Should you try CBD for Anxiety?

There are so many potential remedies that are geared toward feelings of anxiousness in people, humans, and everything in between. Why should you try cannabidiol (CBD)? The holistic world of health is ever growing, and it isn’t stopping anytime soon. There are many reasons that people have chosen to use CBD for many different reasons. Feeling anxious can cause difficulties in everyday life. It may get frustrating choosing the right option for how to alleviate anxious feelings amongst numerous available products.  This article will give you all the information that you need to know regarding CBD and those feelings you may not want to feel.  

First off, what is CBD? 

CBD is one of the 113 cannabinoids found in the Cannabis sativa plant. The Cannabis sativa plant is naturally found and comes in a variety of variations. One of those being the hemp plant. The hemp plant is what we use to extract our CBD from. As of 2018 coming from the Farm Bill, the hemp plant and CBD that comes from the hemp plant has been legalized for farmers across the states to grow and sell from. The marijuana plant, another variation of the Cannabis sativa plant, however, is not legal in all 50 states. Why, you may ask? This is because the marijuana plant contains high amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This cannabinoid gives users a psychoactive effect or a ‘high’. The hemp plant contains less than 0.3% of THC and therefore cannot get users high. The marijuana plant is legal in a handful of states for recreational as well as medicinal purposes. CBD cannot get you ‘high’ but may be able give you other benefits.  

CBD and your anxiety 

There are many people that are concerned about feelings of anxiousness in their daily lives. This is a common feeling and CBD may be able to help with that. Though the studies regarding CBD and feelings of anxiousness are slim, this one may be able to help answer some questions.  The study looked at those who had been diagnosed with SAD or Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder and were administered either a placebo or CBD before taking a test that would get their social anxiety results. Those who were given the CBD had results like lowered feelings of anxiousness, cognitive impairment and discomfort in their speech performance and it also lowered their anticipation for their alert. Those who were not administered CBD rated higher in all of those tests.  

So, what does this all mean? These results showed that CBD was able to help soothe those who have SAD before giving a speech performance (which frightens them). This may be great news for those who are feeling a bit of anxiousness in their daily lives. If you have these feelings as well, perhaps CBD could be right for you. 

So, what products are available to help?  

Hopefully, you are a bit curious as to what types of CBD could assist with these problems, among others. Here are some of the products that you are able to choose from. 

  • Vapes: Panacea Life Sciences does not advocate for the use of CBD vapes, but it is an option. One inhaled the CBD is absorbed into the lungs and then into the bloodstream. 
  • Topicals: CBD in topical forms such as lotions, salves, creams and even hand sanitizer are quite popular. These are best used liberally and often. CBD topical typically do not reach the bloodstream but you are able to reap the benefits because it absorbs into the skin from pores. 
  • Tinctures: This type of CBD is an oil like substance that is generally placed under the tongue. From there it enters the bloodstream through the mouth. This is an easy way to get a daily amount of CBD into your system. This is also one of the fastest ways.  
  • Tablets: Tablets are similar to tinctures as to where they are administered. The tablet dissolves in your mouth and then reaches the bloodstream from there. 
  • Softgels: These are similar to edibles as they go through the same process to get into the bloodstream. But they are swallowed like a pill instead of chewed.  
  • Edibles: This type of CBD is a pleasant and fun way to get CBD daily. After eating, the edible travels to the stomach where it is broken down and then is absorbed through the stomach lining and into the bloodstream. This way of administering CBD takes longer to feel the effects but has been described to last longer.   

There are many other types of products that are not listed, but these are the main and most popular ones.  

Other reasons to use CBD 
Perhaps you were just curious about CBD when clicking this article and you don’t feel anxious. If that is the case, here are a few other reasons that people use CBD.  

  • Antibacterial properties: There has been information coming to the forefront of the potential antibacterial properties of CBD. And this information may be true. In this study they concluded that CBD had the capability to kill certain types of bacteria.  
  • Skin health: Although CBD topicals never reach the bloodstream this does not mean that they cannot assist in skin health. In this study they concluded that those with and without skin conditions had improved skin health after the use of CBD topicals. They used several tests to test before and after the use of a CBD topical. Their evidence was enhanced by photographic evidence.  
  • Anti-inflammatory properties: CBD has been researched for the possibility of joint health benefits. Panacea Life Sciences has done our own research regarding this aspect. We looked at dogs who are older and have joint health issues. During this study, we asked pet owners to administer CBD to their dogs two times a day for four consecutive weeks. The owners were to take a weekly test to show if anything had improved. At the end of the four weeks pet owners described their dogs to be more mobile. Therefore, the CBD may have helped with their joint health!   
  • FDA approved medications: There are several FDA approved medications that contain CBD. Epidiolex is the most well-known. This medication helps those with two severe types of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. There are also a handful of others that assist those going through anti-cancer treatments and the nausea it may cause. These are called Marinol (dronabinol), Syndros (dronabinol), and Cesamet (nabilone). These medications can only be prescribed by a healthcare professional.

Perhaps you have decided to start your CBD journey, or you need to do a bit more research. Either way, please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at [email protected]