Cannabis for Anxiety: Does it Really Work? [Full Guide]
Posted by felipe@cbdvapejuice.net on 18th Nov 2022
Almost every adult experiences anxiety, one of the top mental conditions that affect millions of Americans yearly. Anxiety is when you feel restless all of a sudden or if you feel an intense fear when you frequently encounter problems. When you have instances or attacks of anxiety, you would sweat profusely, lose your appetite, upset your stomach or feel a rapid heartbeat.
Some people develop anxiety as a reaction to stress from work problems, school examinations, or any significant life situation. It is common for anxious people to have difficulty coping with some experiencing extreme attacks to the point where they freeze and become unable to move. If you want to manage attacks effectively, you should consider using cannabis for anxiety.
Many know cannabis as a muscle relaxant or a “gateway drug”; it’s an effective coping mechanism against anxiety. One of the medical benefits of cannabis is that it helps boost your immune system, lower your stress levels, and help you manage anxiety attacks. A better immune system generally results in higher energy and confidence levels.
What Is Cannabis?
Famously known by its other names of “marijuana,” “pot,” and “weed,” cannabis is an umbrella term for psychoactive plants: Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Ruderalis. These plants’ flowers have THC for anxiety and other chemicals, such as HHC, to help relax your body.
Nowadays, cannabis and its components, cannabinoids, are available in different products such as gummies or candies, electronic cigarettes, and syrups. Out of the hundred cannabinoids available in cannabis, scientists frequently study cannabidiol or CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.
Here are the reasons why these two are commonly researched and used in scientific claims:
- CBD is a non-psychoactive component that won’t give you a “high” feeling but helps with nausea, migraine, and anxiety. Some products contain CBD but little to no THC, so you may enjoy the health benefits of cannabis without getting high.
- THC for anxiety is among the famous claims supported by evidence thanks to its psychoactive properties that relax the muscles and the nerves. But unfortunately, this component is also responsible for making you high or, in some cases, dizzy after using cannabis.
There have been many stereotypes against cannabis, mainly due to racial and political agendas portrayed in film and pop culture. In some countries, cannabis is a “threat” to society, and it’s illegal to ingest weed and have THC in your bloodstream. However, in the U.S., some states legalize it to help with medical conditions such as anxiety, chronic pain, diabetes, and even cancer.
So, if you are wondering, Is THC good for anxiety? You should know how to use it and how each form could affect the body.
How is it used?
You can get THC for pain and anxiety when you use cannabis by using the two main methods: ingestion and inhalation. Many commonly use it by smoking the dried flowers, but aside from this, you could also eat or vaporize it. Additionally, you could get THC for pain and anxiety by consuming cannabis through its other forms, such as
- Marijuana - is the most common form to get THC and is the dried flower bud of a cannabis plant. The THC levels vary by flower strain, and you could smoke Marijuana with a rolling paper or put it into a bong.
- Hashish - like Marijuana, this form contains the dried essence of the cannabis plant. However, there are tobacco leaves mixed with it to increase its potency. Hashish generally has the shape of a brick, and you could smoke or bake it with pastries or “edibles.”
- Hash oil- is the extract from Marijuana or Hashish mixed with a solvent. This form has high potency; you could use it to “add spice” to your blunts or papers.
- Concentrates - other liquids extracted from cannabis plants with different solvents. Like Hash oil, this has a high THC level, and you could vaporize it or smoke it.
Different users have anecdotes saying that each form has varying levels of THC. For example, if you bake ingest edibles with hashish or hash oil, you may feel the “high” after at least three hours, but once it hits you, it might give you a dizzy feeling or a different sensation. If you inhale the smoke from Marijuana, you’ll feel its effects after a few minutes.
Can THC Help With Anxiety?
In addition to reducing anxiety symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, bodily pain, and joint inflammation, consuming marijuana has many other medical benefits. This drug helps people cope with anxiety brought about by terminal illnesses.
For example, cancer patients have prescriptions for cannabis to treat their chronic pains and relieve the stress associated with their radioactive and chemotherapy treatments. Aside from cancer, many also use cannabis to manage neuropathic pain. Many patients experiencing this condition couldn’t rely on conventional pain relievers to treat their body aches, which is where marijuana comes in.
But despite the medical evidence and studies, many still wonder: Does THC help anxiety? The medical use of cannabis has been the subject of many debates by politicians and religious leaders.
Although the US Food and Drug Administration still hasn’t issued approval for the use of medical marijuana, doctors still recommend this substance to their patients, and states allow these prescriptions. In addition, in some states where marijuana is illegal, some doctors prescribe off-label cannabis that is rarely available in pharmacies.
The term “off-label” means utilizing medication for something beyond recreational use. Examples include cannabis for anxiety, PTSD, sleep disorders, and other mental health conditions.
Additionally, the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics claims that CBD from cannabis could be a potential treatment for people suffering from anxiety and other mental disorders that aren’t manageable with conventional drugs.
Will THC Make You High?
Aside from wondering, Does THC help anxiety? People also worry if THC from cannabis will make them high enough to alter their decision-making process. Of course, it will get you high, but the intensity depends on the level of THC consumed.
There are some forms of cannabis that give you a mellow and relaxing feeling. But, on the contrary, some leave you out of your mind.
So how Is THC good for anxiety, and how can being high help you manage your stress? You could do so by knowing how high you could get and how much THC your body could handle.
Generally, people feel euphoric after getting high on THC due to dopamine release. THC stimulates your pleasure zones, and it helps you feel euphoria. Some feel an increase in confidence, while others have an intense level of relaxation. However, too much THC would produce excessive dopamine, inhibiting your basic senses of touch, feel, smell, sight, and taste.
