There is so much to know when it comes to staying informed on how cannabis can help you treat a condition and its accompanying symptoms. That’s why it’s important to have likeminded community that also includes doctors and nurses that you can turn to when you need help sorting things out. With the Answers platform on HelloMD, you can reach out to ask questions about anything and everything cannabis related and our community of patients, doctors and nurses will answer.
Using Cannabis to Keep Your Cool
Stress and anxiety are among some of the top reasons people consume cannabis. It helps them relax, release tension and find a little bit of peace in the midst of the whirlwind that is life. Both THC and CBD are powerful endocannabinoids that work individually and especially well in unison. They have also been shown to play a role in stabilizing your mood and calming you down when you feel overwhelmed.
If you’re looking for some more information about cannabis and anxiety, we’ve highlighted 3 popular anxiety questions below to give you some insight into how you can utilize cannabis to manage your state of mind.
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Q: Does using marijuana increase or decrease levels of anxiety?
I am interested in trying marijuana for my low grade anxiety. My concern is that it may increase my anxiety.
Answer: @DrFrye
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the major non psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis. It is a potent anxiolytic and is very effective in reducing anxiety and the frequency of panic attacks. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can reduce anxiety at low doses. At high doses, however, it can exacerbate anxiety and cause paranoia and panic attacks. People respond differently to cannabis and what is a high dose to one person, may not be to another. In my opinion, because CBD is so effective in reducing anxiety, it might be best to forego the THC. CBD varieties like ACDC, Charlotte’s Web, and Jackson’s Courage have very small amounts of THC (CBD:THC ratios are usually around 20:1) and are used to treat conditions such as anxiety, depression, mood instability, and psychosis. However, never go by the names alone. Insist on seeing independent, 3rd party testing results of your product because the cannabinoid profiles can be wildly unpredictable.
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Q: For anxiety, is a CBD-only formula preferable to one that contains some THC?
My doctor recommended a high CBD strain cannabis product; CBD:THC (30:1 to 5:1). I’m wondering why I would want any THC at all. Is it better to have no THC, or does a small amount of THC enhance the ability of the cannabis to decrease my anxiety in some way?
Answer: @drolson
The THC is ok to use but your doctor may be protecting you since hopefully, your doctor knows you well. Typically you do not experience the psychoactive effect with cannabis as long as you keep the ratio at 8:1, CBD:THC, or higher CBD but if you lower the CBD from 8:1, or increase the THC, you likely will experience the psychoactive affect. Please, consider asking your doctor why he/she does not want you to have any THC.
For your question, “I’m wondering why I would want any THC at all.”, You may want to review the information on our website about the entourage effect of cannabis, the CBD’s work better if there is some THC included, it is considered whole plant medicine.
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RELATED: TOP 10 HIGH-CBD MARIJUANA STRAINS FOR ANXIETY
Q: What are the best specific edibles for anxiety and insomnia?
Answer: @drb
Edibles can be tricky as they can take 1-3 hours to begin working. A product that some boast has a quicker result time such as 20 minutes is a product called Kiva Blueberry Terra Bites. The product treats insomnia via a chocolate covered blueberry in small increments of 5 mg each bite. Recommended dosing is 1-3 bites, 1-3 hours before bed.
As always with edibles, I would recommend taking a 1/4 of the recommended dose with each new edible batch and waiting 3 hours before increasing as to avoid toxic effects such as profuse unwanted vomiting.
For anxiety, I would recommend a sublingual tincture or spray of CBD:THC ratio of >14:1. Care by design makes a CBD:THC ratio of 18:1 spray.
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If you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our Cannabis 101 post. HelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it’s 100% online, private and efficient.
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