Cannabidiol (CBD) has garnered a lot of attention over the past few years. During this time, many have claimed it can be used for several health benefits, including anxiety. But how effective is CBD for anxiety and is it really the magical cure everyone says it is?

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second most common cannabinoid found within the cannabis plant, right behind tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t cause a “high.” In fact, CBD has been found to exhibit no effects of any abuse or dependence potential. ¹ ²

CBD is legal across the United States thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, which federally legalized the hemp plant. This plant is all the same as marijuana but contains less than 0.3% THC. That makes it incapable of causing psychoactivity.

As of today, CBD can be purchased in a multitude of different products, from tinctures (CBD oils) to gummies to vapes. Many consumers claim that CBD has several therapeutic effects to help them with their daily lives, but there’s only so much research backing up these claims.

Furthermore, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t approve of any CBD product as a health supplement. That is, except for Epidiolex, a cannabis-derived pharmaceutical for rare forms of seizures. ³ ⁴

How Does CBD Work in the Body?

Researchers still aren’t 100% sure how CBD works within the body. However, they do know it has something to do with our endocannabinoid system (ECS). To put it simply, our ECS is a cell-signaling system that’s responsible for many aspects of our body’s functions, including: ⁵

• Appetite
• Memory
• Mood
• Reproduction and fertility
• Sleep

Many cannabinoids, such as THC, replicate the endocannabinoids found in our ECS. With that, cannabinoids naturally attach to our ECS and create varying effects.

However, CBD works a bit differently. Researchers believe that it doesn’t directly affect our ECS. Instead, they theorize it has an indirect effect to help balance out the ECS. It’s through this homeostasis that CBD is able to produce so many of its therapeutic benefits, from chronic pain relief to anti-inflammatory effects.

Can You Use CBD for Anxiety?

Since CBD helps to balance our ECS, some researchers believe it can help reduce levels of anxiety. Furthermore, our ECS works directly with our amygdala, a region of the brain associated with emotional processes, including fear. ⁶ Simply put, when our amygdala is out of control, we feel an abundance of anxiety.

A recent study found that CBD reduced the neurofunctional response to fear and threat-related stimuli in the amygdala and parahippocampal. ⁷ In other words, CBD physically decreases fear in the brain. While more research is required to understand how much CBD affects anxiety, we know it has a lot of potential.

What Does the Research Say?

In the last few decades, several studies have looked into using CBD for anxiety. These include:

• In 2015, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) recognized that CBD has been shown to decrease stress levels in varying animal studies. Furthermore, they noted that symptoms of anxiety, such as increased heart rate, often improved upon CBD consumption.

• In 2011, a study looked into how CBD affected social anxiety disorder (SAD). Participants received either 400 milligrams (mg) of CBD or a placebo. Those who took CBD saw a decrease in overall anxiety when asked to perform tasks they typically feared (i.e. public speaking). ⁸

• Several studies have recently revealed that CBD has a lot of potential in reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These studies have indicated that CBD may be of use as a standalone treatment or alongside traditional treatment methods. ⁹

It’s worth noting that a 2016 study also found CBD may have antipsychotic effects in people who struggle with schizophrenia. ¹⁰

Other Benefits of CBD

Beyond anxiety and mental health, CBD has been observed to have several potential health benefits, including: ¹¹

• Chronic pain
• Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease)
• Insomnia
• Involuntary muscle contractions
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Parkinson Disease
• Seizure disorder (epilepsy)
• Substance use withdrawal symptoms

However, just like anxiety, more research is required before CBD can be claimed to help with any of these conditions.

CBD Side Effects and Safety

One of the reasons CBD has garnered so much attention is that it’s non-addictive and comes with little to no side effects. Still, some people may experience mild bouts of the following: ¹²

• Diarrhea
• Drowsiness
• Dry Mouth
• Fatigue
• Reduced appetite

In particular, drowsiness and fatigue have been observed in high doses of CBD. To get an idea of how much you should take, see below.

If you’re currently on prescription medication, we highly recommend you consult your doctor before taking CBD. Some research has indicated that CBD can have negative drug interactions with certain medications. ¹³

For women who are pregnant or lactating, the FDA recommends avoiding CBD and all cannabis products. There simply isn’t enough research concerning the safety of these products for women in this category. ¹⁴

CBD Dosage Recommendation

Finding the right dosage of CBD oil can be a bit tricky as there are no standards when it comes to this industry. Most reputable CBD brands will have a “suggested use” somewhere on the label of the product. If you’re new to CBD, we highly recommend going off this suggestion as it tends to be an adequate dosage.

