New studies on the health benefits of cannabis are conducted every year. Recently, it has been proven that the plant can even help patients treat anxiety, depending on factors such as dosage and timing. One of the most predominant cannabinoid compounds that cannabis has is CBD. This component has been regarded as an effective means to soothe anxiety in all its forms. Nowadays, the market has seen the rise of more CBD-based products to treat nerves and other common illnesses.
All things considered, could CBD be the great cure for anxiety it seems to be?
How Could CBD Be Used to Treat Anxiety?
Neuroscientists and cannabis researchers based in California have discovered relaxing properties within CBD. Some of these properties may provide a breakthrough in the treatment of anxiety. Since there are still federal regulations limiting the number of studies that may be conducted on the effects of cannabis, doctors still don’t know just how beneficial it could be to treat anxious patients. However, CBD continues to show promise in this field, as several studies have consistently proven in recent years.
The scientific evidence regarding how CBD works is that it binds to serotonin once it reaches our brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has a positive effect on our mood, lowering our anxiety and stress. Doctors who have studied the performance of CBD in the human organism have discovered that the component attaches itself to a serotonin receptor called 5-HT1A. What CBD does after that is activate the serotonin receptor, thus spreading the component throughout the brain. This makes us feel good since serotonin is necessary to hold back stressing and anxiety-inducing hormones. The presence of serotonin also lowers the chances of developing panic or nervous episodes.
Studies conducted in this area suggest that CBD might also work a different way. Apparently, this component activates GABA-A receptors, which are chemical transmitters capable of impacting our brain by producing calm and relaxation. One of the doctors researching this topic is Michelle Ross, a neuroscientist and a cannabis professional based in the Los Angeles area. She believes that there is enough medical consensus in the cannabis industry to certify that CBD should have a positive effect on reducing anxiety levels. However, the problem is that there haven’t been enough clinical trials that could test this theoretical possibility.
What Is the Evidence That Studies Have Shown in This Area?
In 2019, a scientific journal published a medical study dealing with the CBD’s effects on lowering anxiety. This study aimed at testing the component’s effects in lab rats. CBD was applied on 5-HT1A transmissions, decreasing anxiety-like behavior in the lab rats. A medical analysis in which almost 50 different cannabis studies were reviewed, was published in 2015. This particular analysis focused on human test subjects who were seeking to treat their different anxiety cases through the use of CBD.
The results from this analysis revealed that CBD could successfully decrease anxiety, PTSD and even panic disorder in patients who used it. In 2011, a similar study took place, this time focusing on people who had public speaking anxiety. CBD proved to be beneficial in these patients, as it reduced their fears and allowed them to carry out their public addresses. In this particular study, patients received 600-milligram doses of CBD, which doctors believe could have impacted the results. People who are afflicted with anxiety and not regular cannabis users, might not approach to such a dose, but purchase CBD gummies instead.
Do Doses Impact the Effect CBD Has on Reducing Anxiety?
The medical industry is increasingly more accepting of the beneficial effects cannabis has on people experiencing anxiety. However, doctors consider that the studies conducted so far have been insufficient. In studies and tests where humans have been subjected to CBD, the evidence seems to overreach. Even though CBD helped patients in these studies by decreasing forms of anxiety, such as social anxiety, some doctors consider that the doses were too high.
Dr. Ross believes that these results might be unrealistic since the CBD-infused products available on the market to treat anxiety aren’t that high. She argues that no patient dealing with anxiety will take 600 milligrams of CBD by themselves at a time since this could be excessive. Patients are likelier to purchase CBD-infused products with much lower doses, such as 150 milligrams. Doctors consider that studies on the effects of cannabis have employed such high doses because they relied on CBD by itself. This requires the test patients to consume a high amount of CBD, so that the body may absorb it. If a study used 600 milligrams of CBD by itself on a patient, it could hardly be correlated to the occasional use of a 5 milligram gummy to reduce a specific form of anxiety.
Professionals of the industry are concerned that the evidence shown by recent studies may be more anecdotal than practical. If someone purchases a CBD-infused latte, the possibility that the component is diluted, and they won’t feel any of its effects is very likely. Doctors assert that studies have yet to venture into minimal CBD doses. It could be that 5-10 milligrams of a CBD tincture may help a person experiencing anxiety. If the dose isn’t heavy enough, but the tincture is combined with other terpenes, it may also be a potential breakthrough.
How Does CBD Combine with Other Ways to Treat Anxiety?
In addition to what studies have shown, we shouldn’t forget that anxiety is a very complex and common disease. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reveals that anxiety disorders are the most predominant of all mental illnesses in the US as up to 40 million adult Americans suffer from different anxiety disorders. Doctors now categorize anxiety in several types, such as panic disorder, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety. People may experience one of these types or even many simultaneously. Although studies seem to favor the use of CBD to diminish anxiety in different people, the truth is perhaps not everyone might benefit from it. It could also be the case that CBD could be more successful in decreasing some anxiety types more successfully than others.
If we happen to experience a strong form of anxiety, we could consider CBD to a reliable means to treat it, however, there are many more. Paying a visit to a medical professional, such as a doctor or a therapist, could help you apply a treatment to cope with the form of anxiety we experience.
People who suffer from anxiety may be interested in experimenting with CBD, as well as other popular treatments. If that’s the case, doctors recommend purchasing CBD-infused products from a dispensary such as Haven. Products sold in a dispensary have a greater chance of being lab-tested. Another important thing is that we begin by taking a lower dose. This should help us discover how much CBD works for us. Ultimately, however, anxiety is a mental illness that can only be successfully treated and cured over a long period of time. This means that we can’t expect instant solutions, and must be committed for the long run.
