balance, so sometimes you may need more and more of them to keep functioning with a nervous system that is constantly on edge.
Therapy is also an option. Although it can be expensive and take years to be effective.
Even with the proper help, many people fall back into bad habits such as drinking too much alcohol or smoking cigarettes to manage anxiety.
There is no one cause for anxiety, it varies from person to person. In most cases, the culprit can be our high-speed culture, childhood trauma, individual personality tendencies, genes, and food.
While we can’t change our culture, genes, or personality. We can certainly deal with our Anxiety in a more effective and safer way with CBD.
How does CBD help with anxiety?
When we intake a CBD product, the cannabinoids metabolize and reach our brain and body, which plays a huge role in rebalancing the wound-up hyper-vigilant nervous system, resulting in decreasing our fight-or-flight response, reducing both physical and mental stress, and helping restore deep sleep.
Regular supplementation of CBD also interacts with serotonin receptors in our body which help regulate our mood and makes us feel more energetic and happy.
CBD also performed well at relieving panic attacks, reducing mood swings, and quelling feelings of agitation, irritability, and sadness.
So, it all comes back to certain types of CBD helping our endocannabinoid system to get back into the balance that helps calm down our nervous system and reduces anxiety.
What does the research say about CBD and anxiety?
A 2015 research, concluded that the evidence strongly supports CBD as a viable treatment for a variety of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder when administered accurately.
A 2019 study concluded that CBD is effective in calming the central nervous system of our body which further eases anxiety.
A 2020 study, conducted on males also found that CBD has anxiolytic properties.
The overall body of research regarding CBD and general anxiety leans in a positive direction.
How to take CBD for anxiety?
The CBD market is booming, and there are so many types of CBD products available. Due to our bodies’ own chemistry, we may find that some CBD products are more likely to solve a problem than others.
For anxiety, CBD can be taken in the form of oils, tinctures, capsules, edibles, gummies, vapes, or flowers.
Smoking or vaping CBD flowers provides quick relief from anxiety, While other methods of consumption take some time to be effective.
Although, CBD can also be used in topical form, but any topical products are unlikely to reach the bloodstream so they won’t be effective against anxiety.
Nevertheless, try full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD products, they can be most effective against anxiety because they contain a wide range of cannabinoids and terpenes that cause entourage effects in your body, which are more effective in balancing the endocannabinoid system.
For the best results, try all the different forms of CBD products and figure out what works best for you.
CBD dosage for anxiety?
When it comes to taking CBD for anxiety and anxiety-related conditions, it’s important to remember that CBD works differently for everybody, so while a moderate dose may ease anxiety, some complex and severe symptoms can require a considerable volume. Although too-high doses may be less effective or make things worse.
There are no fixed CBD dosages that work for everyone. Yet, the best thing you can do is “Start Low and Go Slow” and eventually find the appropriate dose that suits you.
For most CBD products there are proper dosages mentioned on the label. However, if you are a beginner to CBD and planning to use it for anxiety, then 10 mg to 15 mg of CBD can be a good dosage to start.
Stay at this dose for 1–2 weeks and ask yourself:
Is the anxiety level improving? Is it still bad at a certain time of day or night? Are you still having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep?
Score your anxiety level each day in the morning and evening (after dinner) on a scale from 0–10, where 0 = no anxiety, 10 = unbearable/worst anxiety, and write down the results.
After 1–2 weeks of the initial dose, try increasing one of the daily doses by 5 mg, depending on when your anxiety is worse, and repeat this process for another week.
If you reach 50 mg total per day of CBD, stay at this level for another 4–6 weeks before increasing again (since the effects of CBD can take weeks in some people, this will avoid increasing the dose unnecessarily).
Remember, there is no perfect dose that works for everyone when it comes to CBD. Each person’s endocannabinoid system balance is unique, so self-titration is the key to success.
You can try this dosage method with CBD oils, CBD gummies, and CBD edibles.
What is the best CBD product for anxiety?
There are so many choices of CBD products out there and choosing one that works best for anxiety can be an overwhelming process.
However, nothing makes one CBD product work better than the other. The best you can do is find a quality product from a reliable CBD company.
Nevertheless, we did our research and came up with a list of CBD companies that are dominating the CBD business by providing superior quality CBD products.
Our Recommendations:
- Green Roads: The company provides a wide range of superior-quality CBD products including oils, gummies, capsules & softgels. With more than 30,000 five-star reviews and fans across the country, this is one of our favorites.
- Plain Jane: This is our go-to place for CBD flowers and CBD vapes. The company provides a wide range of top-quality CBD flowers and pre-rolls at the most affordable price.
These companies provide a wide range of CBD products that you can certainly try or choose another that suits you better. Although, make sure whatever product you try comes from a reputable brand that also does third-party testing and if possible don’t forget to check the user reviews.
Final thoughts
Anxiety affects the lives of millions of people every day, While many are dealing with it with alcohol and cigarettes, however, there is a much better way to deal with it – take CBD.
CBD is currently not regulated by the FDA, so exercise caution while purchasing CBD products and make sure it comes from a reputable brand.
Moreover, if you are on any other medication, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional before trying CBD.