Cannabis Strains Get Scientific Guidelines for How to Best Treat Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Cannabis use is known to reduce many negative affective states, both psychological and physiological. There are differences in the effects of cannabis use when ingested vs. inhaling. Studies into cannabis have been previously done, but few have looked specifically at depression, stress and anxiety and how these negative affective states are mitigated by cannabis use.
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A new study has published research in the Journal of Affective Disorders, looking at the aforementioned negative affects under cannabis use, how much was inhaled, and which strains were used. While usual cannabis research is conducted with THC pills, this research looked at smoking cannabis instead, and that includes both THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). This study is one-of-a-kind because it also went outside of a laboratory setting and looked at cannabis use in people's homes instead.
Multilevel modeling is a statistical form of analysis which was used to analyze about 12,000 anonymous Strainprint entries. Strainprint is an app that allows medical cannabis users to track which strains of cannabis and what does affect the health symptoms they are trying to deal with. The research looked specifically for entries that were about depression, anxiety and stress.
Cannabis users rated the symptoms they were experiencing before cannabis use into Strainprint on a 10-points cale (1-10) along with the strain used. After 20 minutes of smoking, the application asks them to report how many puffs they inhaled and to again rate the severity of their symptoms.
Research concluded that one puff of high-CBD and low-THC cannabis was the best combination for reducing symptoms of depression. To reduce anxiety, two puffs of any type of cannabis did the job. And 10 or more puffs of high-CBD and high-THC cannabis reduced stress the most.
Additionally, women seem to be affected differently with a greater degree of reducing anxiety following cannabis use compared to men, although both genders experienced decreases in all three symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety. There isn't any long-term reductions in the symptoms with repeated use. And when it comes to depression, prolonged cannabis use over time seems to increase the level of depression people feel.
Most people assume that having high-THC is always better, but this study shows that CBD is also important depending on the negative affect is trying to be reduced. CBD might also amplify some of the positive effects of THC.
The current way for medical and recreational cannabis users to get knowledge on which strains of cannabis to use (and in what quantity) in order to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, is obtained from the recommendations of other users, vendors or growers. The study appears to be the first of its kind to provide scientific evidence which can help guide cannabis users to treat their negative affective symptoms.
Although the data used in the research was of self-reported levels of depression, stress and anxiety, the statistical modeling used is more scientific than merely going by anecdotal reviews that people provide. For one person, a strain and quantity of cannabis might not work as well compared to someone else, but maybe they are the exception to the rule. Statistics can help to clarify the "odd-man-out" and provide more accurate information about a strain and the quantity to use.
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Do you use cannabis regularly to treat negative affective states of wellbeing? Do you find yourself a bit more depressed when not using it?
- Assessing how cannabis affects emotional well-being
- Study Explores Which Strains of Cannabis Improve Mental Health
- Scientific guidelines for using cannabis to treat stress, anxiety and depression
- Carrie Cuttler et al, A Naturalistic Examination of the Perceived Effects of Cannabis on Negative Affect, Journal of Affective Disorders (2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.04.054
- Strainprint
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This is a great article with concrete utility to many who are experiencing anxiety as a result of inexorable propaganda, on top of everything else we have to put up with. When folks are messing with your head constantly, you are traumatized.
This conclusion requires a causative effect to be demonstrably shown. Absent causation, mere correlation can exist, and noting non-causative correlation can substantively inform further inquiry.
It's more likely IMHO, that extended depression is self-medicated by prolonged cannabis application. Do you note any explanation for the assumed causative correlation between cannabis use and depression?
Thanks!
All of these issue are somewhat psychological and undealt with, despite some being physical brain issues there can be psychological resolutions, but that's another thing.
Depression being alleviated by cannabis relieves the symptoms but doesn't deal with cause. When you stop alleviating the symptoms and lose what makes you feel good, you can feel worse because you just lost something that was making you feel good. Hence the removing of feeling good can increase depression to be higher than before that loss. Loss can result in being depressed, and losing the thing that makes you feel better can make you more depressed more after you lose the feel good state.
There are certainly many potential causative mechanisms that can be proposed. I meant was there any attempt to demonstrate that a causative mechanism was responsible. I do understand your statement of how such causation might be effected, but do not understand you to be revealing specific claim of demonstrable causative mechanism shown by analysis of statistical data.
If you do have such a source, would you please be kind enough to share it?
Thanks!
Followed and resteemed, great post! Happy 420!!!!
Would you agree that using thc can combat anxiety but only when actually using thc? As in, if you take a thc pill, for sure the anxiety is weakened, but then you go a few days without and would the anxiety come back? For me it did and I had to find a way around it, basically looking in other ways to to overthink things.
