Every day, millions of Canadians suffer from anxiety symptoms like rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, and panic. For years, doctors have prescribed medications to lessen these symptoms, but many Canadians are now turning to CBD for anxiety as a more natural, effective, and affordable option.
Recently discovered to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, CBD is beginning to find more approval among Canadians. But does it work? And can it really replace prescription medications to treat anxiety?
Read ahead to learn what research says about CBD for anxiety, how CBD can help with the symptoms, and the best ways to take CBD for anxiety.
What Is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical found naturally in cannabis. These chemicals are unique to cannabis and are called cannabinoids. Over 100 cannabinoids have been identified so far. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is another example of a cannabinoid you’ve probably heard of because it’s famous for getting you high.
Most CBD products come from hemp plants, containing minimal tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) compared to regular flower. To be considered hemp, it must have 0.3% THC content or less. Meanwhile, the bud and flower we smoke usually contains 15 – 30% THC.
Recently, CBD enthusiasts have begun using the chemical to treat several medical conditions, including:
- Cancer
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Depression
- Parkinson’s disease
- Chronic pain
Though Health Canada has not approved CBD for anxiety or as a treatment for other medical conditions, many users have seen positive results and prefer CBD over traditional medications.
Research has found that CBD produces a variety of health benefits and contains anti-inflammatory and anti-psychotic properties. Many users have found CBD to have a calming effect on their minds and bodies.
Since CBD is not addictive, it is safer to take long-term than prescription medications, especially in cases of chronic pain.
CBD and Mental Health
Many people have found that CBD has beneficial effects on their mental health. Canadians have used it to treat symptoms of mental disorders like:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
CBD helps relieve symptoms of these disorders by affecting the serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that contributes to your mood, thought processes, and memory. People with mental illness often have irregular serotonin levels, so taking CBD for anxiety can stabilize their mood by regulating their serotonin levels, producing a calming effect.
CBD isn’t new to the mental health world; doctors have recognized its beneficial effects on mental well-being for decades. However, CBD has recently become a more widely accepted treatment for mental disorders and can sometimes replace medications.
A study in 2012 found that CBD was just as effective for reducing psychosis as an anti-psychotic medication, plus it contributed to fewer side effects, like weight gain. Many participants in the study preferred CBD over the psychosis medicine they had been taking for years.
Additionally, CBD is safer than many medications because it is non-addictive, and you cannot overdose from it. The FDA approved CBD to treat epilepsy in children and adults, further demonstrating its safety.
When it comes to mental health, people will often try anything to alleviate their symptoms. CBD has successfully treated many symptoms related to mental disorders, and its calming effects can help anyone.
How Does CBD Reduce Anxiety?
CBD reduces anxiety by affecting the serotonin levels in your body. Although low serotonin levels are often associated with depression and anxiety, having too much serotonin isn’t good for you, either. There’s even a word for having too much- serotonin syndrome. Symptoms include increased heart rate, heavy sweating, shivering, and restlessness.
Even if you are in a safe, relaxing situation, anxiety tells your mind to react as if you’re in danger. CBD sends the message to your brain that there is no danger nearby so that you can relax.
CBD relieves anxiety by regulating your serotonin levels and keeping it in balance.
There are many benefits to taking CBD for anxiety. It can relieve symptoms by:
- Regulating your heart rate
- Reducing stress signals in your brain
- Creating a calming effect on your mind
- Improving your mood
- Reducing anxiety levels
CBD can have remarkable healing properties for those dealing with anxiety. It’s completely legal, safe for most people, and very affordable compared to many prescription drugs. It’s also natural and not addictive, so you can feel better about using it long term.
CBD is great at regulating your serotonin levels which leads to a host of beneficial effects such as reducing stress signals and creating a calming effect on your brain.
Anxiety can also affect your experience in bed. More on this on our article on how CBD helps you last longer in bed.
Best ways to take CBD for Anxiety
There are several different forms of CBD that you can use to treat your anxiety. Some work better than others for certain people, so you may want to try each of them to see how effective they are for you.
Each of these forms of CBD is safe and legal in Canada, and you can control how much CBD you take with all of them. We’ve found that CBD in the forms of tinctures, oil, and edibles work well for lowering anxiety and stress.
CBD Tinctures
A tincture is a form of medication that contains cannabis extracts dissolved in alcohol or oil, and they are easy to recognize due to their distinctive bottles and dropper caps. One of the great things about CBD tinctures are their long shelf life- particularly if it’s an alcohol-based tincture, as the alcohol acts as a preservative. The stronger the alcohol, the longer the tincture will last, although mixing CBD with alcohol will also dilute the potency of the CBD, so you may need to take more CBD in this format to see your desired results.
