0
0
Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric conditions in humans, and CBD has been shown to be an effective treatment. It reduces experimentally induced anxiety in healthy subjects without affecting baseline anxiety levels and enhances anxiolytic effects during fear extinction, suggesting it may have potential for treating PTSD or anxiety associated with specific phobias. Human clinical studies also support the anxiolytic properties of CBD, with one study showing that 4 weeks of treatment with a full-spectrum CBD oil significantly reduced anxiety in patients with moderate-to-severe anxiety, compared to placebo, on self-report and clinician-rated scales.
Various research suggests that CBD can modulate the activity of the serotonin system in the brain, which plays an important role in the control of anxiety and stress. In one animal model, CBD decreased the expression of inflammatory cytokines and pro-inflammatory markers in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, which are implicated in the development of anxiety-related conditions. It also increased the amount of serotonin released by neurons in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, CBD reduced conditioned stress responses and anxiogenic behavior in rats.
The anxiolytic and anti-anxiety effects of CBD are believed to be mediated by the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, 5-HT1AR receptors, and GABAA receptors in different brain regions. However, most preclinical and clinical CBD-anxiolytic data focuses on acute CBD administration in healthy subjects. To elucidate the anxiolytic effects of chronic CBD dosing, further investigation into additional neurobiological targets is needed.
CBD is also thought to interact with the 5-HT1AR and eCB receptors in an indirect manner. For example, CBD is known to increase 5-HT1AR activation in the BNST and cingulate cortex, which are both involved in the processing of fear and anxiety, while decreasing eCB receptor activation in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex, which inhibits the onset of fear responses. CBD is also known to decrease anxiety-related behaviors by decreasing DPAG escape electrical thresholds in the ETM and behavioral freezing in the conditioned fear response test, both of which are suggested to be related to low serotonin levels.
In a study of rat models, CBD also inhibited escape responses during predator-prey interaction and reduced defensive immobility in the bourbon cage test. In addition, CBD has been shown to reduce adolescent mice’s anxiety-related behavior in the open field test by decreasing the number of footshocks and body tremors caused by the electric shock, which is indicative of hyperactivity.
While the effectiveness of cbd for anxiety is well documented, it may take some trial and error to find the best anxiolytic CBD products that work for you. The key is to choose a quality CBD product that contains the right concentration of other beneficial cannabinoids, such as CBG and CBC. In addition, choose a delivery method that works for you — tinctures are absorbed quickly and offer fast-acting relief, while capsules and edibles absorb more slowly to provide more gradual anxiolytic effects. Lastly, make sure to consider the taste of the product — some products are flavored with natural ingredients such as orange peel and berries, which help mask the flavor of the tincture.
