



The relationship between cannabis and anxiety is an interesting one. Large concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is often tied to bouts of paranoia and anxiety, but it’s been well-documented that cannabidiol (CBD) can counteract this affect.

With that said, a group of Brazilian researchers published an article in the 2011 Journal of Psychopharmacology that further investigates the relationship between cannabidiol (CBD) and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Their results suggest that CBD could offer a way for people suffering from SAD to help manage their symptoms.

In order to test the relationship between cannabidiol (CBD) and anxiety, the Brazilian research team recruited 10 people with a diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). They then used functional neuroimaging to gauge the amount of bloodflow in various parts of the brain, noting the effects of CBD.

In the first session, half received an oral dose of 400 mg of cannabidiol (CBD) and the other half were treated with placebos. These roles were reversed in the second session so that all 10 particpants were treated with CBD at some point.

According to the results of the study, cannabidiol (CBD) was associated with a significant decrease in subjective anxiety. Cerebral bloodflow after CBD treatment also seems to point to an anxiolitic (anti-anxiety) effect in the areas of the brain that control emotions.



