How Hemp Oil Can Help Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder and panic disorder are prevalent in 18.1% of the population—roughly 1 in 5 people. Research suggests that hemp oil can potentially be an answer for the 40 million adults in the United States who suffer from anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders come with a plethora of symptoms which can greatly decrease an individual’s quality of life. Some of these symptoms include restlessness, insomnia, fatigue, irritability, increased heart rate, GI problems, and a sense of impending danger, panic or doom. Anxiety also commonly coexists with depression. Half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Although there are treatments available, the majority of those who suffer from anxiety disorders go without treatment. Hemp-derived CBD oil products may be a possible solution. Studies suggest that CBD can help relieve anxiety and many of it’s accompanying symptoms. But before we get into the research, we should talk about what hemp is.

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Hemp is a part of the cannabis family along with marijuana. Although hemp and marijuana are similar, their chemical makeups are very different. Hemp contains high concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD), which is what we are going to discuss in this article. CBD is the primary element in hemp that may help anxiety, as well as countless other ailments.

Marijuana, on the other hand, contains low amounts of CBD and high amounts of THC. THC is the chemical responsible for giving a high feeling when smoking or ingesting marijuana. In fact, THC has been known to increase anxiety and paranoia in many people.

Hemp contains little or no THC. What this means is that you won’t get high from hemp-derived products like CBD oil and hemp gummies when used as directed.

The terms “hemp oil” and “CBD oil” are often used interchangeably. However, there are different kinds of hemp and CBD oils. Hemp seed oil contains low amounts of both CBD and THC, hemp-derived CBD oil contains high amounts of CBD and virtually no THC, and marijuana-derived CBD oil contains a high amount of THC and a low amount of CBD.

Benefits for anxiety are found in hemp-derived CBD oil. This type of oil is extracted only from hemp that contains a high amount of CBD. It is extracted using one of several processes. The two most common extraction methods are CO2 and Ethanol.

While research suggests that CBD oil can help those with anxiety, the evidence is not conclusive, due to the lack of large-scale clinical trials. There have only been a few studies on small groups of people. The majority of CBD testing has been done on lab animals.

One small study done in 2011 shows that CBD oil may be able to alleviate social anxiety. In this study, 24 subjects who had social anxiety disorder were given either 600mg of CBD or a placebo 90 minutes before completing a test that simulated public speaking. Twelve additional subjects, with social anxiety disorder, were given the same test without CBD. The results showed that those who used CBD before the public speaking test were significantly less anxious, cognitively impaired, and uncomfortable.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that “CBD has shown therapeutic efficacy in a range of animal models of anxiety and stress, reducing both behavioral and physiological (e.g., heart rate) measures of stress and anxiety.”

The dosage of CBD seems to have a large impact on how CBD affects those with anxiety disorders. The anti-anxiety effects of CBD follow a bell-curve, suggests a study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology. A 300mg dose of CBD seems to be the sweet spot, while 100mg and 900mg servings did not seem not to have a substantial effect.

Research is still being done on dosages for those with anxiety disorders. At some dosages, CBD has shown to cause depression as a side effect. Due to the fact that half of those with anxiety disorders are also diagnosed with depression, it’s important to be careful with dosages so that depression is not worsened. Always consult a doctor before using CBD oil or any other dietary supplement.

• Anxiety disorders are only one of the uses for CBD oil. Research suggests that hemp-derived CBD oil is helpful for:
  • Acne
  • Insomnia
  • Epilepsy
  • Depression
  • Nausea
  • Inflammation
  • Glaucoma
  • Chronic Pain
  • Parkinson’s disease

Some research also suggests that CBD oil can potentially kill certain types of cancer cells and reduce the size of some tumors.

CBD does have a handful of side effects. However, they tend to be mild and are somewhat rare. Some of the side effects include:

• Changes in appetite
• Changes in mood
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Depression
• Dizziness

The laws surrounding cannabis can be quite confusing. Marijuana-derived CBD is only fully legal for both medicinal and recreational use in eight states. However, hemp-derived CBD oil is 50-state legal. This has a lot to do with the THC content. Since THC can cause impairment, it is illegal for recreational use in many states. On the other hand, hemp-derived CBD oils contain little or no THC, so they do not cause impairment.

Anxiety affects a large number of people in the world. Unfortunately, only a small portion of those with anxiety get the treatment they need. Research suggests that hemp oil has a positive effect on those with anxiety disorders, especially social anxiety. This may mean that CBD could be the answer to a happier and healthier life for the 40 million Americans who struggle with anxiety every day.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Due to FDA Regulations, we recommend that you do your own research on CBD products. We also suggest that you read the reviews on our website, where our customers record their real-world results of using our products.