Once your body reaches its THC limit, you'd usually feel an irritation in your eyes, and your pupils might become red or bloodshot. Also, in your limit, you'd feel an increased heart rate or a higher urge to urinate frequently. The limit varies per person, and you could reach your limit faster by eating or drinking THC instead of simply smoking it.
What Are The Side Effects Of THC For Anxiety?
Positive Effects
Many studies show that people who consume cannabis, whether purely THC or CBD products, have a better sleep, relaxation, and mood. There are also counselors, psychologists, and therapists who worked with clients using cannabis and found that it helps manage disorders such as PTSD, trauma flashbacks, panic attacks, social phobias, and other anxiety symptoms.
Although there is no consistent dosage mentioned in each case, the potential of cannabis as a medical treatment and a coping mechanism for anxiety is there. In addition, even in low doses, it could be a dietary supplement to help patients with appetite loss and other low-risk ailments such as fever and muscle pains.
Negative Effects
As with other consumable products, there are risks associated with using cannabis, whether it is for anxiety purposes or not. Some feel side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, or stomach aches when ingesting cannabis for the first time. While others contract lung or respiratory problems such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, or cancer when smoking it long term. To avoid these, you should only consume cannabis and THC at a level you can handle. To increase your consumption, do it slowly and at a controlled rate.
If you abuse cannabis and let it become your go-to drug, you could experience a condition called cannabis anxiety. When you feel paranoia, psychosis, or incoherence in your train of thought, you could be experiencing cannabis anxiety. These are the feelings you'd get when you are too high, and your body is rushing to push the excess THC out by increasing your heart rate or making you sweat and urinate more.
Smoking risks
When you smoke marijuana, you are at risk of inhaling toxins and carcinogens that are also present in a cigarette. Even if you vaporize it, the chemical residue of cannabis could irritate your lungs and airways. Once these harmful foreign substances pile up due to long-term smoking, conditions such as dry cough, bronchitis, and mucus build up in your lungs, throat, mouth, or nose.
Dependence and addiction
Cannabis could be a double-edged sword for people suffering from anxiety. Once they depend too much on THC, CBD, or simply on the feeling of being high so that they can manage their everyday lives, they could fall into addiction.
Many people find it hard to balance their cannabis usage to the point where they get numb from stress factors and fail to become resilient towards it. According to Sarah Peace, a long-time counselor in California, once dependence kicks in, most people would instead use cannabis rather than build enough strength to face and solve their problems. As a result, people find it harder to manage their anxiety and
fall deeper into cannabis addiction.
Legal status
Before using cannabis or researching the best THC to buy, you should check if it is legal to consume THC in your state. In some states, consumption for medical purposes is allowed, while some let their residents grow and distribute marijuana as long as they are duly registered.
If you are a resident in one of the 11 states that legalized the recreational use of marijuana, then you are lucky. But if not, you could consult a medical professional to have a prescription for cannabis from registered dispensaries or pharmacies. Remember to avoid buying from local sources if they are not licensed to sell because you'd most likely end up in jail, and you'd only worsen your anxiety.
Is THC Legal And Safe To Use?
Recently, there has been a wave of legalization for marijuana across different states because of the number of protestors and enthusiasts pushing for politicians to make it so. Now, there are about 30 states that allow medical marijuana consumption, and 11 legalize recreational use, with provisions for distribution and sale. However, there is only a specific dosage that you can intake, and once you go beyond the threshold, you could still face civil or criminal charges.
Before using cannabis, do a quick read on your state’s policy regarding its usage. In addition, it pays to educate yourself before consuming a product so you won’t fall into addiction and risk worsening your anxiety or other conditions.
Additionally, safe THC levels vary from state to state, and you should only consume THC where you feel safe and comfortable. Do not consume it if you plan on driving or operating heavy machinery. Always consult your doctor and avoid self-prescriptions, especially on THC dosages.
The Best Place To Buy THC Near Me
Are you looking for stores that offer the best THC to buy? It would be best if you tried exploring the products of CBD Genesis. You could consume THC at a safe and comfortable level with each of these innovative and potent cannabis consumables.
Here are some of the must-try cannabis products:
If you have a sweet tooth and prefer eating cannabis candies, try the HHC worms, which have 25mg of HHC per gummy worm. Aside from being adorable, it is also absolutely discreet to consume. Who would not mistake these as yummy candies?
Are you looking for a THC alternative? This 1000ml tincture bottle has 33mg of HHC per ml available in five flavors. So you could dip your joints, cigarettes, or blunts and feel a mellow high that will stay on for hours.
If the gummy worms are not enough, we also offer Elyxr’s Live Resin Potion Blend Gummies, a more potent and sweeter version of cannabis candies. With this concoction, you’d get 25 mg of Delta-8, 10mg of THC, and 5 mg of Live Resin packed in each piece!
If you want a hassle-free and cleaner alternative to your joints, try Elyxr with Live Resin Mutant Blend, available in three strains: Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid. In addition, you could customize the flavors with Alien OG, Blueberry Swirl, and Hawaiian Pineapple.
Final Thoughts
If you are experiencing anxiety along with other chronic pains and mental conditions, you should try using cannabis from CBD Genesis. It is safe, legal, and effective as long you follow a safe dosage prescribed by your doctor. Additionally, you can enjoy different flavors with your cannabis instead of the usual burnt tobacco taste that you’ll find on joints, weed cigarettes, and rolling papers.
Get your cannabis products at CBD Genesis today!