Weed doesn't always cause or cause anxiety at all for some people. For some it causes a feeling of relaxation and inspires creative thinking. I remember in a biopsy class I took we learned that the chemical
Anandamide was responsible for the 'life sorta flashing before your eyes, time slowing down, forgetting whats going on and being lost in a thought' feeling people describe that occurs in intense situations such as almost getting into a car accident or being in one and recalling as it was happening...anandamide is our brains natural cannabinoid receptor neurotransmitter, and THC basically mimics it. Heres a link on this stuff
http://biologyofkundalini.com/article.php?story=Bliss
Anyway, it would make sense some people condition themselves to feeling fear when a cannabinoid receptors being affected, while others feel relaxed and relief. It deals with short term memory and how theyre formed/stored...
Personally I used to smoke pot allll the time and I loved it never felt anxious. When I got hooked on opiates and then cold turkey quit and had w/d's I still smoked to feel better. Eventually I stopped smoking when I was clean of all drugs. When I started smoking again I felt so depersonalized, lost, anxious. I feel like either the experience of withdrawals and realizing finally I could see the changes in myself and how the endorphins and dopamine twisted my actions, my thoughts, and I never even realized it until that point (when high). That or when I smoke my mind goes back to a dark place when I was smoking and thinking deeply about how sad I was and how shitty and dumb I felt for my addiction. either way, I didn't smoke pot for a long time.
I currently do not smoke pot.
However, after those horrible pot experiences I eventually gave it another try, a whiiile later, and I found that smoking after/during rolling or tripping on acid or shrooms....it changed smoking pot for the time being. After that, I could smoke and relax and enjoy it, it took time and was gradual however, I slowly became more able to relax from pot. I actually like stronger sativa hybrids much more than indica/sativa mixes that are more indica, I prefer the cerebral high, in order to physically relax first I need to take my mind to a place where I can figure out why I am tense, how to not be, how I'll feel if i chill out, do I want to do things to feel certain ways, why am I hesitant, etcetcetc. Once my mind is clear and precise with its decisions the rest is simple. Oh and I have smoked King Krypto blend which has jwh whatever in it...I like it however it DEFINATELY brings out the anxious mini panic attack feeling of thought loops and discomfort with your own thoughts on the come up, once that parts over I think it enhances music and tv shows and story depth...but it physically sucks. I get a body buzz of relaxation yet i dont feel at ease my minds all over the place, i get NO hunger or munchies....I'm not a big fan of weed and my judgement on jwh substances is that they are ok, however they aren't something i'd enjoy alone or much of. I think maybe REAL cannabis with THC would be a nicer smoke, perhaps adding small doses of jwh chems in with it, enhances aspects weed traditionally gave and keeping the others as well.
I'd much rather just smoke opium tbh