Best CBD Flower for Anxiety
Author: Jason Beverly
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States, with almost 1 out of every 5 American adults having this disorder. But only 1 out of every 3 people with anxiety disorder actually seeks treatment. This leaves us with over 25 million Americans that are suffering from anxiety disorder but dealing with its daunting effects on their own.
People dealing with anxiety disorders will agree that it can make even the smallest tasks extremely difficult. Tasks such as calling to make a doctor’s appointment or going to a party are normal, everyday events for people without anxiety. But for the people that are dealing with anxiety, these tasks can seem impossible and terrifying.
People with anxiety that actually seek treatment are typically prescribed medication. Prescription medication for anxiety has been proven to be an effective treatment for some, but that’s not the case for everyone. There are two main issues with this particular type of medication. The first is that these medications can cause a dependency which can make it difficult for people to quit. The second is the unwanted side effects that come with them. Sometimes the side effects are worse than the benefits which can cause people to stop the medication altogether. People that don’t find relief from prescription anxiety medications seek alternative methods (such as CBD flower) to treat their disorder.
Note: Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medication. The opinions described in this article should not be interpreted as medical advice.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Before we dive into how CBD flower can help anxiety, let’s take a look at some of the most common anxiety symptoms. This can be a beneficial exercise because some people are living with an anxiety disorder without even realizing it.
First off, everyone will experience anxiety at some point in their life. Anxiety can be a perfectly normal response from the body when its placed in a dangerous situation. In fact, anxiety can cause a feeling of discomfort which can actually be beneficial. An example of this is when a student must score well on a test. The student may experience anxiety symptoms which causes him/her to study, resulting in a better test score. Medical experts would consider this to be normal anxiety.
On the other end of the spectrum, anxiety can be a major problem for some people. For these people, the symptoms of anxiety are not temporary and they can feel much more intense. These symptoms will typically have a negative effect on daily activities like work and relationships. The most common symptoms of chronic anxiety include:
- Nervousness
- Restlessness
- Inability to relax
- Constant panicking
- Excessive worrying
- Irrational fears
- Increased heart rate
- Difficulty concentrating
- Being irritable
- Difficulty sleeping/staying asleep
How exactly does CBD flower help anxiety?
CBD flower has several medicinal properties. Thankfully, through a number of studies, researchers are seeing the potential therapeutic effects CBD has on people with different types of anxiety. Let’s explore how CBD flower can help anxiety symptoms specifically.
CBD & SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder)
In one study, researchers used neuroimaging to see how CBD affects brain function in patients struggling with SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder). Through parametric mapping before and after CBD was administered, researchers saw a change in the regional cerebral blood flow of the limbic and paralimbic areas — regional parts of the brain where we may feel anxiety, fear, panic, stress, etc.
The result of this study showed CBD effectively reducing anxiety in SAD and improving the participants state of well-being.
Anxiety through public speaking
Another study was done on anxiety through public speaking. Participants submitted to a SPS (Simulated Public Speaking) test and were then administered CBD.
Researchers saw a significant decrease in anxiety when the participants took CBD. These results suggest that CBD produces anxiety-reducing properties.
Anxiety and sleep
A recent study completed in 2019, explored how CBD could be used to treat anxiety and sleep. The results showed that 79% of participants reported decreased anxiety within the first month. The results also showed that 67% of participants reported an increase in sleep score within the first month.
In summary, this study showed that CBD can decrease anxiety and increase sleep score.
Stress-led anxiety
According to a study, stress plays a big role in anxiety disorders and prolonged stress can lead to anxiety.
This study found that administering CBD to treat chronic stress, led to decreased anxiety symptoms and reduced unpredictable stress.
How do I start using CBD flower to treat my anxiety?
If you’re new to CBD flower, it’s important to know that CBD affects everyone differently and it takes time and experimentation in order to find what works best for you.
