Can CBD Help My Stress And Anxiety?

Without doubt one of the most popular reasons people turn to CBD is for those looking to help suppress feelings of anxiety and stress. Whilst it is well documented that making medical claims on CBD in general is a no-go, there is mounting evidence and studies to suggest there is a reason over 6 million people took CBD in the UK alone last year as highlighted in the report from CMC.

We all know what it feels like to “stress out” before an exam or important event. But sometimes a challenging job, family demands, or just surviving the unexpected events of life can feel like a continual test. If that impending sense of disaster is never-ending it's a sign of chronic anxiety, and you might need an intervention to reset your baseline stress-response.

Unfortunately, the medical system’s solution to anxiety falls short for many people. If you struggle with chronic stress or anxiety, you may be considering supplementing your treatment with CBD OIls, or other CBD edibles such as gummies, but what evidence is there to support this?

The growing popularity of CBD products as anti-anxiety supplements is backed with plenty of convincing research, though there’s still a long way to go. Several clinical trials with are currently underway, but there is already good evidence of CBD’s usefulness for certain anxiety disorders, panic attacks, social anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) and also post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD)

So what is the evidence that CBD can help Stress & Anxiety?

Beyond many many thousands of testimonials of individuals who successfully treat their anxiety with CBD oil, there is also a growing body of scientific evidence that CBD works. Most research has been done in rodents. A recent review discusses 32 different rodent studies that tested CBD’s effects on anxiety — and only one didn’t see useful results.

Human experiments are costly and legally complicated but are growing by the day so we hope to keep everyone informed as these become clearer. But there are certainly some impressive studies that already exist.

One interesting study found CBD induces acute anxiolytic effects in public speaking with some caveats, but is certainly one area that our co-founder believes in hugely. The reduction in stress and anxiety noticed by Barney, our co-founder, is one of the main reasons Associated CBD has been built. High praise indeed.

To back this point up further another study found  Cannabidiol Reduces the Anxiety Induced by Simulated Public Speaking in Treatment-Naïve Social Phobia Patients

In older studies there has also been some success in highlighting Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders. So the science is building, and so are the testimonials and users all over the globe. It certainly feels like we are on the cusp of CBD being elevated to a level where its reputation of the past is left behind and it stands out as a supplement with significant benefits. 

So how does CBD combat anxiety?

Cannabidiol has more than 65 targets within the body, which makes it difficult to pinpoint the sources of its many different therapeutic properties. Many studies currently suggest that CBD counters anxiety by stimulating neurotransmitter systems and neural regeneration and also given we have an endocannabinoid system, it’s hardly surprising we interact with Cannabinoids.

Serotonin: Most people associate serotonin with happiness. However, the role of this neurotransmitter is very complex, and its effects depend on where it is and what it binds to. (Contrary to popular belief, more serotonin is not necessarily better — dysfunction can stem from low or high levels of serotonin, as well as from malfunctions with their receptors.) Serotonin has at least 14 different receptors, but CBD specifically binds to 5-HT1A which is thought to have the strongest role in anxiety disorders. The anti-anxiety drug buspirone also binds to this particular receptor, which explains the anti-anxiety effects of CBD on rats exposed to stressful situations.

Endocannabinoids: Your body naturally produces cannabinoids, which are used throughout your body and brain in the endocannabinoid system. This system can be impacted by stress and move the body out of homeostasis . However, CBD could help the endocannabinoid system by preventing overstimulation of your CB1 receptors and by boosting your body’s production of endocannabinoids. 

Neural regeneration: Although chronic stress can damage neurons and even shrink brains, certain areas of the brain are still capable of regeneration. Throughout our lives we continue to form new neurons, make new connections, and grow our brains — and CBD apparently boosts this process. CBD could therefore help to counterbalance the brain damage caused by chronic stress. Numerous studies have proved that CBD encourages neural regeneration, particularly in the hippocampus. In fact, its ability to reduce anxiety in chronically-stressed mice comes from CBD’s power to stimulate the growth of new neurons. 

As always, for those looking to supplement with CBD, please do check with your doctor beforehand. Thanks for reading and please get in touch for anything CBD related!