Worldwide, over 260 million people experience mental health disorders such as anxiety. It can manifest in the different areas of our life - school, work, family, and the whole of our social life. Anxiety can lead to disturbances in the community where you belong, as well as personal health disorders. Because of these, doctors prescribe anxiolytic drugs that help reduce anxiety and provide relief. The efficacy of these drugs is still limited, as some patients may develop resistance to their medication. Scientists are still researching an alternative and have come across cannabidiol or CBD. Several studies on using CBD for anxiety have already been conducted, and we will find out whether this potential gives us hope for a better alternative.

Does CBD help with anxiety?

Heading straight to the answer, multiple research suggests that there is great promise for using CBD to treat anxiety. However, scientists conducted most of these studies on animals and preclinical trials. Therefore, although there is hope for a new alternative, doctors require more clinical studies and testing for its use in the medical field. 

Scientists have been researching the antidepressant properties of CBD since the late 1970s. Before clinical trials on humans, researchers tested CBD first on animals. Early findings concluded contradictory, but later trials on CBD use for anxiolytic effects showed positive results. In a review article in 2020, researchers showed effects in animals from various studies, including anxiolytic and antidepressant properties in CBD.

Delving into the details of these studies further, we will still have to look into different factors such as the method of use of CBD, the effective dosage used, potential risks, and side effects. This will now include studies on human trials, which would be a better guide in handling CBD as an alternative to anxiolytic drugs.

What are the potential risks and side effects of CBD?

According to this study, research indicates that CBD has a low overall risk if used for a short period. Scientists recommend more studies in order to clarify risks in the long-term use of CBD. 

While the side effects of CBD use are still unclear, researchers warn that potential risks exist. These risks can be in terms of the strength of the dosage, purity of the CBD extract, and the method of administration.

Researchers warn individuals against using CBD while on medications, as it can interact with certain molecules in other drugs. Drugs to watch out for include warfarin, macrolides, antiretrovirals, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and opioids. 

Many scientists believe they still require further studies to solidify claims on the side effects of CBD used for anxiety. However, the expected side effects are based on CBD for children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, diarrhea, somnolence, and decreased appetite. 

Currently, CBD has a positive risk-benefit profile. This means that CBD has more benefits than risks. However, we should still be careful in its use, especially in terms of the dosage used when taking CBD.

How to use CBD for anxiety?

Human clinical trials on using CBD for anxiety also began in the late 1970s. The same review article tabulated several effects, including reduced subjective anxiety, increased mental sedation, reduced cognitive impairment, reduced anxiety, improved sleep disturbance, reduced craving, reduced symptoms of depression, improved emotional processing, decreased heart rate, and reduced PTSD severity. 

On the use of CBD for anxiety, there are multiple doses treated for patients based on several studies. The doses used include:

• 25 mg/day to 75 mg/day in patients with anxiety and poor sleep problems.
• 25 mg/day to 48.64 mg/day in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• 400 mg to 600 mg single-use capsules in healthy volunteers.

These doses resulted in reduced mental health disorders, including anxiety and PTSD. While the 400 mg to 600 mg dose did have some anxiolytic effects, the 600 mg dose also had a record of increased anxiety in patients with high paranoid traits. This is an extremely high dosage compared to those prescribed on the market.

With these results, you may calculate the dosage comparison between the study and the market-available products. Suppose we were aiming for 25 mg a day. Assuming you bought a 30 mL - 750 mg CBD extract with a dropper, then the bottle would contain a total of 600 drops because every dropper holds 0.05 mL of oil. Of those 600 drops, each contains 1.25 mg because 750 mg per 600 drops is 1.25 mg/drop. To follow the dose in the study, you would need to take 20 drops a day.

Which products from Urbalactiv can help with anxiety?

Coincidentally, we have a product that describes what you would need. Our Level 3 STRONG - Urbal Activ® CBD Multi Spectrum, 30mL - 750 mg, perfectly exemplifies the described computation above. However, we do not recommend taking 20 drops a day immediately. We suggest you gradually increase the dose while monitoring your response to the extract. Start with 2-4 drops taken twice daily.

If you do not want the hassle of measuring the number of drops you take daily, we recommend our Urbal Activ CBD Gummies, 400mg. This already comes in 25 mg each, so you may simply drop one in your mouth and carry on with your day.

If you feel that the doses might be too much for you, we recommend first testing our gateway products, such as our Urbal Activ® Multi-Flavor Pack Hard Candies - 150MG CBD Extract. This can help you in starting with our other CBD products without getting overwhelmed with doses and risks. And if you are new to CBD, visit Urbalactiv at our website and explore the many benefits of CBD with us.