Weed for Anxiety – How to Do it Right

When it comes to using weed for anxiety, there are some people that swear by it and say that it absolutely helps to get rid of anxiety or control it, whereas others say that it does nothing but heighten their anxiety. Well, there’s truth to both sides. Depending on your environment, the strain consumed and its cannabinoid concentration, cannabis can be either helpful or detrimental to those that suffer from generalized anxiety.

Based on a study published in 2012, cannabis strains with high amounts of THC appear to worsen anxiety (THC is known for increasing your heart beat), whereas strains low in THC in small doses actually help anxiety. Going a step further, strains that are high in CBD (non-psychoactive cannabinoid) have been proven to efficiently reduce anxiety. This all has to do with how cannabinoids interact with our endocannabinoid system (ECS) in various different ways.

Weed for Anxiety – The Endocannaboid System

The ECS is a system that we all have, consisting of multiple receptors that are distributed throughout the body’s organs including the brain. The ECS is the system that keeps careful control over many different bodily functions and is very closely related to many illnesses that cannabis is actually known for treating.

THC and CB1 receptors

The endocannabinoid system has also been shown to be highly involved in the regulation of stress, fear and generalized anxiety, with endocannabinoid receptors located throughout the areas of the brain involved in these processes. Studies explain that THC interacts with CB1 receptors in the brain, and depending on the dosage, neuron activity can be affected in different ways. Terpenes are also suggested to have quite a lot to do with how cannabis can affect us, with evidence to suggest that the terpene limonene has anti-anxiety benefits. Unfortunately, many more studies are required before we can truly unravel what terpenes and cannabinoids in which combinations can provide the best possible results.

So, if cannabis is known for actually inducing anxiety in some people, how can you go about using weed for anxiety without making it worse? The key is to use low-THC and high-CBD strains, or if using a high THC strain make sure to use small doses.

How to Choose the Best Weed for Anxiety

This is going to depend on your personal tolerance level and how long you’ve been consuming cannabis. If you’ve an avid consumer that has been self-medicating you’ll probably have noticed that certain strains are a bit too much for you, and others mellow you out just right. This tends to happen in those that have been consuming THC for long amounts of time. The best way to deal with this is to lower the THC dosage or even start consuming strains that have a balanced 1:1 THC and CBD ratio, which can satisfy your need for THC while producing a much more mellowed effect.

CBD and Anxiety

CBD is also a great place to start if you’re looking to reduce anxiety, especially if you don’t have any previous experience with cannabis. If you have never consumed cannabis by smoking or inhaling it before, we highly recommend starting off with CBD tinctures or serums that can be applied under the tongue or to your skin for the best results. If this does nothing to calm your anxiety, you can also make your own extracts from CBD-rich strains.

Medical Marijuana – Best Weed for Anxiety

Critical CBD 100% Feminized

This strain is an indica-dominant plant that produces twice as much CBD as it does THC while still providing delicious citric flavors when smoked. It’s ideal for those that don’t have much space for indoor growing. This strain also happens to produce large amounts of resin, making it ideal for those looking to make their own home-made extracts. It does best in dry climates with as little rain as possible, which is super easy to control indoors.

CBD Auto 20:1

CBD Auto 20:1 is a strain that does what the name would suggest; it produces incredibly high amounts of CBD and very low amounts of THC. Plus, it’s autoflowering which means that it’s a great way to grow fast medicine without needing to wait as long as you would for other strains. CBD Auto can produce CBD percentages up to 20% in some cases, and it’s also quite a sweet flavored bud.

Juanita La Lagrimosa

Juanita la Lagrimosa is known for being a highly medicinal strain, producing higher amounts of CBD than THC, while steel keeping relative low levels of cannabinoids. It’s perfect for small doses, and it’s also a relatively easy strain to grow. It’s also known for producing large amounts of resin, ideal for making potent extracts at home that can be much more effective for certain types of extracts.

Durga Mata

Durga Mata is an indica-dominant strain (90% indica) that’s great for relaxing nerves. It doesn’t have too high a THC content, which means you’ll be able to enjoy the mellow, relaxing high without feeling too overwhelmed. Its flavor is deliciously fruity and sweet and it tends to linger on your taste buds for a while. Plus, there’s a version of this strain called Durga Mata II CBD that’s even more medicinally apt due to its incredibly high CBD content.

Jack Herer 100% Feminized

Jack Herer 100% Fem. is more of a sativa strain, so we recommend caution when trying this strain. It’s one of the few sativas that can be mildly stimulating and used to calm the mind at the same time. If you know that your level of anxiety can be benefited by sativa strains, we recommend trying Jack Herer. It’s also relatively easy to grow as it tends to grow into more of an indica structure, making it perfect for beginners. It’s also a great choice for those looking to choose a mother plant.