Does weed cause anxiety or does it cure
anxiety? Some claim it makes them paranoid while others swear it’s a miracle
drug. The connection between anxiety and weed has been hotly debated by
pro-and-anti-weed advocates for years. Let’s look at the possible benefits and
downfalls of both.
One of the main uses of medical marijuana is treating anxiety. Patients have found cannabis to ease a wide range of anxiety issues, from social anxiety to PTSD.
The good news is that many users have
experienced anecdotal benefits of using cannabis to treat anxiety.
The not-so-good news is that there aren’t
many studies that prove using cannabis has anxiety-reducing benefits.
The reason? Cannabis was illegal in most
states until recently. Now, many researchers are starting to study the effects
cannabis has on anxiety. In a few years, we should have more substantial proof.
For now, let’s look at the anecdotal
evidence.
There’s a big conundrum when it comes to curing anxiety with cannabis. Many anxiety-ridden people use cannabis to treat their symptoms. Unfortunately, cannabis is also a known cause of anxiety.
Many users complain they feel paranoid or
anxious when they partake in certain forms of cannabis. Luckily, there are ways
you can avoid that.
We recommend following your doctor’s advice
— and a few of the tips below to see what works for you.
Before determining if cannabis is the best way to treat your anxiety, you’ll want to consider what type of anxiety you suffer from.
The most common types of anxiety include
general anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, panic disorder and PTSD.
Panic disorder is one of the few types of
anxiety that cannabis might not help. The reason? Most panic attacks subside
after 30 minutes or so, and it might take that long for the cannabis to kick
in.
Many people who suffer from panic attacks also experience trouble breathing — not something you want to add vapor or smoke to. If you suffer from panic attacks and want to try cannabis, we’d recommend trying a healthier way to consume it.
Yet, sufferers of general anxiety, PTSD,
OCD and social anxiety all claim that cannabis can help ease symptoms.
If you’re suffering from anxiety, you might
not want to pick any old strain of cannabis to cure your jitters.
You may also need to experiment with different strains of cannabis. Many find indicas increase anxiety while sativas decrease it.
Many sufferers also report that ingesting cannabis can often cause more anxiety than it cures.
Many claim that microdosing can also help ease anxiety better than consuming large amounts of cannabis.
If you don’t want to cure your anxiety with THC (the high), you can always try CBD, a cannabis product that contains no psychoactive properties.
It’s legal in most states and researchers
believe that it provides many of the same benefits of cannabis — without the
worry of added anxiety.
We do need to mention that teens shouldn’t dabble with cannabis products — even medically — unless directed to by a doctor. Many researchers have found that cannabis can negatively affect brain development.
