Can Marijuana Help With Anxiety

Anxiety is no rare occurrence in our world today. In fact, it is said that millions of people in the United States suffer from some debilitating anxiety disorders that make it hard to get through everyday life. Interestingly, there has been a lot of research that has been done to see the effects of cannabis on patients who suffer from stress and anxiety. There was a study done by the Washing State University that explored the impact of medical marijuana on stress, anxiety, and depression.

When the publication came out, the study concluded that inhaling marijuana in the short term can be an effective way to treat stress and anxiety, but that it can also be a potential risk of increasing depression in the long term. Where this research falls short is that it is done in a lab by a THC pill. The problem with this is that many people are used to smoking marijuana in their own homes on their own time, which is something that we can all agree sounds much more appealing than doing THC in a lab. In addition to this, other research has begun to show that smoking cannabis that is high in CBD and low in THC can actually lower the rate of depression among adults.

It is also important to note that marijuana is not a miracle drug. While it has amazing benefits and is a great alternative to modern medication and other treatment options, it also has its drawbacks, and depression caused by long-term use could be one of them. However, it is also important to note that there are so many other variables and factors at play that lead to depression, and marijuana is not necessarily the bad guy here. So what about stress and anxiety? Can medical marijuana be a solution to those conditions?

The answer is yes. In fact, the research is almost indisputable now. Numerous studies have shown that patients who inhale or consume cannabis experience a significant reduction in their feelings of stress and anxiety. And when you think about it, it just makes sense. After all, marijuana is a very natural and generally risk free drug that can allow people to properly relax and just take a load off. It is important to note, however, that some people seem to have increased feelings of anxiety when they are actively using marijuana.

This can be attributed to a variety of factors, and most people would agree that it also has a lot to do with the certain types of strains you use, how much of the cannabis has THC versus CBD, how much you consume, and many other factors. The environment that you are in also plays a big part in your levels of anxiety. If you are at home hanging out by yourself or with some close friends, you are more likely to experience a pleasant high than compared to if you are smoking at a party with a bunch of people you don’t even know.

Personally, I always have the best and most pleasing highs when I am sitting on my enclosed porch with some good buddies and a pizza. Either way, it is very evident that medical marijuana is an effective means of treating anxiety and stress if you know what you are doing. As for depression, there is not a significant correlation  between increased marijuana usage and increased depression. However, I would still argue that if you are going to use a substance to treat your depression, cannabis is a much better alternative than something like alcohol. Hope this helps!

Tricyclic Antidepressants and Weed

Tricyclic antidepressants are a type of antidepressants that are used to help with anxiety and depression, especially when Lexapro and Zoloft aren’t able to work. They are sedative, and some people may worry if they should be mixed with cannabis. There are a few concerns that do possibly come with this, including tachycardia, your blood pressure hiring, and increased anxiety, heart attack, and panic attack risk. But let’s look further at the different aspects of taking tricyclic antidepressants. 

What are they Exactly. 

These are basically the second line of these antidepressant medications which are used when the first set of this doesn’t perform. 

These include the following: 

• Asendin 

• Elavil 

• Norpramin 

• Tofranil 

• Vivactil 

• Sumontil 

• Sinequan 

• Quitaxon 

Should they be mixed? 

The simple answer is now.  It’s not advised to mix it, as it can possibly create some negative side effects. That’s also because THC and CBD also do desensitize your liver enzymes called P2C19, which is something that can cause major problems in the future, and it can impact how the antidepressant medications are metabolized, which is something that causes some pretty adverse side effects as a result of this. 

Are there benefits though? 

Well, for some people, cannabis may be the solution needed to get off TCAs completely, and there are a lot of compounds in it which are good for stress, including terpenes, cannabinoids, and your flavonoids, which play a major role in this. CBD is also a natural antipsychotic, and it can actually help with the psychoactive properties of this. However, there are some major things to be mindful of if you do combine this. 

They include the following: 

•  dry mouth 

• Constipation 

• Blurred vision 

• Urine passing issues 

• Dizziness 

• Drowsiness 

• Gaining weight 

• Too much sweating, especially night sweats 

These are but a few of the issues that can happen. 

One major thing that you should be mindful of, is your heart rate and the blood pressure you have. these can increase to levels that are so bad that it may cause you to have to go to the ER, and it does put you at risk for a heart attack. 

