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Cannabis for Anxiety

foodcrisis said:
also forgot to write, if you are looking for sleep, read about the cannabinoid CBN. it's in some edibles.... it's known as "the sleep cannabinoid".. some people really like it, but it's not in a lot of edibles in my state sadly. you may be able to find some though.
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Thanks for that lead.
 
I picked up some gummies. Ate 4. Buzzed right now more than I ever was.

Finally I can sleep.
 
foodcrisis said:
also forgot to write, if you are looking for sleep, read about the cannabinoid CBN. it's in some edibles.... it's known as "the sleep cannabinoid".. some people really like it, but it's not in a lot of edibles in my state sadly. you may be able to find some though.
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I guess I'm lucky to live where I'm at. Our state jumped on the legal weed band wagon ahead of a lot of states. I'm told that, even back in the day, people out here could grow excellent weed in out-of-the-way fields in mountain areas. One person I knew drove me to his field that produced what he called " sans semilla." I live in an urban area. There's 6 weed shops an easy walk from where I live. Throughout the city, there must be dozens. I heard from relatives that the city of New Haven, CT, has exactly one weed shop. I would have thought there would be loads of them around Yale University. I was told there isn't. So the variation in weed law does seem to vary quite a lot from state to state.

I passed a big fancy weed shop near a local college. Decided to venture in. They were real nice and helpful. They did explain that they can't sell gummies as strong as I can get online. So, it dawned on me that all I gotta do is eat more of them. That worked great. I'm not going nuts with them. I'm heeding the advice that cannabis can evoke anxiety. But when I've got serious insomnia, they are a gift from heaven. I'll look into the CNB.
 
DesertHarp said:
I guess I'm lucky to live where I'm at. Our state jumped on the legal weed band wagon ahead of a lot of states. I'm told that, even back in the day, people out here could grow excellent weed in out-of-the-way fields in mountain areas. One person I knew drove me to his field that produced what he called " sans semilla." I live in an urban area. There's 6 weed shops an easy walk from where I live. Throughout the city, there must be dozens. I heard from relatives that the city of New Haven, CT, has exactly one weed shop. I would have thought there would be loads of them around Yale University. I was told there isn't. So the variation in weed law does seem to vary quite a lot from state to state.

I passed a big fancy weed shop near a local college. Decided to venture in. They were real nice and helpful. They did explain that they can't sell gummies as strong as I can get online. So, it dawned on me that all I gotta do is eat more of them. That worked great. I'm not going nuts with them. I'm heeding the advice that cannabis can evoke anxiety. But when I've got serious insomnia, they are a gift from heaven. I'll look into the CNB.
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it's actually "N", CBN is the one that supposedly helps sleep well... CBD is just anti anxiety i think.

"Cannabinol (CBN) is a minor cannabinoid marketed as a sleep aid, but scientific evidence supporting its sedative effects is still developing. Formed as THC ages and degrades, CBN is only mildly psychoactive compared to THC, but research is mixed on whether it works best alone or combined with other cannabinoids like THC and CBD"


they have it in some gummies and thc pills at the shops, you can ask about it... not always in stock where i live though.
 
most strains these days are some offshoot of girl scout cookies... which i don't like, so good luck.

if you can find some bubba kush (either pre-98 or katsu bubba), that imo is one of the best mainstream strains (it's very indica leaning, hard to find an indica) for relaxation... there's also grape ape, grandaddy purps, and purple urkle... they're also indica leaners. i love grape ape.

i'd stear clear of things like og kush... you might get a relaxing varietal, but it's more like a really strong hybrid and can lead to anxiety.

for sleep, nothing beats chemdog d (aka chem d) imo... it's strong up front in terms of the high, but it doesn't produce anxiety ime and it leads to a VERY long lasting and profound somnolescent period. and it doesn't seem to produce tolerance and so keeps working night after night.

it's a fun high the first few hours, with psychedelic snow over the visual field, kinda dissociative but the sleep it produces is unmatched in my opinion.

chem d, good luck finding it... but it's great. my favorite commercial weed. there are hybrids of it like onycd, or chem de la chem, but i find cdlc can have og kush phenotypes i dislike.

gorilla glue (like gg4, or just glue) is very similar, but not quite as strong and can produce a confusing anxiety state the first couple hours in my experience (ymmv). not as long lasting somnolescence either.

if yoipu can find hashplant or g13 relatives, like '88 g13-hp... that might also help with anxiety.

