CBD research has a lot of catching up to do. That’s because it’s only been legal since December 20, 2018, when the Hemp Farming Act became law. That’s roughly 80 years after curcumin, the main active compound in turmeric, was first mentioned as a remedy in a research journal. Because CBD is the new natural health remedy on the block, a lot of questions remain about its effectiveness for a variety of health concerns. There’s lots of claims and anecdotal tales of success. But what does the research say about, arguably, the condition which has received the most attention when it comes to CBD health benefits: anxiety?
A study recently published in Innovare Journal of Medical Science offers some insight. The meta-analysis (a review of several published studies) examined 76 published studies from 2019 and last year.
The conclusion was that more than 70% of the research studies published on CBD’s effects on anxiety and stress demonstrated positive outcomes. Unlike previous research studies that quantified CBD’s efficacy only on lower forms of life such as worms, the meta-analysis included studies on humans.
CBD was found to be useful especially for the specific type of anxiety called anticipator anxiety, an example of which is public speaking. Researchers believe that CBD helps relax the part of the brain that processes emotional information.
Depression and anxiety commonly occur together; the two disorders share common treatments, according to WebMD.com. The meta-analysis shows a 66.6% positive improvement for clinicians who used CBD as an alternative treatment for depression.
Of course, more research is needed to draw conclusions, and without doubt, more research is forthcoming. One drawback to the study is that the dosage varied widely across the studies, from 50 mg of CBD to 600 mg per day.
It’s also important to note that in each of the 76 studies, CBD isolate was used. CBD isolate does not contain other cannabinoids in the cannabis sativa plant.
Thus, unlike full-spectrum CBD oil, isolate does not provide the “entourage effect.” Both high-quality CBD isolate and full-spectrum may provide some level of relief for anxiousness. To date, there has been no peer-reviewed research comparing the two for anxiety-reduction efficacy.