However, there are a few variables that should be considered before going off this suggestion. First off, you’ll want to consider the strength of CBD. Brands measure potency in milligrams (mg) and make it easy to identify when purchasing online. For newcomers, lower strength CBD is recommended (products with anywhere from 100mg to 500mg total CBD range). This results in a dosage of between 5mg and 25mg. ¹⁵

If you’ve taken CBD for a while now, you’ve likely developed a tolerance to it. With that, you may need more CBD in order to feel the effects.

Something else to consider is your body weight. Just as with other supplements, the more you weigh, the more CBD you’ll need in order to feel the effects. A rule of thumb to consider is taking anywhere from 1mg to 6mg of CBD for every 10 pounds you weigh (depending on how bad your anxiety is).

What If CBD Isn’t Helping My Anxiety?

Don’t be disheartened if you don’t experience the effects you desired on your first few tries. You may simply need more CBD (or more time with CBD) to reduce anxiety. We recommend gradually increasing your dose of CBD to get an idea of how it has an effect on you.

Finally, the time of day you take CBD also plays an important role. Those with anxiety are better off taking a dose in the morning and another dose midday. This will allow you to benefit from the effects throughout the day. However, if you find you experience more anxiety at night, you’re better off taking it an hour or so before bed.

How Long Does CBD Oil Take to Work for Anxiety?

When you take CBD oil, you should feel the effects within 15 minutes of consumption. However, if you’ve taken too low a dose, you may feel no effects at all.

Typically, people experience the most benefits when they take CBD frequently. While there’s no research on how long it takes, many have claimed that CBD oil works best for anxiety after a few weeks of daily consumption.

What Kind of CBD is Best for Anxiety?

CBD products come in many consumption methods, giving you various ways to consume them. If you’re new to cannabis, we recommend going with CBD oil as they’re extremely effective. However, you can also use a CBD gummy or capsule to garner the benefits you’re looking for.

Some people have found that certain types of anxiety require different CBD consumption methods. More particularly, those who struggle with a panic disorder or sudden anxiety attacks tend to benefit more from a CBD vape or smokable hemp flower. When we inhale CBD, it’s able to enter our bloodstream quicker and provide us with more immediate effects.

Furthermore, CBD products come in three extract types. These include: ¹⁶

• Full-Spectrum – Contains all of the cannabinoids found in the hemp plant.

• Broad-Spectrum – Contains all of the cannabinoids found in the hemp plant except for THC.

• CBD Isolate – Solely CBD and no other cannabinoid.

When it comes to anxiety, we highly recommend a full-spectrum extract as it allows you to experience the entourage effect. This is when your body garners the hundreds of botanical compounds found in the hemp plant and, in turn, experiences the most benefits. However, if you want to avoid THC altogether, a broad-spectrum or CBD isolate are just as viable.

---

CBD for Anxiety Review

Since the CBD industry is unregulated, there are a number of low-quality products hitting the market. With that said, it’s important to identify which CBD companies provide you with premium quality and safe CBD. Here is our list of the five best CBD brands currently on the market:

---

Final Word

In terms of all-natural wellness, CBD is one of the fastest-growing industries. While many claim it’s the answer you’ve been looking for when it comes to anxiety, chances are CBD isn’t going to work its magic alone. Often, people find the best results when pairing CBD with other healthy lifestyle changes, such as dieting and exercising.

If you plan to shop around this industry, we highly recommend caution. Since the industry is unregulated, there have been a number of low-quality products hitting the marketplace. With that, ensure companies are informative of their manufacturing process and offer a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) for their products.

References

¹ Sideris A, Doan LV. An Overview of Cannabidiol. Anesth Analg. 2024 Jan 1;138(1):54-68. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000006584. Epub 2023 Dec 15. PMID: 38108806.

² Prud’homme M, Cata R, Jutras-Aswad D. Cannabidiol as an Intervention for Addictive Behaviors: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Subst Abuse. 2015 May 21;9:33-8. doi: 10.4137/SART.S25081. PMID: 26056464; PMCID: PMC4444130.

³ Sholler DJ, Schoene L, Spindle TR. Therapeutic Efficacy of Cannabidiol (CBD): A Review of the Evidence from Clinical Trials and Human Laboratory Studies. Curr Addict Rep. 2020 Sep;7(3):405-412. doi: 10.1007/s40429-020-00326-8. Epub 2020 Jul 25. PMID: 33585159; PMCID: PMC7880228.

