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Decreasing Anxiety Medication with Medical Marijuana

Decreasing Anxiety Medication Marijuana
Medical marijuana is being considered as a potential alternative to traditional anxiety medications, such as Xanax and Ativan, due to its fewer side effects and perceived effectiveness by users. Research indicates that pharmaceutical medications for anxiety and depression may have dangerous side effects, including a higher likelihood of suicide attempts. In contrast, medical marijuana has been found to significantly reduce anxiety and stress levels in patients, with 93% of sessions resulting in a patient-perceived reduction in anxiety. Furthermore, nearly half of the participants in a study of 146 patients ceased using benzodiazepines entirely after switching to medical marijuana.
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Have you ever thought about trying to rely less on your anxiety medication? If so, you’re not alone. Maybe you feel like you’re too reliant on prescriptions. Perhaps you are experiencing side effects that are interfering with other aspects of your life. Or maybe you just want to see if there is a natural alternative that works for you.

No matter what you reason for wanting to decrease your use of prescription medications, you can take solace in the fact that you do have other options. You’re probably here because you’re wondering if medical marijuana could help you combat your anxiety and help you stop relying on pharmaceuticals – and according to peer-reviewed research, it probably can!

DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS OF PRESCRIPTION MEDS

There is a lot of debate over whether pharmaceutical medications are even really helping people with anxiety disorders and depression. While there has been a 400% increase in their use in recent decades, the number of disability cases due to mental illness has more than doubled in about the same time!

According to research published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, adults who start treatment with antidepressants for depression are 2.5 times more likely to attempt suicide when compared with adults who take a placebo.

Many of the drugs used to treat depression are the same ones prescribed for anxiety. As potential side effects of many of those drugs include suicidal thoughts and/or actions, it’s clear there is a cause for concern.

On the contrary, medical marijuana has no severe side effects. The most common negative side effects of cannabis include dry mouth, red/irritated/dry eyes, and drowsiness.

MARIJUANA PATIENTS REPORT “SIGNIFICANT” DROP IN ANXIETY

A recent study conducted by Washington State University, using data provided by 770 medical marijuana patients over the course of 5,085 reported sessions, found that medical marijuana was overwhelmingly beneficial to people with anxiety disorders.

In fact, 93% of all sessions resulted in a patient-perceived reduction in anxiety and stress levels following cannabis use. Both men and women said their symptoms of anxiety were reduced by 58% on average when using medical marijuana.

Another study, this one done on rats with simulated depression, found CBD provided faster relief of symptoms than any antidepressant currently available. Anyone who has tried cannabis can tell you – you usually feel the effects quickly!

MULTIPLE WAYS TO TREAT ANXIETY

If you’re treating anxiety with medical marijuana, you’ll want to try a faster method – inhalation or tinctures. Inhalation doesn’t always mean smoking – there are also vaporizers and, in some cases, inhalers that can be used to medicate this way.

You could also use tinctures. A couple of drops of cannabis oil under your tongue is usually enough to get the desired effect.

HOW MANY PEOPLE SWITCH FROM ANXIETY MEDS TO MARIJUANA?

You might have heard over the years that marijuana can make you paranoid and anxious – so how on earth could it be beneficial when you’re trying to fight anxiety? Some will mistakenly tell you that THC is to blame. However, this is not true – and you shouldn’t fear THC or leave it off the table!

The truth is, different people react to THC differently – and there is not one concrete reason that this happens. Remember that higher THC strains will have a higher potential for this – but some of the relaxing effects of THC are also beneficial to those with anxiety disorders. (To learn more, check out CannaMD‘s earlier post: Why Do People React Differently to THC?).

The truth is, thousands of people have already used medical marijuana to treat their anxiety naturally and decrease their reliance on prescription medications. Almost half (45.2%) of people in a study of 146 patients quit using benzodiazepines (prescription anxiety medication) all together after switching to medical marijuana!

HOW TO TRY MEDICAL MARIJUANA

There’s no reason not to try medical marijuana to treat your anxiety – the risks are almost non-existent and the potential benefits are plentiful!

If you’d like to learn more about medical marijuana, you can download our FREE e-book. CannaMD also has a team of certified medical marijuana doctors who are prepared to answer any questions you might have! You can reach us at (855) 420-9170 to find out how we can help you on your mental health journey.

You can also find out if you qualify for medical marijuana with our quick online application!

Find Out If You Qualify

You may be eligible for medical marijuana!

To stay up-to-date with the latest studies and legal regulations surrounding medical marijuana treatment, be sure to follow CannaMD on Facebook and sign up for our newsletter, below!

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Updated: July 27, 2023

Article Written By:

Julia Granowicz

Julia is a professional writer specializing in medical cannabis and alternative health reporting.

NEED YOUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD?

Questions about medical marijuana? Ready to get your card and purchase legal cannabis products? CannaMD‘s state-certified network of medical marijuana doctors are here to help! Contact CannaMD‘s experienced team at (855) 420-9170 today. You can also find out if you qualify for medical marijuana treatment with our quick online application!

Find Out If You Qualify

You may be eligible for medical marijuana!

To stay up-to-date with the latest studies and legal regulations surrounding medical marijuana treatment, be sure to follow CannaMD on Facebook and sign up for our newsletter, below!

Join 100k+ Subscribers!

Get updates on more posts like this!

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