Anxiety-related disorders affect a huge segment of our population — 40 million adults (18%) in the United States
age 18 and older. In response, Big Pharma has developed numerous drugs
to treat anxiety-related disorders, from selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Zoloft to tranquilizers (the most
popular class being benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax).
CBD exerts several actions in the brain that explain why it could be
effective in treating anxiety. Before we dive in, it’s important to note
that most research describing how CBD works is preclinical and based on
animal studies. As the saying goes, “mice are not men” — and, results
from animal studies don’t always neatly transfer to human therapies.
However, preclinical studies provide insights that move us in the right
direction:
Brazilian researchers conducted a small double-blind study
of patients afflicted with generalized social anxiety. After consuming
CBD, participants reported a significant decrease in anxiety.
Researchers validated patients’ subjective reports by performing brain
scans showing cerebral blood flow patterns consistent with an
anti-anxiety effect.
In another small study,
researchers had patients suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder perform
a simulated public speaking test. Participants reported significantly
less anxiety, findings supported by objective anxiety indicators like
heart rate and blood pressure.
Researchers concluded, “[CBD] significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive
impairment, and discomfort in their speech performance,” whereas the
placebo group experienced “higher anxiety, cognitive impairment, [and]
discomfort.”
Evidence from animal studies have begun to characterize the details of
how CBD acts in the brain, and human studies of patients with and
without anxiety disorders are starting to validate CBD’s efficacy as an
anti-anxiety treatment. Given the huge social and financial costs of
anxiety disorders in the U.S., CBD has the potential to play a
significant role in treating a myriad of anxiety-related disorders.
Much More: Leafly