TCAs are also something that does contraindicate for a bipolar disorder condition, and it can actually trigger bipolar episodes a lot more, especially if you have rapid cycling as well, especially when compared to other kinds of drugs that you have as well. 

What to do if you have to use both? 

If you do need to use both, the first thing that you should do is talk to your doctor because it’ll help ensure that you get the right dosage for each of these conditions, and if there are problems, you want to make sure that you talk to your doctor right away. 

You should try to consider one over the other though. While you might need both, the problem with this is that it can cause a lot of negative results from this, including drowsiness, blurring of your vision, weight gain, sedation, sweating at night, and constipation. You should not mix TCAs with other kinds of antidepressants, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or even SSSRIs. 

You should try to avoid mixing both of these together period, as it can cause some major issues. You definitely will want to consider a few options as well. While you may need the TCAs, you also may want to look at alternative options for treatment, especially in the case of if you want to use marijuana instead, as it may be a better option for those who need it. 

Cannabis and Anxiety

It is no secret that we are experiencing more and more mental health crises in our nation today. A big part of this is related to anxiety. Trying to get through life with anxiety can be a really difficult thing to do, especially when one does not have the proper treatment options or coping mechanisms to work with. The other thing about anxiety is that it looks different for everybody. Some people struggle with anxiety depending on various situations going on in their life, and the anxiety will eventually go away once certain stressors are worked out or minimized.

Other people, however, struggle with anxiety on a more chronic scale. Anxiety disorders are becoming more and more common in the United States. Many states are now including anxiety as an accepted condition for receiving a medical marijuana card. If you are having a hard time getting through the day dealing with anxiety, it may be time to go see a doctor about getting your medical marijauana card. Anxiety disorders also have a way of manifesting themselves physically, and some people even experience awful physical side effects as a part of their chronic anxiety.

With all that being said, some states do not list anxiety as one of the qualifying conditions for applying for a medical marijauna card. In those states, people with mental health problems are petitioning and lobbying for a change of legislature that allows for more cannabis related anxiety treatment. More than 40 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with some clinical form of anxiety, and that is a huge increase in the last few decades. Anothe report also shows that there have been as many as 5 million suicide deaths worldwide caused by unmanaged anxiety dissorders. So where does cannabis come into the conversation? Well, I firmly believe that cannabis can be used as an effective means of treating and managing chronic stress and anxiety disorders. 

Cannabis strains fall into two categories: sativa and indica. Indica is the strain of marijuana that is most commonly used to treat symptoms of stress and anxiety disorders, because it has a natural calming effect and helps people relax and be able to sleep at night. Have you ever been so worried about something that you have not been able to sleep? Some cases of anxiety can even lead to chronic insomnia, since people are dealing with so much mental unrest that they are not able to stay asleep at night. Cannabis can be a great option for dealing with this. The indica strain of marijuana is great for helping people fall asleep and relax at night when dealing with chronic anxiety disorders. After all, we all know that not getting enough sleep at night is a great way to find yourself dealing with more stress and anxiety the next day.

The other thing that I will say is that generic prescription medications for treating anxiety and stress can be dangerous and have harmful side effects. Some of the most common medications used to treat mental health conditions are harmful in the way that they affect the brain and body in the long term. Not to mention, we are dealing with a serious opioid and prescription medication crisis in our country today. Why not turn to a more natural approach like marijuana? Especially because it is not addictive and does not have near the same amount of side effects as other commonly used prescriptions. 

Anxiety is becoming a problem for many adults in America. It is also found in several studies that women are almost twice as likely to develop some sort of clinical anxiety as men are. Cannabis may be a great solution for treating and managing anxiety.

CBD vs Marijuana for Anxiety? Which one is Better?

One of the things that a lot of people struggle with is anxiety. The pandemic ended up making things worse as well. Thankfully, more attention has started to turn towards mental health in America, and people that struggle with certain mental health disorders are able to get more resources available to them. It is estimated that almost 1 in 3 Americans have experienced a mental health or anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime. 

While there are of course normal levels of anxiety that everyone experiences from time to time, anxiety disorders are a totally different animal. Most people don’t really have a good way to identify with people that have anxiety because they simply do not understand it. For people that actually struggle with something like anxiety, it can make trying to do normal things and just get through the day an extremely difficult task.