⁴ Reddy DS, Mbilinyi RH, Ramakrishnan S. Efficacy of the FDA-approved cannabidiol on the development and persistence of temporal lobe epilepsy and complex focal onset seizures. Exp Neurol. 2023 Jan;359:114240. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114240. Epub 2022 Oct 7. PMID: 36216124.

⁵ Zou S, Kumar U. Cannabinoid Receptors and the Endocannabinoid System: Signaling and Function in the Central Nervous System. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Mar 13;19(3):833. doi: 10.3390/ijms19030833. PMID: 29533978; PMCID: PMC5877694.

⁶ Ruehle S, Rey AA, Remmers F, Lutz B. The endocannabinoid system in anxiety, fear memory and habituation. J Psychopharmacol. 2012 Jan;26(1):23-39. doi: 10.1177/0269881111408958. Epub 2011 Jul 18. PMID: 21768162; PMCID: PMC3267552.

⁷ Davies C, Wilson R, Appiah-Kusi E, Blest-Hopley G, Brammer M, Perez J, Murray RM, Allen P, Bossong MG, McGuire P, Bhattacharyya S. A single dose of cannabidiol modulates medial temporal and striatal function during fear processing in people at clinical high risk for psychosis. Transl Psychiatry. 2020 Sep 13;10(1):311. doi: 10.1038/s41398-020-0862-2. PMID: 32921794; PMCID: PMC7487274.

⁸ Crippa JA, Derenusson GN, Ferrari TB, Wichert-Ana L, Duran FL, Martin-Santos R, Simões MV, Bhattacharyya S, Fusar-Poli P, Atakan Z, Santos Filho A, Freitas-Ferrari MC, McGuire PK, Zuardi AW, Busatto GF, Hallak JE. Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report. J Psychopharmacol. 2011 Jan;25(1):121-30. doi: 10.1177/0269881110379283. Epub 2010 Sep 9. PMID: 20829306.

⁹ Bitencourt RM, Takahashi RN. Cannabidiol as a Therapeutic Alternative for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: From Bench Research to Confirmation in Human Trials. Front Neurosci. 2018 Jul 24;12:502. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00502. PMID: 30087591; PMCID: PMC6066583.

¹⁰ Fakhoury M. Could cannabidiol be used as an alternative to antipsychotics? J Psychiatr Res. 2016 Sep;80:14-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.05.013. Epub 2016 May 28. PMID: 27267317.

¹¹ Vickery AW, Finch PM. Cannabis: are there any benefits? Intern Med J. 2020 Nov;50(11):1326-1332. doi: 10.1111/imj.15052. PMID: 33215831.

¹² Huestis MA, Solimini R, Pichini S, Pacifici R, Carlier J, Busardò FP. Cannabidiol Adverse Effects and Toxicity. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2019;17(10):974-989. doi: 10.2174/1570159X17666190603171901. PMID: 31161980; PMCID: PMC7052834.

¹³ Brown JD, Winterstein AG. Potential Adverse Drug Events and Drug-Drug Interactions with Medical and Consumer Cannabidiol (CBD) Use. J Clin Med. 2019 Jul 8;8(7):989. doi: 10.3390/jcm8070989. PMID: 31288397; PMCID: PMC6678684.

¹⁴ Joseph P, Vettraino IM. Cannabis in Pregnancy and Lactation – A Review. Mo Med. 2020 Sep-Oct;117(5):400-405. PMID: 33311738; PMCID: PMC7723128.

¹⁵ Larsen C, Shahinas J. Dosage, Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol Administration in Adults: A Systematic Review of Human Trials. J Clin Med Res. 2020 Mar;12(3):129-141. doi: 10.14740/jocmr4090. Epub 2020 Mar 2. PMID: 32231748; PMCID: PMC7092763.

¹⁶ Pavlovic R, Nenna G, Calvi L, Panseri S, Borgonovo G, Giupponi L, Cannazza G, Giorgi A. Quality Traits of “Cannabidiol Oils”: Cannabinoids Content, Terpene Fingerprint and Oxidation Stability of European Commercially Available Preparations. Molecules. 2018 May 20;23(5):1230. doi: 10.3390/molecules23051230. PMID: 29783790; PMCID: PMC6100014.