The first step is finding a place to buy CBD flower. Fortunately, CBD flower is now legal in the United States because of the 2018 Farm Bill. Therefore, you can legally purchase CBD flower online and have it shipped directly to your home. It’s important to only purchase CBD flower from quality vendors that provide COAs (Certificate of Analysis). There are several quality vendors online, but our favorite by far has been Cannaflower. The next step is figuring out which CBD strains are best for anxiety.
What are the best CBD flower strains for anxiety?
1. Bubba Kush
- Avg. CBD percent: 11%
- Sativa, Indica or Hybrid: Indica
- Grown Indoor/Outdoor: Outdoor
- Best Used For: Nighttime
- Effects: Bubba Kush is a well-known CBD flower strain and one of the most popular strains in the market. It has a high amount of a terpene called D-Limonene which has been known to aid anxiety by increasing serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Although it's an indica, I'll use it throughout the day to chill out.
2. Sour Space Candy
- Avg. CBD percent: 15%
- Sativa, Indica or Hybrid: Hybrid
- Grown Indoor/Outdoor: Outdoor
- Best Used For: Mostly Daytime
- Effects: Sour Space Candy is another popular strain, known for it's well-rounded effects. It's more of an upbeat strain so it goes well with social situations like hanging out with family or friends. Sour Space Candy gives me a small boost which lessens my social anxiety.
3. Abacus
- Avg. CBD percent: 12%
- Sativa, Indica or Hybrid: Indica
- Grown Indoor/Outdoor: Outdoor
- Best Used For: After Work
- Effects: Abacus is a perfect strain to use right after work. These dark, purplish buds are almost scary looking. But there's nothing to be scared of after consuming Abacus. It helps shed the anxiety and stress which tends to build up throughout the day. Kick back and relax with this tasty strain.
4. Legendary
- Avg. CBD percent: 15%
- Sativa, Indica or Hybrid: Indica
- Grown Indoor/Outdoor: Outdoor
- Best Used For: Before Bed
- Effects: Legendary is a perfect strain to use before bed. It does an excellent job of calming your body and easing your mind. I used to have problems falling asleep because my mind would race. Now, Legendary is my go-to strain when I find myself in that situation.
5. Sour Tsunami
- Avg. CBD percent: 12%
- Sativa, Indica or Hybrid: Hybrid
- Grown Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor
- Best Used For: Afternoon / Night
- Effects: Sour Tsunami is a flavorful, indoor grown hemp strain. The strain carries a unique set of effects which align well with the symptoms of anxiety. This strain has a lighter taste but it's effect is strong. I like this strain for more quick, onset anxiety or stress episodes. It's a little more expensive because it's indoor grown but it's worth it on occasion.
What’s the best way to consume CBD flower?
There are a few different ways to consume CBD flower.
- Smoking – Smoking is the easiest way to consume CBD flower and the most common. Although there are numerous ways to actually smoke CBD hemp flower. You can roll CBD flower in papers to create a CBD joint. You can smoke it through a device such as a pipe or a glass pipe such as a bowl or bong. The best part about smoking CBD flower is that the effects are felt almost instantly.
- Vaping – Vaping CBD flower is not nearly as common as smoking but it has been gaining more traction in recent years. Vaping CBD flower requires a device which is also known as a dry herb vaporizer. Most dry herb vaporizers are battery powered but there is a new type of vaporizer that’s battery free. You’re probably wondering, how does a dry herb vape work? First you put a little bit of CBD flower in the device. Then, the device heats up and gets just hot enough for the flower to produce a vapor which you then inhale. Some studies have indicated that this method is safer than traditional smoking because you’re not actually burning the flower and producing tar/carcinogens.
- Infusing it with oil – The last main way to consume CBD flower is by using it to infuse an oil. This is a little more complex but we have a step-by-step guide on how to make a tincture using CBD flower. Once you infuse an oil with CBD, you can put it directly under your tongue or it can be used to make edibles.
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I can personally vouch for CBD flower helping reduce my anxiety. It really has helped slow how severe my panic attacks have been. I’m looking for a new strain
First time here… Any help or advice on product for anxiety?