CBD For Anxiety

Evidence that cbd soothes anxiety

Aside from the overwhelming testimonials of individuals who successfully treat their anxiety with cbd oil, there is also a growing abundance of scientific evidence that shows cbd works. Most of the research thus far has been conducted on rodents with positive results. A review from 2015 elaborates on the 32 different rodent stiles that tested the effects of cbd on anxiety with only 1 out of the 32 didn’t see useful results. You can find that article here.
Human testing involving cbd can be quite expensive and legally complex which is of no surprise that human studies are fewer and less conclusive. With all that said, two uses for cbd and anxiety have come up for both rodents and humans.

Firstly, there is less anxiety in response to stress. These tests put the subjects in a stressful situation thus measuring their anxiety levels. 

• for example with rodents, mice were placed in a cage with a boa constrictor and they were given low cbd doses (the equivalent to a 20 mg dose for a 150 pound person) and this found the rodents spending more time scanning their environment and choosing the most strategic location as opposed to panicking.
• moreover for human experiments an equivalent to the boa constrictor for many of us is public speaking and it provided fruitful insights and results by improving anxiety for both people without anxiety disorders and also for people with social anxiety disorders.

Secondly, there is one other way to get over anxiety and that is through “extinction learning” or learning to let go of triggers when there’s nothing left to fear. These experiments usually tend to train test subjects to associate something harmless with something more painful and then measuring the amount of time it takes to stop fearing the harmless trigger after they stop delivering pain. This is particularly relevant for people who suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

• again for rodents, they freeze in fear when they are conditioned to expect an electric shock. However this is not the case when they are given cbd during the extinction learning process. The surprising fact is that they are less likely to freeze even after the effects of cbd have worn off.
• as for people, we have been conditioned to expect an electric shock when we see a visual cue. For people who have inhaled a 32 mg dosage of cbd during this experiment (without electricity shocks) were less expectant to receiving a shock even when tested two days after the cbd dosage was taken and worn off. This is amazing as it shows cbd helps reprogram your fears over a long term.

How cbd combats anxiety

Cannabidiol has more than 65 targets throughout the body, which makes it difficult to pinpoint the sources of its many different therapeutic properties. Studies currently suggest that CBD counters anxiety by stimulating neurotransmitter systems and neural regeneration.

• 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 become dysregulated under chronic stress. However, CBD could help restore balance to the endocannabinoid system by preventing overstimulation of your CB1 receptors and by boosting your body’s production of endocannabinoids. Rodent experiments show that CBD relieves OCD and other anxious behaviours by acting on the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in processing and forgetting our fears — vital for extinction learning.
• 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. This means that CBD could 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.