Treatment for anxiety can vary in effectiveness depending on the patient - some things work for some people, while others do not see them as effective. Currently, the normal treatment options for anxiety disorders include things like therapy and prescription medications. However, there are some concerns for people who use these prescriptions, as they can sometimes make conditions worse and have some negative side effects as well. As an alternative to these medications, it is becoming increasingly popular for people to use medical marijuana for treating anxiety disorders and that sort of thing. Today, we are going to talk about if using CBD and marijuana can be an effective way to manage anxiety symptoms.

So when it comes to CBD and marijuana, which one is better for treating anxiety? Well, the unfortunate part of the medical marijuana industry is that there are not a whole lot of clinical studies and trials that have been done. Since cannabis has been illegal for so long in the United States, there is no a whole lot of data available that can make it easy to distinguish which one is necessarily better for treating anxiety (that is, CBD or marijuana). 

However, there are a few things to consider when picking between the two. We do have limited research and some testimonials from people who have used these things for anxiety. One of the more notable side effects of using THC is actually that it can cause anxiety. This does not happen for everyone, but it is pretty well known that using certain THC strains can cause anxiety instead of having the calming effect that we are going for.

However, certain strains of cannabis can be very effective at reducing symptoms of anxiety, especially when one is using an indica dominant strain. CBD is also used to treat anxiety, and some studies suggest that the cannabinoid content found in cannabis can lower feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress in certain patients. 

This is a huge win for people that struggle with anxiety from day to day. One thing to keep in mind when picking whether you want to use CBD or marijuana to treat your anxiety is the state that you live in. As many of you are already aware of, medical marijuana is not legal in all places around the United States. Some people do not have the option to try using certain THC strains because of the laws that are in place in their state. 

However, CBD has been federally legalized for quite some time because it is considered to be a hemp-derived product by the United States government. If you are someone that has been struggling with an anxiety disorder of some kind, make sure that you about trying marijuana as a treatment option.

Does CBD Reduce Its Effect Over Time

CBD or cannabidiol does lose the effect over time due to the product being expired, or even your tolerance to this. But here, we’ll look at how to overcome it.

Why it doesn’t Work anymore 

Usually, it happens due to the expiration of the oil, where it’s not usable, or less effective. There are a few factors that do impact this, and they include: 

• The process of extraction, as some of the methods are better than others. Carbon dioxide is the best method, as it offers the best CBD for the product, and keeps it for longer. Look for the products that are made this way.

• The ingredients. The low-quality ingredients result in a faster expiration usually. Don’t get anything with flavorings either, as this can reduce the shelf life.

• If the product is not in a dark or amber glass bottle, it’s going to degrade faster due to the light and the heat that’s there. also make sure that it’s never in direct sunlight whenever you purchase it.

• The quality is bad. Some of the factors that go into this include the condition of the oil, ingredients used, and whether it’s been analyzed by a third-party lab. If it hasn’t, it’s not going to have as good of quality.

• The storage is bad. Make sure it’s out of the sun, and in a container that's airtight.

Usually, you can tell by the smell that’s there. it’s usually earthy. If it tastes bad, it’s degraded, and you probably shouldn’t have it period. You should also look at the thickness of it. If it looks really thick and cloudy, chances are the oil did degrade, so don’t consume it. You might wonder if you’re going to get sick having old CBD. The answer is no, because it won’t make you sick unless it’s got mildew and mold on there, but it just tastes terrible, so don’t have this. 

CBD Tolerance 

Another reason that you may not get the most out of CBD is because you developed a CBD tolerance. This means you need to take more to get the same effects, and it happens due to homeostasis. It’s not dependance, but it’s just you have to take more to get the same effect. Over time, when you use CBD, it tends to become more resistant within the body. THC definitely does have a similar effect that CBD does when it comes to tolerance. If you notice you need to take more to get the same effects, it’s going to definitely be a sign of tolerance issues.

How to Lower your Tolerance 

The best way to lower it is to stop taking it for a couple of days, allowing the tolerance to dip down, and giving the body the “reset” that it needs. You may want to reduce how often you use it, since if you take this multiple times a day, maybe taking it once a day can help.

You also may want to use THC to help with this, but this can sometimes be hard, and may lead to a tolerance of THC. You can also consider using a strain that’s different, or something with lower CBD within it, in order to lower the tolerance that’s there. Sometimes, you just have to make a shift, and from there, you’ll start to see the difference. Tolerance to CBD is common in long-term users, and some people notice this faster than others. That’s why, if you start to see this, take the steps you need to lower the tolerance as well.