Undoubtedly, the worst part of anxiety is panic attacks. These instances of pure panic can make you feel like the world is spinning, and you have no opportunity to breathe. Anxiety and panic attacks are detrimental in so many ways, mostly when left untreated. They can affect your relationships, `work, and, most importantly, the level of happiness you experience in your daily life.
Thankfully, there are ways you can treat anxiety. There are traditional forms, such as anti-anxiety medication or therapy. Then there are the less conventional ways to alleviate these negative emotions, and one of these untraditional tools is medical marijuana.
How safe is medical marijuana to treat panic attacks and anxiety?
As more states are legalizing marijuana, opting for self-medication has never been more accessible. People use CBD gummies for anxiety all the time and they swear by it. These days, you can mail order cannabis or head to a brick-and-mortar store that sells cannabis-based products. But while self-medication is becoming popular, many medical professionals advise against it because the research on cannabis is limited. Accordingly, there isn’t enough data to understand the inner workings of this natural compound and its long-term effects on the body.
From the data gathered so far, researchers have observed that medical marijuana works similarly to other anti-anxiety drugs such as benzodiazepines. The latter is a type of medication that increases Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the brain.
GABA is a critical neurotransmitter that works as a chemical messenger, and it helps control thoughts that lead to anxiety. It does so by blocking specific signals in the central nervous system, leading to a slow down in the brain. As a result, the GABA helps infuse us with a sense of calm and acts as a protector to keep anxiety levels low.
The problem with anti-anxiety medication like benzodiazepines is that while they help increase GABA levels, users often build a reasonably quick tolerance. This leads to thousands of deaths every year through overdose. With medical marijuana, researchers have observed its potential to increase GABA levels just as anti-anxiety medication does.
Even better, users do not seem to build a tolerance for medical marijuana. Besides the GABA neurotransmitter, medical marijuana can lower the levels of cortisol. The latter is a hormone that is released when we experience stress. However, when we are overwhelmed with chronic stress, continually high cortisol levels can lead to a lack of concentration, high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, and chronic fatigue.
The one drawback some users of medical marijuana experience is a heightened level of anxiety. This happens because medical marijuana contains a percentage of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although the THC level is not as high as that found in recreational marijuana, it still has enough of a dose for people to get high.
Accordingly, some users may become more anxious because of the THC’s mind-altering effects found in medical marijuana. Other than that, this natural compound is gentle on the organs, and it will not create harmful side effects that some traditional medication may produce.
Is there an alternative to medical marijuana?
If you prefer to avoid the psychoactive effects of medical marijuana, you can opt for another cannabis-based product known as CBD. Cannabinol (CBD) comes from the same plant species as marijuana, but unlike the latter, CBD contains a low level of THC, often less than 0.3 percent. Accordingly, there is no risk of getting high with CBD, nor is there a risk of an overdose.
CBD is legal in all states, and it comes in different shapes from CBD oil to gummies, e-liquids, balms, tinctures, and more. Although research is limited, experts have already observed encouraging results of CBD being a potent health tool for several mental and chronic health issues.
CBD is being used by those looking to ease chronic pain, skin issues, insomnia, and menopausal symptoms. Some researchers have also observed CBD’s potential to slow down the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and the rapid growth of malicious cells.
Most importantly, CBD is being used to treat anxiety, depression, PTSD, postpartum depression, and other mental health disorders. Although CBD will not permanently eliminate anxiety and panic attacks, it can infuse the user with a sense of well-being and reduce the amount of worry and panic attacks experienced daily. Even better, CBD does not cause severe side effects. The only known side effects of CBD are nausea and vomiting.
Treating your anxiety the right way
Guidance from a medical professional is the ideal way to treat your anxiety. If you decide to self-medicate with medical marijuana or CBD, always start with a low dose and increase when necessary.
References:
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-017-4648-z
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6970569
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6387667
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
