Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. This disorder affects how someone feels and behaves. Mild anxiety is a vague and unsettling feeling, but severe anxiety can be debilitating, having a severe impact on a person’s quality of life. Does medical marijuana really help?

Anxiety is not be be confused with a general state or worry or fear before confronting exams, interviews, recitals, etc. More than 40 million people in the US over the age of 18 suffer from some kind of anxiety disorder. What do people usually take to help them cope? The many types of treatments for anxiety disorders usually include the traditional anti-anxiety drugs like SSRI anti-depressants or benzodiazepines. These conventional drugs can bring relief but come with side effects and safety concerns. Anxiety medication has a list of side affects that outweighs the good effects. These include addiction and withdrawal symptoms, amnesia, depression, hallucinations and delusional thinking, violence and sleepwalking. These are just a few of the effects.

How medical marijuana can help anxiety disorders

Research shows that medical marijuana can help people to overcome stress and anxiety, but other research claims it can make stress and anxiety worse. What to believe?

There are 85 natural compounds in cannabis, called cannabinoids, which all relieve symptoms of illnesses by attaching to the receptors in the brain that look for similar compounds that occur naturally in the human body. Different strains of marijuana are specifically bred to contain particular levels of each compound.

Cannabinoid CBD is a compound that has been found to have a significant benefit for treating people with anxiety. CBD does not make people stoned or high. THC, however is the compound that can make one feel more anxious THC is linked to feelings of anxiety because it activates the amygdola are of the brain, which is linked to fear responses. Taking medical marijuana high in CBD or containing CBD alone can lower and even eliminate anxiety completely.

For people wanting to treat anxiety with cannabis, proper treatment relies on the right dosage. Make sure you find strains with high compounds of CBD when purchasing your medical cannabis. Also make sure you change to a whole food, natural, chemical free diet, that contains plenty of healthy superfoods.

Sources:

Calm clinic

Anxiety Social Net

Leaf Science