by Nebula Haze
What is the best medical marijuana strain for anxiety? Some strains I’ve tried in the past seem to help, while others make it worse. Are there any strains I should avoid?
When looking for anti-anxiety medical marijuana, the growing and preparation methods are almost as important as the strain. That’s why it’s so helpful to grow your own buds when using medical marijuana to relieve symptoms of anxiety.
Growing your own buds also allows you to choose the exact strains that work best for you.
When using medical marijuana to help relieve anxiety, a good general guideline is to choose strains with lower levels of THC and higher levels of CBD.
There are also many strains that don’t follow these guidelines, yet seem to still be great for relieving anxiety. In these cases, there are probably other cannabinoids or substances at work which haven’t been studied yet. That’s why the effects of any strain should be tested on a case-by-case basis, especially when it comes to something personal like anxiety. There are hundreds of cannabinoids present in the various strains of medical marijuana, and we have only studied a small handful of them so far.
Strains For Anti-Anxiety: General Guidelines
- Lower levels THC
- Higher levels CBD
- Opt for proven anti-anxiety strains if you can
- Whenever first trying new buds (even a strain you’ve tested before), only use a little at first, and listen to your body’s reaction before you medicate fully
Growing Tactics For Anti-Anxiety Buds
(improve anti-anxiety effects of your buds)
These tactics may improve the anti-anxiety effects of medical marijuana that you grow:
Choose to grow a high-CBD strain (options listed below). CBD (Cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid that is found in many strains of cannabis and hemp. CBD has many possible medical benefits, yet doesn’t leave people feeling “impaired” or “stoned.” It also seems to reduce some of the effects of THC.- Harvest buds later (after some THC has turned into CBN) as early harvested buds are more likely to cause anxiety and headaches
- Dry and cure buds properly
- Allow buds to cure for at least 4 weeks before smoking. Curing buds for longer seems to increase anti-anxiety effects for many people
- Test a small amount of any new buds before medicating fully
- Vaporize your buds instead of smoking them, as it’s easier to control your dose and the effects are less likely to come on too strong or too fast.
Choose to grow a high-CBD strain (options listed below). CBD (Cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid that is found in many strains of cannabis and hemp. CBD has many possible medical benefits, yet doesn’t leave people feeling “impaired” or “stoned.” It also seems to reduce some of the effects of THC.I have compiled a list of strains below which may be helpful in relieving anxiety. A strain is usually considered “high-CBD” if it has more than 2% CBD (many popular strains have less than 1% CBD). As far as growing, generally you’ll get the most consistent high-CBD results with clones, though high-CBD strains from seed have come a long way over the last few years as the strains are stabilized.
Well Known High-CBD Medical Strains Available Only as Clones
- Harlequin
- Sour Tsunami
- Charlotte’s Web
Trustworthy High-CBD Strains Available as Seeds
High CBD Photoperiod
- Supreme CBD Durban by White Label (High THC) – Seeds germinate well and plants grow fast, good bud quality and effects. High CBD, but also high THC, so you will feel somewhat “high”
- Charlotte’s Angel CBD by Dutch Passion (almost no THC) – Extremely high CBD up to 16% with low THC levels below 1% – won’t make you feel “high”
- CBD Skunk Haze by Dutch Passion (1:1 ratio – 7.5% CBD and 7.5% THC) – Good yields, easy to grow, relaxing bud effects that aren’t overwhelming.
High CBD Autoflowering – learn about autoflowering strains
- Purplematic CBD Auto – (almost no THC) – 17% CBD and less than 0.5% THC. Beautiful purple buds that won’t make you feel “high”
- CBD 1:1 Auto by Fastbuds (1:1 ratio – 7.5% CBD and 7.5% THC) – Good yields, easy to grow, relaxing bud effects that aren’t overwhelming.
Avoid These!
- High-THC strains without significant levels of CBD (though some high-THC strains are surprisingly effective at reducing anxiety for some, too much THC can be overwhelming for others)
- Strong concentrates, especially things like “wax”, “dabs”, “shatter” and “BHO” (butane hash oil) which are usually extremely high in THC and low in everything else.
- Buds that show any signs of mold (smelly buds, brown or black mushy sections, white fuzzy fur, etc)
- Buds which were harvested early
- Buds which have not been properly dried (especially if buds seem moist)
- Buds which were not cured for long enough (if buds are bright green or smell like fresh cut grass, it means they were not cured properly)
- Strains that have given you an anxiety reaction in the past
- Strong or untested edibles
- Putting yourself in an unfamiliar situation while medicating with marijuana
Important! One of the best things you can do to relieve anxiety is get your body moving. Something as easy as a leisurely stroll is still better than staying at home sitting on your couch. Even a little bit of excercise can make a huge difference, as your body released endorphins which can have very strong anti-anxiety effects.
Learn more about controlling CBD levels when growing medical marijuana: How Do THC, CBN, and CBD Relate to Marijuana Potency?
Learn more about CBD at the Project CBD website: http://projectcbd.org
“Scientific and clinical studies indicate that CBD could be effective in easing symptoms of a wide range of difficult-to-control conditions, including: rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, PTSD, epilepsy, antibiotic-resistant infections and neurological disorders. CBD has demonstrated neuroprotective effects, and its anti-cancer potential is currently being explored at several academic research centers in the U.S. and other countries.”
~ Project CBD website
Jump to…
What Makes Some Strains “Medical” or Not?
How Do THC, CBN, and CBD Relate to Marijuana Potency?
How to Increase CBD When Growing Cannabis
How to Increase THC When Growing Cannabis
How Long Does It Take to Grow Weed?
Nothing in this article should be considered personalized Health Care Advice. No one at GrowWeedEasy.com is a licensed health care professional and we cannot offer you personalized Health Care Advice. Any Health Care recommended in this article should be made only after consulting with your Doctor and licensed Health Care Advisor.