But that’s where I think cbd comes in, in my opinion it has a longer lasting affect as it isn’t psychoactive... can’t wait for more and more research over the years :)
Yes. I am a CBD guy, I do not care to get blasted anymore, those days have long passed me by. I have found that CBD helps with my tinnitus and hence my anxiety levels. I do believe though in a holistic approach, that is finding a nice strain that has a high CBD content and a small amount of THC. I liken it to eating an apple. Eating the entire apple is far more healthy than drinking the juice. Like anything we ingest there is much blind faith in the growers who provide for us.
Yes I recently compared cbd to eating an apple! I also said I see it as another near essential health supplement as it’s so beneficial for our system.
My dad has bad tinnitus, he tried cbd in the past but he didn’t seem to like it. So is it only smoking the cbd strains that helps your tinnitus?
Hi there! The edibles have worked best for me. I have yet to find a doctor to give me a prescription, the laws are changing here in Canada and I hope that will make it easier and safer to obtain healthy product. All the big companies are getting to the front of the line to provide now. The Federal Gov has left it open for the Provinces to decide if individual citizens can grow their own, like up to 6 plants I think. The Province I live in will not allow that. Plenty of ways to go to yet in having fair and safe access to what I consider to be medicine. I hope your Dad finds other ways to help with his tinnitus, exercise and fresh air and eating healthy foods in general help me.
Awesome thanks :) are the edibles you eat just cbd, or very high cbd? My dad wouldn’t want thc, unless that could make a difference to his conditions...
in England cbd is now legal which is great, but it’s not really marketed. Thanks again for comment:)
Hi! Sorry for the tardy reply.
Well now your question is really at the crux of my problem. I have no way of knowing for sure what the CBD and THC levels are. I have access to edibles from a couple of different sources, which make claims of various percentages of CBD and THC. I have tried CBD capsules and found them to be effective. There is also CBD oil. I have not tried this. There are a few sources for this but again, one must place trust in the provider. I know from past experience that there are those who use chemistry on the plant for growth, mold and pests. If these are not flushed out before harvest, then you ingest it. Very nasty stuff! At one time I did a fair bit of research on strains that have a high CBD content with visions of growing my own, legally.
I do not have this information at my finger tips, but the info is out there.
Ha! I just had a dejavu, have we had this conversation before?! I jest I know we have not!
Anyways have your Dad try the oil if you can find it. I would think that is the most direct/potent and wholesome way to go. Me? I am looking for a new doctor, I want a prescription. In the meantime, I know I am repeating myself! Exercise outdoors, eat well, cut down on coffee, and listening to some audio therapy on youtube with headphones helps me manage my tinnitus.
Edit:
Refined/White sugar I believe is bad for my tinnitus.
I don't know, I think CBD mitigates the anxiety effect from THC. You would have to research. But I think the other comment answered it for you too ;)
Yes I’m going to do some more research for sure:) cheers for another great thought provoking post! I wonder how things will be in about 3-5 years time in relation to medical cannabis around the world... I hope more research gets put into it, along with other natural medicines, such as psilocybin. I’ve heard lots of mdma therapy too, which is great
I know mdma isn’t natural but it’s an alternative for sure. I always thought it was a party chemical but also seems to have very positive benefits :)
The future of medical cannabis is very exciting. As more and more studies come out a clearer picture of whole plant therapy emerges. In my experience, a lot of the "uncomfortable" effects of THC can produce such as "anxiety and paranoia" are negated by a plant with a diverse cannabinoid profile that includes CBD and CBG.
Examples of these are strains like Jet Fuel or Durban Poison.
Yes great comment, thc will limit anxiety when actually on thc, but it doesn’t cure it. Infact, it’s sortnof just masks it and when you are not taking thc it’s all right there again. But that’s where cbd comes into play :)
Good to know, thanks!
For me, it certainly has prevented or stopped short panic attacks. It also greatly reduces my anxiety if I smoke before entering a situation that normally increases it.
But, I've realized daily use has prevented me conquering depressive episodes. So, it's good to cut it out entirely sometimes. That said, my area has not yet legalized it, so I'm getting very generic stuff.
Thanks for the feedback, that sucks about getting lower quality stuff due to authoritarian absurdity.
Cannabis can be a natural and safe method to help fight stress. All thanks to the compounds of the plant, such as THC, which activate receptors in the human body, reducing the feelings of stress and anxiety.
I have never used cannabis but I have read a lot about it
a very comprehensive explanation of the benefits of cannabi, but in my country the use for such treatment is still very rare as it is struck by regulatory factors and the prohibition of religion
Yeah, fuck centralized authority making a plant illegal.
sir @krnel, from your post i came to know many unknown things about cannabies. Thanks for your sharing sir. Your post is much informative and useful. Great research sir. I think it is good to take cannabies but at a exact quantity. I am your fan sir.
Yeah the only problem is that the patients cannot rely on consistent naming of the strains they buy, cause every time they come back to dispensary to get what alleviated their pain, stress or anxiety so well, they get a different flower labeled with the same name, that came from a different grower, who sold it under a name that sells!
I'm glad to see some measurable data on this. This is great to know. Especially for us "would-be newbies"...