Powered by Smartsupp

Best Weed for Anxiety and Depression

OK, let’s get this out of the way from the start. Anxiety and depression disorders are complicated. They can have many different causes and effect people in very different ways. This means that determining the best weed for anxiety and depression is not a simple task. To find a strain that helps your symptoms will take some experimentation and if you’re unsure it might be a good idea to consult a medical marijuana doctor who can accurately diagnose your condition and is familiar with the best weed strains for anxiety and depression.

The link between anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are separate conditions but they share many of the same symptoms. 85% of people who suffer from depression also suffer from anxiety of some sort. It’s not totally clear what the link is but in general we can say that both disorders involve a malfunction of the brains ability to regulate mood and emotion.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression

The range of symptoms you might suffer is extremely varied and to make it even more confusing they can sometimes even seem to completely contradict each other!

Some of the more common symptoms of anxiety include insomnia or tiredness, racing heartbeat, chest pains, lack of appetite, or feeling lost and like you don’t belong anywhere.  

The symptoms of depression can include all of the above as well as suicidal thoughts, social isolation, weight gain or weight loss, inability to concentrate and a lack of enthusiasm for getting out of bed or off the couch.

If you feel like you suffer from any of these symptoms then you’re not alone. Anxiety disorders affect 18.1% of the adult American population (40 million people!) and major depression affects 6.7% of the adult population in any given year. That’s massive!

Smoking weed gives me anxiety so how can it also help it?

Smoking weed has the potential to trigger feelings of anxiety, paranoia and panic, especially the first time you smoke too much. Social anxiety from smoking weed is also particularly common. If all this is true, how can smoking weed actually help with anxiety? The answer comes mostly from understanding how much THC vs CBD is in the weed you’re smoking as well as your tolerance to THC.

Why does THC cause anxiety?

THC is the psychoactive compound in weed that makes you feel high. THC binds to receptors in the area of your brain responsible for emotion (called the amygdala). In some people, this binding results in a ‘good high’ and stimulates feelings of euphoria, energy, creativity or relaxation. However, the amygdala also controls fear and paranoia so if you smoke too much or are susceptible it can trigger anxiety and paranoia.

The body also produces its own chemicals (called endocannabinoids) that are very similar to THC and CBD. They bind to the same receptors as THC and act like natural weed to help regulate your emotions. Recent evidence suggests that anxiety sufferers have lower levels of these natural endocannabonoids and smoking weed replaces them with THC and helps alleviate the feelings of anxiety and depression.

Many recreational and medical strains of weed have been bred to have high concentrations of THC. For recreational smokers this is a good thing because the euphoria of getting stoned is the reason for smoking! The high levels of THC in medical weed is also used to treat many common conditions such as nauseapain and inflammation. However, if you’re sensitive to THC induced anxiety then these high concentrations of THC aren’t good at all.

How does CBD help treat anxiety and depression?

Unlike THC, CBD is not psychoactive and doesn’t get you stoned. Most importantly, CBD binds to the same receptors in your brain as THC. Every time a CBD molecule binds to a receptor in your brain, it prevents a THC molecule from binding which lessens the ability of the THC to trigger anxiety and paranoia. Weed strains that are high in CBD can still allow you to feel the positive effects of THC but block the negative effects.

Studies have also shown that CBD can even act as an antidepressant when used on its own and can be effective for treating social anxiety.

Generally speaking, the effects of THC are positive and can help with anxiety and depression up to a certain threshold. As soon as you cross this threshold by smoking too much or smoking a strain too high in THC, the anxiety inducing effects start to take over. A strain high in CBD is often the best weed for anxiety and depression because it can give you the best of both worlds. It’s also very important to recognize that any treatment is going to depend on the dose you take and your tolerance for THC.

Our picks of the best weed for anxiety and depression all have high CBD concentrations and have almost all been bred specifically for medical use. In fact, some of the strains used to treat depression are so low in THC that you won’t even really feel high when you smoke them!

Most of the weed strains on our list are also sativa dominant, because sativa strains tend to have higher ratios of CBD to THC.

What are the best weed strains for anxiety?

Harlequin OG

Harlequin OG
  • Strain composition: 75% Sativa, 25% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 10%
  • CBD level: 33%

Harlequin OG is often seen as the best weed for anxiety and depression because it can be taken all day with a clear head and the THC to CBD ratio still gives a nice euphoria along with the CBD effects.

Blue Dream

blue dream
  • Strain composition: 60% Sativa, 40% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 15%
  • CBD level: 2%

Blue dream has lower levels of CBD than many of our picks but gives a head high that leaves you motivated and alert.

Pineapple Kush

pineapple kush
  • Strain composition: 70% Sativa, 30% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 3%
  • CBD level: 15%

Cannatonic

cannatonic
  • Strain composition: 50% Sativa, 50% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 15%
  • CBD level: 12%

Cannatonic is a medical strain that isn’t great for getting high but is great for relaxing and feeling less anxious.

Blueberry

blueberry
  • Strain composition: 80% Sativa, 20% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 23%
  • CBD level: 11%

Blueberry might be the best weed to smoke for anxiety if you suffer from social anxiety as it will make you fee upbeat and socially engaged.

Pennywise

pennywise
  • Strain composition: 30% Sativa, 70% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 10%
  • CBD level: 12%

 What are the best weed strains for depression?

Charlotte’s Web

charlottes web
  • Strain composition: 40% Sativa, 60% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 1%
  • CBD level: 20%

Charlotte’s web is one of the stronger medical marijuana strains around for treating depression. It’s actually not even legally considered weed because the THC content is so low!

ACDC

acdc
  • Strain composition: 50% Sativa, 50% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 6%
  • CBD level: 20%

Doctor Doctor

doctor doctor
  • Strain composition: 70% Sativa, 30% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 2%
  • CBD level: 20%

Thunderstruck

thunderstruck
  • Strain composition: 70% Sativa, 30% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 2%
  • CBD level: 24%

Hells Fire

hells fire
  • Strain composition: 30% Sativa, 70% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 9%
  • CBD level: 22%

Good Medicine

good medicine
  • Strain composition: 70% Sativa, 30% Indica
  • Percentage of THC: 15%
  • CBD level: 15%

We hope you’ve found our recommendations for the best weed for anxiety and depression useful. Please remember that if you’re suffering from serious anxiety and depression, don’t suffer alone. Talk to your doctor about the options for treatment and don’t be afraid to ask them about medical marijuana options. If they can’t give you specific advice then they’re sure to know who can.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *