Can I use medical cannabis to treat anxiety?
One of the most common ailments medical cannabis (aka medical marijuana) users suffer from is anxiety. This is not surprising. Anxiety disorders impact approximately 40 million adults (or 18.1% of the population) in the U.S. but only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment. This gap leaves an opening for alternative treatments.
Researchers from several universities undertook an observational study to better understand how cannabis impacts anxiety and depressive disorders. Erin L. Martin, the lead author of the study and a Ph.D. candidate at the Medical University of South Carolina, told PsyPost, “Traditional antidepressants may effectively treat [anxiety and depressive disorders] in a lot of people, but they do not work for everyone and can have unpleasant side effects.”
The study showed that while participants said “cannabis use was associated with lower self-reported depression, but not anxiety, at baseline...Initiation of medicinal cannabis during the follow-up period was associated with significantly decreased anxiety and depressive symptoms, an effect that was not observed in Controls that never initiated cannabis use.”
While the study’s results were very clear about treating depression with medical cannabis, researchers were less sure about anxiety. Martin said, “There is also some evidence that medicinal cannabis may alleviate symptoms of anxiety, particularly if administered over an extended period of time, but this is less clear from our results and warrants further study.”
However, other studies have shown that chronic marijuana use can “blunt stress reactivity.” More specifically, when chronic users were subjected to Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) they “showed no increase in cortisol and a significantly smaller increase in subjective stress ratings.”
The verdict on medical cannabis for anxiety
More research is needed, but early results show that people suffering from anxiety seem to find some relief through the use of medical cannabis — and that regular cannabis use can decrease reactivity to stressors. Improved sleep, pain, and overall quality of life reported by study participants may also have the knock-on effects of reducing anxiety.
Of course, people experience anxiety differently and for different reasons, so whether or not medical cannabis is the right choice for you is a personal decision. Many have anecdotally reported feelings of anxiety or paranoia induced by marijuana, but that is a problem that can often be solved by finding the right strain and dosage of cannabis — a task made much easier with the help of a medical dispensary and an experienced budtender. Additionally, anxiety sufferers may find that different strains of marijuana affect their anxiety symptoms differently — so some trial and error may be necessary to find the right product for your needs.
Recommended cannabis strains for anxiety patients
We always recommend asking the professionals at your local dispensary for advice on which strains and products may help you specifically, but here are some of the Cann Cure Cultivation strains anxiety patients may want to consider:
Big Smooth (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Crown Royal (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Dirty Mac (50/50 Indica/Sativa)
Florida Cake (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Gorilla Glue (slightly Indica-dominant hybrid)
Incredible Hulk (Sativa-dominant strain)
London Poundcake (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Mandarin Cookies (Sativa-dominant hybrid)
Pineapple Express (60/40 Sativa/Indica)
Purple Chem Dog (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Sour Apple (Indica-dominant hybrid)
Thank You Jerry (Indica-dominant hybrid)
