Find Your Center: Best CBD for Anxiety

Can CBD cure your anxiety? Potentially, depending on the study you're citing! 

 

Anxiety has become an all too common condition in our modern world. With a reported 40 million adults experiencing anxiety in America each year, more than 19% of our population must contend with anxiety-related issues. The matter only grows more concerning when we consider the impact on Young Americans, with roughly 7% of the population aged 3 to 17 years old experiencing anxiety in America each year [1].

 

Millions have turned to one or more anxiety remedies and treatments. Some of these popular options include over-the-counter medications, prescribed medications, talk therapy, and cannabis-derived products. 

 

Some have found relief using cannabinoids like THC or other minor compounds. However, cannabidiol (CBD) has arguably received the most ample attention for its potential healing properties without the risk of developing a psychoactive high like THC produces. Such positive attention has led millions around the world to find the best CBD options for their anxiety.

 

Finding the right anxiety treatments is a process in and of itself. Choosing the best CBD option for anxiety leaves consumers with a plethora of choices based on preferred consumption methods, ideal effects, and the plant profile they wish to consume.

 

Read on to discover more about CBD as well as its possible beneficial impacts on anxiety symptoms and those suffering from them.

 

What is CBD?

CBD has emerged in recent years as the second most discussed cannabinoid behind THC. The distinction is fitting when considering that cannabidiol is the second most prevalent active ingredient found in the cannabis plant. 

 

Derived from cannabis and hemp plants, CBD contains similar effects to THC in many ways while equally standing out for its own unique capabilities. Like THC, CBD binds to the body's internal endocannabinoid system and its various receptors, notably the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain and body. Both cannabinoids are often associated with beneficial health effects, with numerous strains producing physical and mental relief in many cases. 

 

Unlike THC, CBD does not produce psychoactive effects. In other words, you won't get high no matter how you consume CBD. 

 

The compound's non psychoactive effects are one of the many reasons CBD has emerged as a viable option, particularly for those seeking anxiety relief without getting high. Children with various conditions, ranging from anxiety to life-threatening conditions, also benefit from the risk of experiencing a high.

 

Also, unlike THC, CBD is federally legal in the United States, made possible by the 2018 Farm Bill. However, the bill unintentionally legalized other hemp-derived cannabinoids, leading to an influx of products produced with Delta-8, Delta-10, THCA, and numerous other cannabinoids lawmakers seemingly didn't intend to pass. 

 

Be sure to also check your local laws since many states have taken action against these minor cannabinoids and their loophole. No matter the case, CBD is currently legal and allowed in the US. However, if a product exceeds a THC potency of .3%, then it is no longer considered legal. 

 

CBD and Anxiety: An Ongoing Discovery

CBD and its possible effects on anxiety have been a hot topic for about as long as the public has known about CBD. The intriguing topic has many hoping that cannabidiol can provide them relief for their anxiety and other mental and physical conditions. However, while the cannabinoid has shown significant potential, we are in the early stages of understanding the compound and its impact on anxiety-related issues.

 

Thanks to preclinical studies over the years, CBD has been considered a potential anxiety disorder treatment in many instances. Depending on the analysis, CBD has been linked to anxiety disorder relief, as well as a possible treatment for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder [2].

 

One study examining 103 adults battling anxiety and sleep issues concluded that CBD may help as an adjunct option to additional regular treatments. Researchers in this study reported that most patients claimed to experience a significant decline in anxiety levels within the first month of adding CBD to their treatment regimen [3]. 

 

Promising findings such as the study above give much hope that CBD can provide anxiety relief. However, additional research is required as the current set of analyses often centers on acute or short-term CBD treatments and dosages. For further clarity, most researchers suggest that CBD be studied on a longer-term basis with patients experiencing more chronic effects.

 

The call for additional research underscores the years of anecdotal feedback supporting CBD's potential to treat anxiety conditions. However, this predicament is expected in the world of cannabis. With the plant still slowly being legalized, clinical research into CBD and cannabis in general often remains far behind where it needs to be.

 

With clinical uncertainty looming, many have done what they have for years with THC and gone ahead regardless of any uncertainty. This is a choice that each consumer will have to make on their own. It is recommended that anyone consult with one or more trusted medical physicians before making any decisions about CBD or other anxiety-related treatments.

