Cannabidiol (CBD) has been hogging the limelight for numerous therapeutic benefits over the last few years, most of which have been backed up by studies or at least, anecdotal evidence.
Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), its other major counterpart in the cannabis plant, it doesn’t cause anxiety or paranoia. Far too many people opt out of consuming THC, even THC-rich products, because of the anxiety it can cause them. On the other hand, CBD has proven to be a valuable tool that effectively mitigates anxiety without the need for addictive prescription drugs. Even CBD:THC ratios with minimal THC, so little that its effects are hardly felt, seem to work well for anxiety as well as other illnesses.
Hemp’s rich CBD content is widely used to produce many different kinds of CBD products that are benefiting thousands of people who struggle with anxiety.
But how much CBD do you really need to take for anxiety?
There is no one-size, fits-all solution.
Studies have found improvements in anxiety when patients are given varying doses, anywhere from 25mg per day up to 600mg per day.
Generally speaking, most studies have found that the sweet spot when it comes to CBD dosage for anxiety treatment is 300 up to 600mg per day.
Some studies even report that CBD can be well tolerated by people when taking doses as high as 1,500mg per day, though keep in mind that studies into CBD research is still fairly new. At high doses (over 50mg), you can expect to experience drowsiness, fatigue, changes in appetite, and even mild diarrhea. It will also interact with other medicines you are taking, so be wary of that. One must also keep in mind that some people experience greater anxiety relief at much lower doses of CBD compared to high doses.
As with all other cannabis products, experts recommend starting with very low doses. This goes for people with mild anxiety as well as those with crippling anxiety.
“The idea is to start very low (i.e., 5 milligrams per use) and increase daily usage by 5 milligrams every two days until you start feeling results. Then, stop increasing and keep using the same number of milligrams or drops. For many people, the amount that provides modest benefits in the first couple days will, after consistent use, provide more and more benefit over time,” explains Dr. Dustin Sulak, a renowned marijuana clinician and an integrative clinician.
Researchers at the Harvard Medical School recently released the findings of a study wherein they analyzed the impact of CBD extracts on individuals with anxiety. The CBD extracts contained 10mg of CBD and under 1% THC, and all of the study participants either abstained from marijuana use for at least one year or had no experience with cannabis at all in the past.
According to researchers, there were significant improvements in anxiety symptoms over the course of the study. “Treatment response analyses revealed rapid onset of clinically significant reductions in anxiety with most patients achieving and maintaining treatment response after one week and all patients achieving and maintaining treatment response by week three,” they wrote.
“Secondary outcome assessments demonstrated improvements on measures of mood, sleep disturbance, quality of life and executive functioning following treatment,” wrote the researchers. They noted that the most significant aspects of improvement were observed in quicker performance with less errors on many executive function tasks.
“Initial results from the open-label stage of this clinical trial demonstrated significant improvement of primary outcome assessments of anxiety, providing preliminary evidence that a full-spectrum, high-CBD product may be efficacious for treating anxiety with few side effects,” they concluded.
How To Medicate With CBD For Anxiety
Anxiety can manifest itself in many different forms, but they can affect us all in the same way. It makes going through even the most mundane tasks seem nearly impossible. That’s why cannabis is life-changing.
And unlike pharmaceutical medications that are addictive, can be overdosed on, and sometimes don’t even work, cannabis has been proven to work. It’s all about finding the dosage and product that works best with your unique physiology.
When you’re in the stage of identifying the right dosage that works for you, it may be recommended to buy CBD products that are manufactured and pre-dosed, instead of making them yourself first. Products such as edibles, oils, capsules, tinctures, and beverages already indicate exactly how much CBD each contains.
Whereas when you smoke or vape high CBD strains, it can be a guessing game how much goes into each puff. The difference is that with smoking or vaping, the onset of effects is extremely fast, which is ideal for most people with anxiety. You get to nip it in the bud before it affects you.
Consider Full-Spectrum CBD Products For Anxiety
Not all CBD products in the market are equal.
Certainly, some are of better quality than others, and it’s ideal to get the best CBD that you can afford. It is generally accepted that full-spectrum CBD products are best for treating anxiety since these products also contain other therapeutic compounds found in the cannabis plant, in various levels. These may include THC (usually less than 0.3% though it may vary depending on the manufacturer), beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. All of these compounds each other’s therapeutic benefits because of the entourage effect.
On the other hand, broad-spectrum CBD is similar to full-spectrum in the sense that they both contain additional cannabinoids and compounds, though they contain little to no THC.
Conclusion
There is promising research that CBD works effectively for treating anxiety. It’s safe enough to experiment on your own with the guidelines stated above, but feel free to reach out to your doctor if you want guidance on using CBD to manage severe anxiety.
CBD FOR ANXIETY, HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT, READ ON...
