Finding the right balance of CBD:THC

Many of cannabis’ medicinal properties come from the 100 plus cannabinoids contained in the plant. Two of the best known cannabinoids are THC and CBD but each cannabinoid has its own medicinal benefits. There are also over 700 strains of cannabis and each one of them contains different quantities of each cannabinoid which in turn will offer different benefits for patients.

Research shows that high doses of CBD can reduce anxiety whereas high doses of THC can worsen it.

Anyone who might have experienced paranoia or anxiety smoking marijuana recreationally may have fallen victim to excessive THC consumption. Often cannabis strains cultivated for recreational use have been purposely bred to be high in psychoactive THC and low in CBD to maximise their intoxicating effect.

Cannabis strains grown to treat anxiety are often chosen because they are conversely naturally high in CBD with a moderate to negligible amount of THC to maximise the calming properties of the CBD. 

The amount of THC any individual can consume without negative side effects depends on their personal biochemistry and tolerance built up by frequency of use. 

So should you just choose a CBD only product without any THC? CBD only products (also known as CBD isolates) can possibly help with anxiety but may not be as effective without the presence of some THC as well all the other compounds found within the plant.

Widely acclaimed research by Israeli scientists Shimon Ben-Shaba and Raphael Mechoulam demonstrates that CBD is more effective when taken in conjunction with the other hundred plus cannabinoids (including THC), fatty acids and essential oils that the plant naturally produces. The theory, known as the ‘entourage effect’ suggests choosing a ‘full spectrum’ CBD product with THC to enhance the benefit of CBD for people suffering from anxiety. 

(You can find out more about full spectrum CBD and the entourage effect in this article: What is full spectrum CBD)

Studies showing the effective use of CBD for a variety of anxiety related conditions

There are a number of promising studies that have researched the effects of CBD rich medications for depression and anxiety. 

In a trial conducted by the University of Sao Paulo, one dose of 600 mg of CBD was administered to a number of participants with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) before a public speaking test, with other participants being given a placebo. 

Those who were pretreated with CBD displayed significantly reduced anxiety, discomfort, and cognitive impairment during their speech performance.

Participants with SAD who were given a placebo rather than CBD were observed to be significantly more anxious, with higher levels of discomfort and cognitive impairment.

In addition, a study conducted by researchers at the New York University School of Medicine about the effectiveness of CBD oil for anxiety found that doses between 300 to 600 mg of CBD reduced levels of anxiety that had been experimentally induced. 

The team also found evidence that CBD may enhance fear extinction, and as such may be useful in the treatment of conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The study concluded that there is evidence that CBD can reduce anxiety behaviours related to a number of disorders, including SAD, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (PD), and PTSD.

Pre-filled oil vapes 

Advantages: 

• Pre-loaded vaporizer capsules don’t require any setup. Usually you screw them onto a vape pen battery and you’re ready to go. 
• Prefilled vapes used condensed cannabis oil so depending on the brand you can get around 100 doses or inhalations per 1 gram cartridge.
• Like smoking, vaping enables cannabinoids to be absorbed into the bloodstream rapidly via the lungs so can provide almost instant relief.

Disadvantages: 

• Although there is no tobacco involved there are still question marks around how healthy vaping thinning agents like propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol are for your lungs in the long term. 
• Authentic vape cartridges with THC are difficult to find in the UK currently and there are many fake ‘US imports’ on the black market that may be dangerous.

Tinctures 

Advantages: 

• Tinctures are easy to dose accurately using a pipette. Placing a dose on the capillary rich area under your tongue and holding it there for a few minutes before swallowing allows it to be absorbed into the bloodstream quicker. Be aware it can take up to an hour to feel any effect so wait for longer before increasing the dose. 
• Tinctures are a longer lasting, slow release method compared to smoking or vaping
• They are a clean, smoke free methods without any long term health concerns

Disadvantages: 

• Tinctures are much slower to take effect than smoking or vaping. Any tincture swallowed must be metabolized by the liver before entering your bloodstream although holding it under the tongue does help some of the tincture to bypass this longer process.

Dosing CBD and THC effectively 

CBD

For high CBD products with zero or negligible amounts of THC, you can dose larger amounts without worrying about the intoxicating effects of THC. 

If you’re vaping or smoking you can puff until you feel anxiety subsiding. The most effective CBD oil dosage for anxiety is thought by many to be between 300 to 600 mg, mostly because these levels have been studied more thoroughly than higher levels.

THC

CBD products with moderate to high amounts of THC are only available with a legal prescription in the UK. You should consult with your doctor about the recommended dosing for your condition.