Anxiety & Marijuana Studies
Insomnia is a common symptom for individuals with anxiety and depression, affecting 60% to 70% of patients with generalized anxiety disorder. A 2022 study published in BioMed Central Psychology evaluated 667 medical marijuana patients with anxiety and/or depression-related insomnia. The result?
Both indica and sativa strains significantly improved sleep and outperformed CBD-only products.
Another standout study from Washington State University tracked 770 patients across 5,085 medical cannabis sessions. Remarkably, 93% of users reported a reduction in anxiety, with an average symptom drop of 58%. Interestingly, women reported even greater relief, reducing anxiety scores from 6 to just below 2 (compared to 3 for men).
What worked best? A combination of high CBD (>11%) and high THC (>26%) appeared most effective. And while everyone reacts differently, research suggests that just two puffs may be enough to experience relief – with no added benefit from higher doses.
Traditional anxiety treatments, including SSRIs, often fall short – and may even increase suicide risk. In fact, studies show that disability rates from mental illness have doubled despite a 400% increase in antidepressant use. While correlation doesn’t equal causation, the statistic has captured the attention of researchers.
Medical marijuana, by contrast, has no severe side effects. In a 2019 study also suggests impressive results:
Researchers tracked 146 medical marijuana patients who were actively taking benzodiazepines at the start of treatment. Participants averaged 47.7 years old, with just over half (54%) reporting prior cannabis use. Nearly all patients (97.6%) weren’t using any other recreational drugs, and the majority (73.3%) had never used non-cannabis substances. Alcohol and cigarette use were reported by 41.4% and 30.8% of the group, respectively.
Patients pursued medical marijuana for a variety of reasons, with reported conditions broken down into the following categories:
- Pain: 47.9%
- Psychiatric disorders: 31.9%
- Neurological issues: 7.5%
- Other: 12.7%
The study authors analyzed how medical marijuana use over time impacted benzodiazepine reliance. Here’s what they found:
- After two months of medical cannabis treatment, 30.1% of patients had stopped using benzodiazepines.
- After two prescription cycles, that number climbed to 44.5%.
By the final follow-up – after three rounds of medical marijuana prescriptions – 45.2% had fully discontinued benzodiazepine use.
In other words: Nearly half of the patients who started out using benzodiazepines were able to stop within six months of introducing cannabis into their treatment plan.
Patients also reported less day-to-day distress related to their health conditions after beginning cannabis therapy – an encouraging trend that led researchers to recommend further investigation into how medical marijuana might help reduce or replace benzodiazepine use.
Interestingly, the likelihood of discontinuing benzodiazepines didn’t appear to be linked to THC or CBD content, suggesting the therapeutic benefit may be more complex than cannabinoid ratios alone.
Treating Anxiety With Medical Cannabis
Whether you’re managing daily anxiety or seeking better sleep, medical marijuana may offer a natural, research-backed alternative. If you’re ready to explore your options, our team of state-certified physicians is here to help. Call us at (855) 420-9170 or fill out our quick online application to see if you qualify.