Placing the CBD drops directly under your tongue (known as sublingual administration) allows your body to absorb the medicinal properties faster than swallowing it directly or mixing it with other food.
- Tip: CBD tinctures are highly concentrated, so you will probably only need a few drops to start reducing anxiety.
We also offer several tinctures that combine the CBD and alcohol with another flavour, like wildberry, to improve the taste. We recommend experimenting with several tincture combinations and intake methods to find the one you like best.
CBD oil
CBD oil is another popular form of CBD for anxiety.
The oil comes directly from the seeds and flowers of hemp plants, and it can be more expensive than other forms of CBD due to the extraction process, especially if it is more potent.
The versatility in CBD oil depends on how you take it. Some people prefer to put a drop or two of CBD oil under their tongue, much like a tincture, while others prefer to mix it into foods to create instant CBD edibles.
You can even vape some CBD oils.
CBD Edibles for Anxiety
Many people prefer to take CBD in edible form, such as fruity, gummy candies.
Though CBD edibles take longer to kick in than other forms of CBD, they’re still popular because they are much tastier and more enjoyable to consume. They’re also more discreet, as nobody would question why you’re eating candy or taking a capsule, while you may get some weird looks if you started dosing a tincture in public.
However, to get the best benefits from CBD edibles, you will want to slowly chew the edible and swish it around in your mouth before you swallow it. Swishing helps the CBD absorb into your mucous membranes, which connect to your bloodstream, rather than going straight to your stomach.
Some team members don’t like the taste of CBD oil or tinctures, so they prefer to eat CBD edibles instead. One thing to keep in mind is that even though the CBD content of edibles offers health benefits, the edibles themselves aren’t always healthy- especially if you’re on a diet or diabetic. If you want to avoid sugary sweets, then CBD capsules might be right for you.
How To Use CBD for Anxiety
Each of the above forms of CBD can help reduce your anxiety and keep you calm. However, to maximize the effects of CBD on your mood, you will want to make sure the CBD absorbs into your bloodstream. That’s why the sublingual method (taking under your tongue) is such a common way to ingest CBD.
Vaping CBD oil is also beneficial because it allows more rapid absorption in the bloodstream as well. Just be sure the oil is not too viscous to vaporize, or it will clog up your vape.
If you don’t feel like CBD is improving your anxiety, you may want to change your intake method.
Make sure that the vape oil is not too viscous as it may clog it up.
What’s the right CBD Dosage for Anxiety?
The dosage of CBD for anxiety that will work best for you varies from person to person. When you first start taking CBD, you’ll want to start with a low dose and gradually increase until you see your desired effects.
The amount of CBD you should take depends on factors like:
- Your weight
- Your level of anxiety
- The concentration of the CBD you’re taking
When you first try CBD, you may want to start with about 10 to 20 mg a day. Try it out for a week and then determine if you would like to raise or lower the dosage based on the effects you’re noticing.
If you decide to increase your dosage, you will want to increase by 5 mg and then wait a few days to determine if you need to add any more. Keeping your dosage consistent will help your body adjust to the CBD better. However, on days where your anxiety is worse, you may want to take more to offset your heightened anxiety.
You cannot overdose on CBD, so there is no risk of taking too much of it. However, some people have reported building up a tolerance that requires them to eventually take a higher dosage to create the same effects. You should always monitor your CBD dosage so that you can be aware of any tolerance that occurs.
When you’re using a tincture or oil, it may be hard to regulate your dosage because the size of each drop can vary. CBD edibles, on the other hand, are clearly labelled, so you know exactly how much you’re taking.
Whatever form of CBD you decide to use, you should listen to your body and adjust your dosage based on your symptoms. Please also be aware of any side effects that sometimes occur for CBD users, such as diarrhea, insomnia, fatigue, or drowsiness. If you notice any of those symptoms, it’s a good indication that your dosage of CBD is too high and you should cut back.
Try CBD Today
You don’t have to suffer from anxiety any longer. Many people have already discovered that CBD for anxiety alleviates symptoms just as well as common prescription medications. CBD is easy to purchase through our website, with no doctor’s note necessary.
Find out how effective it can be to treat your symptoms of anxiety and improve your mental health with CBD. Countless others have been making the switch to CBD for anxiety treatment, so why not try it out for yourself? Check out our CBD products today to begin relieving your anxiety, sleeping better, and feeling calmer.
