Anxiety is a common mental illness affecting millions of people in the world. It can cause a lack of focus, sleep problems, and relationship problems. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a widely-used anxiety treatment, which is focused on changing the thought processes of the patients. However, medical researchers have found that consuming marijuana can also help in calming anxiety naturally. There’s a wide range of cannabis strains available, and for managing your symptoms completely, you should choose the right strains. In this post, we are going to discuss how can marijuana help anxiety sufferers promote wellness.
Marijuana use provides amazing mental health benefits such as boosted mood, improved focus, and sleep. This is the reason it’s considered an effective anxiety treatment. Unlike anxiety medications, it doesn’t cause any side-effects.
How does marijuana work? The cannabis plant contains more than 100 chemical compounds, which are known as cannabinoids. These cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), thus providing health benefits. The ECS is a biological system in the body, and it contains endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors. When phytocannabinoids are delivered to the body, they bind to the receptors in the ECS, thus regulating mood, sleep and many other bodily functions.
Medical researchers have found that CBD (cannabidiol), a non-psychoactive compound in marijuana, is beneficial in treating social anxiety disorder. Moreover, the cannabinoid also has amazing anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. The best part is, it delivers only health benefits without causing high feelings as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) does.
According to a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers at Washington State University discovered that cannabis can help in reducing self-reported levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. However, it works for the short-term. If you use it for the long-term, it may lead to depression in some consumers.
In many cannabis legalized states, anxiety is listed among the MMJ qualifying conditions. And, more patients with this condition are opting for cannabis as an alternative treatment to expensive medications. More states are now loosening rules and regulations for cannabis purchase and use. Recently, Pennsylvania updated its MMJ conditions list by adding anxiety in it.
To sum up, living with anxiety is painful. It can affect your daily life in many ways. There’s scientific evidence that cannabis use can help in managing anxiety symptoms such as lack of sleep, concentration problems, excessive worrying, etc. When using marijuana for treating anxiety, choosing the right strain is important. Do comprehensive research on different strains, and buy the right ones for your specific condition.
Talk to a board-certified doctor to get your medical marijuana card in Los Angeles.