CBD can be incredibly useful for people who struggle with anxiety for a number of different reasons. Indeed, although scientific claims cannot necessarily be made due to the lack of research on the topic—which is largely due to the difficulty of getting the appropriate permits to carry out studies on a product which is derived from a banned drug—there seems to be plenty of conclusive evidence that suggests CBD can be helpful for sufferers from anxiety and depression.

How Common is Anxiety?

A lot of the time, we talk about conditions such as anxiety and depression—however, many people do not realise quite how common the condition is! In fact, as many as one in thirteen people nowadays are suffering from the condition, be it openly or without letting anyone else know about it. This also means that anxiety can be considered to be the most common mental health disorder worldwide!

As such, it is clear that a huge number of people in our society are struggling. As part of this, a lot of sufferers don’t get on well with anxiety medications for a plethora of different reasons. Sometimes, the side effects of anxiety medications can make them unpleasant for sufferers to take. Other times, the drugs that are prescribed may not even work at all! And, for these individuals, an alternative treatment could be useful. One such alternative, or complementary product, that could be of great benefit could be CBD supplements.

Does CBD Have Potential?

On the whole, most studies carried out into the efficacy of CBD supplementation for a variety of conditions have been performed on animal models, or otherwise are only conducted on a preclinical basis, it is safe to assume that there is some potential for CBD supplementation as an alternative or supplementary treatment. Though studies have not been carried out in large enough quantities to justify removing cannabis and CBD from the list of banned substances, it would seem that CBD can have the potential for helping with the symptoms of anxiety. Indeed, recent research does seem to indicate that CBD supplements could have therapeutic potential.

Study #1

In 2019, a double-blind study was conducted. The study aimed to determine the efficacy of CBD supplementation for teenagers who were suffering from social anxiety disorder, otherwise referred to as SAD. Each of the participants was given a capsule, which contained either 300mg of CBD oil or otherwise was given a placebo to serve as a control group. 37 teenagers were included in the study altogether, and the results were analysed to determine the likelihood of CBD being effective for the reduction of symptoms in these SAD sufferers.

17 teenagers participating in the trial were given a capsule containing CBD supplement, and 9 of these individuals reported that they sought further treatment for their symptoms following taking the CBD. At first glance, this might seem like evidence that CBD did not help these individuals—however, the opposite is actually true. Indeed, people suffering from social anxiety disorder frequently report that they struggle to get help for their condition due to the stigma relating to the condition. As such, it can be assumed that supplementation with CBD oil allowed these participants to lower their anxiety and seek the help that they needed.

Study #2

A further trial was carried out retrospectively in 2019 regarding the efficacy of CBD supplementation, too. The trial was conducted in Colorado and followed forty seven outpatients from a mental health clinic. A large number of the patients from this clinic included in the trial were given a dose of 25mg of CBD in addition to their daily treatment medication.

The results from the second trial were impressive in terms of CBD’s efficacy for treating anxiety. 79.2% and 78.1% of study participants reported that they experienced a reduction in their normal anxiety levels in the month and second month following the commencement of the treatment program. However, it should also be noted that a small number of patients during this study reported that the new treatment plan seemed to exacerbate their anxiety.

Study #3

A third study was also carried out into the efficacy of CBD supplementation for anxiety patients, this time a little earlier in 2018. This particular study seemed to find a different result from the two which followed it in 2019; in fact, this study suggested that CBD supplementation might be responsible for increasing patients’ anxiety levels.

In Summary

Findings between different studies are largely contradictory with one another. The above three examples clearly indicate the potential that CBD could have for helping to treat anxiety patients when used in combination with a patient’s existing medical plans in low doses., hinting at the idea that CBD supplementation should be considered on a case by case basis. However, not all patients will have success with CBD—while for others, it could be life-changing.