Anxiety is a condition that has kept many people from enjoying the medical benefits of cannabis. There are two spectrums when it comes to cannabis and anxiety. Even though many people use cannabis to relieve stress, there are people that suffer from anxiety who can end up panicking after consuming high levels of THC.

However, cannabis has also been used to treat pre-existing anxiety. It all depends on the type of cannabis used, the potency and dosage. We’ll go over the various ways cannabis can influence anxiety.

Microdosing As Prevention

There are people that could benefit from the medicinal effects of cannabis who can’t handle the psychoactive effects due to their anxiety. The best way to avoid a cannabis-induced panic attack is to learn how your body handles specific strains by microdosing.

Uncertain of the THC level? The safest thing to do is to take things one puff at a time and feel out the effects before taking another pull. With this in mind, the best tools for the job are a one-hitter or vaporizer.

If you’re going to use a vaporizer we recommend one that will only heat as you take a hit so no weed is wasted when you take breaks between puffs. Start by figuring out how many hits it takes to feel the effects without any feelings of panic. Be sure to take note of that for every time you use that specific strain.

Consuming your cannabis after meals is a good way to keep results consistent. The same amount you’re accustomed to can seem more intense if you’ve gone a while without eating.

CBD To Calm Anxiety

Fortunately, there is a safety net built within the cannabis plant for anyone prone to anxiety. Treating anxiety with cannabis is easier with cannabidiol or CBD. CBD is a different cannabinoid from THC that can actually counteract the psychoactive effects of THC. In fact, Brazilian researchers found CBD was able to relieve anxiety in patients with social anxiety.

Furthermore, research has proven the anti-anxiety ability of CBD. Researchers gave CBD with no THC to people with a generalized social anxiety disorder and put them in simulated public speaking situations. They found CBD was able to successfully reduce the anxiety induced by public speaking in patients with social phobia.

There are tons of strains high in CBD and low in THC. So people prone to anxiety have plenty of options for balancing out the psychoactive effects of THC. There are even CBD products with absolutely no THC content on the market so people with anxiety can get relief without the risk of accidentally consuming too much and panicking.

Delta 8 THC: Somewhere Between THC and CBD

If you’re prone to anxiety, most cannabis concentrates should be avoided. Unless they’re a CBD concentrate or an edible dose of Delta 8 THC.

A 1995 study on children found that kids did not show any signs of psychoactive effects after ingesting delta-8 THC.

Unfortunately, Delta 8 THC is rare because so few people produce it but it is also one of the best options for those looking for the medicinal effects of THC with less psychoactivity. However, be warned that there is still some psychoactivity to delta 8 THC when it is dabbed. So, anyone prone to panic from THC will likely be triggered by a large dab of delta 8 THC.

Even though delta 8 THC is less psychoactive than THC, it comes in concentrated form. As a result, you should practice microdosing when dabbing delta 8 THC.

People suffering from other conditions on top of anxiety that want to benefit from the therapeutic benefits of cannabis without having a panic attack have a few routes to take. Those with high-anxiety should stick to CBD treatment. Everyone else should be fine microdosing with cannabis flowers or experimenting with delta 8 THC. To avoid any unwanted surprises, we recommend skipping the THC edibles and concentrates.