Anxiety is a major issue for many people. While for some it can part of coping with the stress of everyday living, for others anxiety issues are debilitating and life-changing. Cannabis has long been used as a way to calm the nerves and there is some anecdotal and research evidence that it is effective for anxiety issues.
However, getting it just right can be difficult for many users. Which is the best strain? It’s not a question of getting high with big doses of THC, it’s about reducing the anxiety and still being able to function adequately in many cases.
Here we take a look at the best weed for anxiety and how it can help. A lot is going to depend on what your issues are. If you are simply looking to take the edge off your anxiety and cut out the stress, cannabis can be a good choice. If your situation is more complex, however, getting the right advice and guidance is going to be vital.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a fairly broad term that can cover a wide range of psychological health issues. We all feel anxious at various times and most of us can cope with this. It’s part of life. Others, however, find it difficult to cope with.
- Anxiety can be caused by a previous traumatic event, for example, which clouds how you feel about the world around you and can really affect your health and wellbeing.
- You might be under a lot of stress at work and this could cause you to feel overly anxious.
- You may have a deeper problem such as agoraphobia where you are unable to go out or have fear of certain places or situations.
Anxiety affects us all in different ways. To some, it can provide an impetus to do something about the situation we are in. For others, it may stop them doing things or avoiding certain pinch points.
Which Cannabis Strains Work Best?
Cannabis can help create a feeling of calm according to much of the anecdotal evidence around. While it may mean short-term relief for some people, finding a way to cope with anxiety is a constant battle for many others. A recent piece of research found that those self-reporting anxiety and depression did indeed find relief by using cannabis.
If you have a long-term problem with anxiety, however, it’s important that you get additional help in the form of counselling rather than simply depending on cannabis. Indeed, if you pick the wrong cannabis with very high levels of THC it can actually have the opposite effect and increase your levels of anxiety.
Our Top Ten Best Weed for Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the biggest reasons that people take cannabis for medical purposes, though the effects are not fully understood yet. On a personal level, it could be a simple case of relaxing yourself or making it possible to get a good night’s sleep which means you feel much better next day. While THC has been shown to reduce anxiety levels at relatively low doses, CBD may well be the better bet for long-term anxiety condition, especially if you need to stay functional.
Choosing the best weed for anxiety is not easy. You may have to try a little experimentation with different varieties. Every person is different in how they react to a particular strain and what works for one individual may not have exactly the same effect on another.
Here’s our list of best sellers at Seedsman when it comes to choosing weed for anxiety.
GrandaddyPurple Feminized Seeds
This is
one of the most popular choices but does have a fairly high concentration of THC (between 25 and 35%). That’s mainly the reason why it’s often used for those with moderate to severe anxiety issues. It’s also taken for pain control and plays a role in dealing with insomnia for many people.
This mainly Indica strain is not for individuals who are simply having general anxiety issues and want something to calm themselves down. It’s a plant that can be grown both indoors and outdoors and produces a pretty good yield of up to 500 gm/m². It’s strong, relaxing and sedative but not advised if you want to keep control of your senses during the day.
Supreme CBD Durban Feminized Seeds
For those with moderate or low anxiety and stress issues, who want to be calmer but able to carry on their daily lives,
the Durban strain has equal measures of THC and CBD. It has a wide range of uses, which makes it a popular choice with our customers. These include reducing inflammation and spasms and controlling pain. It has also been used by those suffering from epilepsy.
At 70% Sativa, this strain delivers a fairly relaxing body stone that really does help cut down anxiety levels. It’s a plant that grows pretty tall, however, so you need to watch where you plant it, especially indoors.
William’s Wonder Regular Seeds
This is
another potent Indica strain and it needs to be grown indoors until flowering if you are considering moving it outdoors later. This has a THC level of around 20% so is going to make you pretty euphoric. It’s not just used to alleviate the pressures of anxiety but users also take it for depression, pain relief and insomnia
Yield is pretty good at over 500 gm/m² and you should expect flowering within about 9 weeks. This is one of the best weed choices for anxiety if you understand your problem a little more deeply and know how to maintain it. It’s not necessarily the best choice for novices who have never taken cannabis medicinally before.
Skunk Haze CBD Feminized Seeds
Skunk Haze is a fairly well-known cannabis strain and this variety has won a few awards along the way. It’s an Indica/Sativa mix that again delivers equal measures of THC and CBD. It’s mostly good for growing indoors but can flourish in a greenhouse situation. You should expect yields of up to 450 gm/m².
This is a weed strain that is mostly used for controlling anxiety but does provide moderate pain control. You should expect flowering to take place within about 9 weeks. This is another cannabis strain that is suited to first time users and novices because it lacks the hardnose psychoactive effect of high THC varieties.
Tom Kush OG Feminized Seeds
A mostly Indica strain,
Tom Kush has a relatively high THC content and produces a relaxing, sedative effect. If you’re having trouble sleeping because of your anxiety issues, this may be a great option for taking close to bedtime. The plant can be grown anywhere and produces high yields, especially outdoors where you can expect over 1,000 gm/m².
In the past, this has been used to help combat ADHD, reduce stress and anxiety and help with depression. It’s also proved useful for managing PTSD and migraines.
Sweet Tooth Express Auto Feminized Seeds
Sweet Tooth is legendary in cannabis circles and this is an auto-flowering strain with a medium THC content and 2% CBD that has proved popular in recent times. It produces a euphoric or uplifting high without sending you over the edge and is useful in dealing with issues such as anxiety.
The fast flowering time of 7 weeks makes this a good choice for impatient growers though you have to temper this with a relatively low yield crop compared to other varieties. Commonly used to help anxiety and stress as well as relieve headaches this is one of our best selling weeds at the moment.
Choosing the Best Weed for Anxiety
As you can see from the choices above, cannabis seed strains can vary in their potency and effect. For beginners, it’s wise to start with a variety that provides balance, taking the edge off your anxiety while not incapacitating you. Most seed varieties will come with quite a lot of information on what their strengths are, how they are often used and what you can expect to achieve.
You can also find plenty of information online from those who experienced in growing a particular crop.
One word of warning when it comes to anxiety: It can be easy to get into a cycle where you feel that the high of the THC is making you better – this is rarely the case. If your anxiety is more than just a temporary issue, we strongly advise that you seek help in addition to taking any weed for anxiety. It could be that addressing the underlying causes will have bigger long-term impact than simply taking cannabis.
What strain you settle on is important but so is how you administer your cannabis. We’re beginning to learn a lot more about different cannabinoid compounds and how to release these effectively. You may, for example, find that dabbing at a set temperature will release the terpenes that you are looking for. It’s important to explore these areas even as you look for the best weed for anxiety.
