Everyone can feel stressed out or anxious at some point in their life. Moving house, losing a loved one, going through financial difficulties, or having a serious illness are all things that can cause stress and anxiety. Everyone experiences symptoms of stress and anxiety differently but there are some common physical and mental symptoms.
People who suffer from stress and anxiety over an extended period of time may start experiencing other negative health-related issues. They are for instance more likely to develop cardiovascular and heart diseases due to high blood pressure, suffer from diabetes, and may even develop clinical depression or panic-related disorders.
Most of the research dealing with cannabidiol (CBD) (one of the many cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant and a key component in medical marijuana) for stress and anxiety is currently based on pre-clinical and animal studies. However, an increasing body of evidence is showing that CBD helps to significantly reduce stress and anxiety levels, hence displaying anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and anti-stress effects. It could represent an effective treatment for these medical conditions as well as other mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. Please note that none of the research has yet been supported by clinical trials, whether in the United States or any other country. None of the treatments based on cannabis plants have received FDA approval.
Several studies have shown that CBD encourages neural regeneration, particularly in the brain area called the hippocampus which is responsible for mood regulation.
CBD specifically binds to the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor which is thought to play the biggest role in anxiety disorders.
Introducing CBD into the body helps to restore homeostasis in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) by preventing overstimulation of your CB1 receptors and boosting your body’s production of endocannabinoids.
It’s important to use high-quality CBD products and do so regularly when trying to reduce anxiety or stress with cannabis products. Typically, the following options are recommended:
Using a full- or broad-spectrum CBD oil against anxiety and stress should allow for a slow onset of action that lasts throughout the day. For daily prevention and maintenance, we also recommend using a CBD tincture or gel cap.
For acute flare-up of stress and anxiety, vaping CBD or smoking CBD-rich flowers can provide almost immediate relief due to its fast onset of action.
Although there are very few studies exploring what CBD dosage is right to treat anxiety and stress, a study done on rats in the ’90s found that dosages starting at around 2.5mg and going up to 5mg and even 10 mg of CBD / kg of body weight significantly increased the anxiolytic effect of CBD. However, going beyond the dose of 20mg of CBD / kg of body weight was no longer effective, suggesting that more is not necessarily better.
We would recommend starting with 4mg of CBD / kg of bodyweight. If results from this amount are not felt, the serving size can be increased by another 2-4 mg of CBD / kg every 3-4 weeks until the optimal dosage is found (without surpassing 20 mg/kg). It is suggested to split the dosage of CBD evenly throughout the day with every meal.
To help you figure out the right dose for you, head over to our CBD usage and dosage page.
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