We live in stressful times – and it shows. According to an in-depth study that tracked data for 14 years, about 1 in every 10 Canadians suffers from anxiety with symptoms so serious that they required professional health services.
That makes anxiety the most common mental issue in Canada. While medications can help manage these symptoms, they’re not for everyone. Now, an increasing number of Canadians are choosing to use marijuana edibles for their anxiety.
While marijuana hasn’t been recognized by the medical community for its anti-anxiety properties, both scholarly research and anecdotal evidence to support this. Below, we’ve outlined how cannabis can help with anxiety, and why edibles offer several specific benefits. We also included a list of our four favorite weed edibles for alleviating anxiety.
How Can Weed Edibles Help Anxiety?
Anxiety disorders can manifest with several symptoms including panic attacks, general irritability, chronic apprehension, and elevated stress levels. Some specific anxiety disorders can also feature other symptoms. For example, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) also causes intrusive thoughts in its victims. The active ingredients in marijuana – notably, cannabinoids and terpenes – may be able to help soothe these symptoms.
Weed affects the body by sending signals through the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a subdivision of the central nervous system (CNS). To do this, marijuana activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain, known as CB1 and CB2. Research shows that CB1 receptor is responsible for most of the psychological effects of weed, including reducing anxiety.
However, while anecdotal evidence from smokers portrays weed as a panacea for anything from anxiety to cancer, some research doesn’t always seem to corroborate this. Although weed may be able to help alleviate certain forms of anxiety, it seems to exacerbate others. For example, weed seems to help treat the symptoms of OCD and PTSD, but may not be effective against other types of anxiety disorders.
Smoking weed is the fastest way to feel its effects. However, taking weed edibles may actually be better at easing certain anxiety than smoking flower or extracts. When you eat cannabis, your liver converts the THC within it into another organic compound called 11-hydroxy-delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (also known as 11-hydroxy-THC).
While this compound may be a tongue twister, it works particularly well with the brain. Specifically, 11-hydroxy-THC can pass through the blood-brain barrier more efficiently. As a result, users who take edibles will feel its effects more intensely and longer than if they’d smoked the same strain of flower.
Our Four Favourite Edibles for Anxiety
Although millions of Canadians experience anxiety every year, they don’t all have the same taste palate. Some may be drawn to chocolate bars, while others prefer gummies. We tried to cover all of our bases with this list of weed edibles for anxiety.
We were careful to ensure we chose an array of delicacies like cannabis chocolate bars. Additionally, we made sure to include marijuana-infused gummies – because who doesn’t love gummies? Finally, we added wanted to add something that would appeal to anyone, like weed olive oil can cut out the middle man and make their own edibles.
This tasty treat from Vancouver-based Astronaut Edibles is perfect for anyone who needs a respite from stress and anxiety in a delicious package. The company takes its dedication to making high-grade edibles seriously, and its founders bring more than 15 years of experience in the culinary world to the table. Each bar made of white chocolate and loaded with 300 mg of pure THC distillate.
Another offering from Astronaut Edibles, the Caramel Asteroid Crush bar is a milk chocolate compliment to the Milky Way Bar. Like other Astronaut Edibles products, the Caramel Asteroid Crush bar is made with premium ingredients and infused with a whopping 300 mg of THC distillate per bar. You can’t find Astronaut Edibles’ sumptuous sundries anywhere, though. MMJDirect is one of only six cannabis vendors in Canada that stocks Astronaut Edibles’ products.
Gummies are a staple of snack pantries everywhere. These ubiquitous treats also make a great THC delivery system. SeC’s Gemmies are infused with 5 mg of THC each, and come with seven brightly-colored chewables per pack. SeC makes these gummy treats with natural and organic ingredients, without using any solvents. Gemmies are a great way to stop anxiety in its tracks. They promote relaxation and calm feelings while simultaneously providing a much-needed mood boost to help combat signs of anxiety.
Cannalife Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil
If you haven’t found anything on this list that titillates your taste buds, don’t worry – there are still options. With Cannalife’s Infused Olive Oil, you can make your own THC-infused dishes. Each bottle contains 35 ml of extra virgin olive oil infused with 128 mg of THC. Cannalife used Pink Bubba, an indica-dominant strain, to formulate its cannabis-infused infused olive oil. As a result, they’ve packed every inch of Pink Bubba’s relaxing, calming effects into one small bottle.
Infused olive oil offers one of the simplest ways to develop your own cannabis dishes. Use it as an ingredient for baking, or as a dressing for your favourite salad. If you’re short on time, you can apply the oil directly to the area under your tongue for nearly-instant anxiety relief. It also promotes feelings of euphoria and heightened mood, along with possessing anti-inflammatory effects.
End Anxiety with Edibles
If you’re interested in trying weed edibles to ease anxiety, MMJDirect is a one-stop shop for everything you need. You can find any of the products listed on this page, along with an array of other infused edibles, in our online store.