CBD Oil for Anxiety

Is Cannabidiol the Cure You’ve Been Looking For?

Now that medical marijuana is legal in most states and many are considering legalization for recreational use, cannabis is back in the spotlight and being talked about openly for its beneficial effects on anxiety. While some strains of marijuana can make you feel paranoid, most ease anxiety and induce a calm, relaxed state that anxiety sufferers can only dream of.

But it’s not just marijuana as a whole that causes this relaxed state. Cannabidiol, a compound found in cannabis, is largely responsible for its calming effects, and it accounts for about 40% of the plant’s extract.

Better known as CBD, cannabidiol has a wide range of potential medical applications – and it doesn’t cause psychoactivity.

What is CBD?

CBD is a cannabinoid, one of 113, found in cannabis. It interacts with certain receptors in the body and brain, mainly CB1 and CB2.

CB1 receptors are found on glial cells and neurons in the brain.
CB2 receptors are found primarily in the immune system.

Does CBD Get You High?

No. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the most famous cannabinoid known for its ability to induce a high. But CBD does not create the same feelings of intoxication or euphoria.

THC creates that “high” feeling by activating the CB1 receptors in your brain. CBD also effects these receptors, but not nearly at the same levels. When it does bind, it does not produce any effects. This is great news if you have anxiety, as CBD won’t cause any feelings of paranoia or exacerbate your anxiousness. It also ensures that you can function normally after treatments.

CBD Oil Benefits and Side Effects

If CBD doesn’t get you high, what exactly does it do? What are the most common CBD oil effects, and what can you expect?

First, you should know that CBD is being studied as a possible treatment for a number of health issues, including anxiety, schizophrenia, substance abuse issues, pain, cancer, inflammatory diseases and more.

Its effects, while promising, are still being researched.

The good news is that pre-clinical research indicates that CBD may have a wide range of effects, including:

Anti-seizure
Neuroprotective
Anti-inflammatory
Antioxidant
Anti-tumor
Analgesic
Anti-psychotic
Anti-anxiety

That last bullet point is the most important: anti-anxiety.

CBD Effects on Anxiety

When tested on animals, CBD has shown promising effects on anxiety as well as stress. It may reduce the physiological and behavioral effects of both.

[highlight ]CBD has also been shown to be effective in small human clinical trials.[/highlight]

Those with social anxiety experienced reduced anxiety when tasked with making a public speech. One laboratory protocol designed to mimic the effects of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) found that CBD helped with the forgetting of traumatic experiences. In other words, CBD oil may literally help you forget your cares (or in this case, devastating, life-altering experiences).

How does CBD produce these effects? Researchers believe that it has to do with the mediation of changes in serotonin receptor signaling. More research is needed to determine the exact cause.

Aside from anxiety relief, CBD can also have other effects on the body, including:

Anti-Seizure

Studies conducted over the last two decades show that CBD appears to have anti-seizure effects on the body. Anti-seizure activity has been witnessed in animal models, but anecdotal reports and case studies also support this claim.

CBD is now being considered as a treatment for children who have drug-resistant epilepsy. Small studies have been promising, but more research is needed.

Anti-Psychotic

Marijuana, especially strains with high THC levels, can produce psychotic episodes at high doses. But CBD can actually mitigate these effects, which are mediated by THC.

Anti-Tumor Effects

Research shows that cannabinoids are an effective treatment for nausea, pain and poor appetite. But they may also have anti-tumor effects that can benefit patients.

There are many pre-clinical reports that demonstrate CBD’s anti-tumor effects in animal models. Studies have found increased cancer cell death, cell viability, reduced tumor growth and the inhibition of metastasis.

Some researchers attribute these effects to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of the cannabinoid.

What About Side Effects?

The great thing about CBD is that unlike THC, it does not induce psychoactive effects.

One review looked at 25 studies on the effectiveness and safety of CBD, and found no reports of any significant side effects at a wide range of different dosages.

Is CBD Oil Legal?

The million dollar question. And the answer isn’t quite simple.

You’ll find many oil-sellers claiming that their products are legal in all 50 states because THC levels are less than 0.3%.

But it’s not quite as simple as that. Farmers in the U.S. are prohibited from growing hemp commercially. However, low-THC hemp products can be imported and sold as long as the products are derived from the stalk or seed of the plant. The products cannot be derived from the flowers and leaves.

As long as the CBD is derived from the seed or stalk of industrial hemp, it’s legal to consume in all 50 states.