 

The Best CBD for Anxiety Relief

During your online searches and in-person inquiries, you may come across some claiming to be the best products for anxiety relief. Don't let these claims fool you. Each person has their own unique medical conditions and body formulation, meaning that there is no one clear-cut choice for the best CBD to treat anxiety or anything for that matter.

 

CBD comes in a range of consumable options and product formulations. Rather than honing in on a specific brand, those seeking anxiety relief from CBD may be better off understanding the product options. Popular product types include:

• Oils and Tinctures: These sublingual options are consumed under the tongue in the mouth mucous membrane. Sublinguals take effect, better known as an onset time, in around 15 minutes, providing a typically faster effect than an edible and their 30 to 120-minute wait times. While many product types are gaining ground, CBD oil remains the most well-known and prevalent product in the sector.
• Edibles: This wide-ranging sector includes any CBD-infused food, beverage, ingredient, drink powder, or other options intended to be ingested and processed through the digestive system. Today, one of the most popular CBD or THC edibles are gummies. No matter which type you choose, edibles take effect by passing through the digestive tract and getting metabolized in the liver, providing a more substantial effect that kicks in slower than a sublingual, smoked, topical, or vaped option.
• Flower and Vapes: Smoking CBD flower and vaping extracted oil are often considered one and the same due to their similarly rapid onset after being consumed. While valid about their onset times, keep in mind that smoking and vaping are two different forms of consumption, with one involving the inhalation of cannabis smoke and the other involving vaporized oil. Additionally, vaping oil often produces a substantially more potent effect than flower due to its increased potency during extraction. 
• Topicals: Covering lotions, balms, creams, and other skin-level solutions, CBD-infused topicals rarely penetrate into the body's bloodstream, decreasing the already low chances of ever getting high from CBD. Instead, a topical typically affects only the area of the skin covered with the lotion, with effects often kicking in in just a few minutes.

 

Not all CBD is formulated the same way. Consumers can choose from these popular types of formulations:

• Full-Spectrum: The most common option around, full-spectrum contains CBD as well as all of the compounds found in the plant the oil was derived from. Compounds in a full spectrum CBD contain trace amounts of THC, as well as any other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Consuming all of the plant's compounds together is believed by many to be the most effective way at receiving the plant's benefits, also known as The Entourage Effect. 
• Broad Spectrum: Similar to full spectrum options, the only glaring difference is the exclusion of THC. 
• Distillate: A highly refined version of CBD oil, often containing a few additional plant compounds to maintain effect, but far less than anything found in full- or broad-spectrum options. 
• Isolate: A powdered product containing only CBD distilled from the rest of the plant. With only one compound in the mix, some consider isolates "pure." However, others argue that reducing the plant to one compound produces less-than-ideal outcomes as the product loses most of its intended effects.

 

Remember that each person has unique needs. What CBD options work for one person may not do the same for another. Proceed cautiously and start with a low dose, slowly building to the ideal dose to help you. 

 

What To Look For In A CBD Anxiety Treatment

Each CBD product has a varied effect based on its formulation and consumption method. If you decide that CBD is going to be part of your plan to relieve anxiety symptoms, consider which effects are best for you.

 

For example, an edible may take longer to kick in but provide a prolonged effects period. Smoked and vaped CBD hits almost right away but tends to dissipate in one to three hours. Meanwhile, a topical may not be ideal for anxiety unless your worries stem from skin conditions that may be treated by a topical. 

 

Be aware of dosage as well. Like THC, CBD comes in a range of potency and dose per serving. With 5mg and 10mg being the standard dose, many products can still exceed this threshold if their state laws allow it. 

 

Ratioed products are another intriguing component, where CBD and THC are balanced by various ratios, resulting in more subtle, less psychoactive effects as more CBD is introduced. A 1:1 THC:CBD formulation is typical. So, too, are more skewed formulations, including 2:1, 5:1, and higher formulations that provide ample CBD and minimal THC.

 

But most of all, when considering CBD for anxiety relief, think about your unique needs and how CBD may affect them. Many self-medicate with CBD, and it may work for you as well. But, it's always wise to consult with a trusted medical professional before turning to CBD or any other treatment option. 

 

Want to discover more about how CBD may help with anxiety? Be sure to follow the Snoozy blog for more analysis coming soon!