i love the chemdog stuff, and chem 4 can produce a good strong head high without severe anxiety and also with a relaxation that REALLY helps with gastrointestinal issues... very soothing on the midsection.

chem '91, the skunkVA cut of chemdog (the original chemdog) can be very good for a daytime relaxation... no real somnolescence or lethargy ime, but a great soothing and relieving daytime high for still allowing one to be productive but without anxiety or muscle pain. great for after work but not yet bedtime. can be (like any of the chemdog relatives) very strong for beginners, but if you take it slow any of them could be a crucial ally.
 
cbn is great for sleep, and i find that mixing it with thc and cbd is best... tolerance to (*edit*) cbN goes sky high pretty quickly.

cbc is great for elongating the cannabis experience, idk if it works for all cannabinoids but i'll bet it'll help the cbn last longer. we're all kinda guinea pigs in these regards...
 
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riv44 said:
Legal cannabis sold in natural food stores---thoughts? People seem to think the venue makes it safer and more credible.
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The shop I went to said they can't sell weed gummies as strong as what I've been buying online. So I'll stick with those. I went to a weed shop that was very nice. Big, brightly lit, real nice sales people who want to be helpful.
 
From my own experience, the jump from recreational to medical access is huge. I used Leafy DOC to get my card online, and once I had that, I wasn't stuck with the weak stuff anymore. I'd say if sleep is your main concern, look at indica strains or blends that lean that way. They've been much more reliable for calming me down at night compared to sativas, which sometimes made my mind race even more.
 
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Curious- are folks using cannabis because the medical system has failed to help in some way? Has the Doctor-prescription route created additional anxiety? Have pharmacies and insurance made helpful medicines hard to access? Too much fretting about controlled substances and dosage limitations?Are pharmaceuticals now thought to be "bad" or corrupt while self-selected cannabis more trustworthy and easier to access? All of the above?
 
Nah, we just like weed. There's like, nothing better for anxiety for the lot of us. Benzos are alright, but nothing will ever beat cannabis. Well, DMT is close for me, but that's more of a mental reset, whereas cannabis can calm me down and get me cheesing with euphoria even if I've had a seriously fucking bad day. I have PTSD and would be dead without this herb.
 
Allylbenzene said:
The main thing that identifies a strain is it's "terpene" profile. These terpenes give a strain its smell and contribute at least 50% of the overall theraputic effects. This makes the terpene profile pretty important when choosing a strain (it should be listed on the product, otherwise ask the budtender). Since you're looking for anxiety management you'll want terpenes that have anti-depressant and calming/relaxing effects. You will want to avoid strains with high levels of stimulating terpenes (eg terpinolene, ocimene and pinene).

The first 4 terpenes in this image are good anti-anxiety options:

KCM_THC_Terpenes_v2.png


If you're using essential oils that contain these terpenes then there are no issues of dependency or rebound anxiety. It's cannabinoids that contribute to these effects but only when using high THC products without other balancing cannabinoids (eg CBD) and relaxing terpenes.

As for cannabinoids: the most common one is THC but you might find CBD or CBG more suitable since they tend to be more calming/relaxing. You can buy CBD or CBG products but there's also products that include some THC + higher CBD, eg 10% THC, 20% CBD. The CBD helps to smooth out the THC effects. The key thing to remember is that higher THC is not necessarily better for anxiety. Also, go for strains with a high overall terpene content will offer better medicinal value.
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CBN. Prominent in hash , through degradation of THC . Very anxyolitic, body high, similar to hash.
 
CBN is definitely great for sleep, I can't use it during the day or else I can't function

THC and CBD can help with anxiety at lower doses, and all three combined at lower doses (particularly THC in this case) can help with sleep initiation and maintenance, people have been using cannabis to help with sleep in PTSD for a long time
 
A nonny mouse said:
Curious- are folks using cannabis because the medical system has failed to help in some way? Has the Doctor-prescription route created additional anxiety? Have pharmacies and insurance made helpful medicines hard to access? Too much fretting about controlled substances and dosage limitations?Are pharmaceuticals now thought to be "bad" or corrupt while self-selected cannabis more trustworthy and easier to access? All of the above?
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I'ld say you're on to something there. Years ago, I was put on a high dose of Restoril (a benzo sleeping capsule) by a shrink. After a few months, my primary care doctor announced that I couldn't have both a benzo and an opioid. (He was giving me Vicodin for neck and back pain.) He said that he, personally, didn't have a problem with me getting both. He said, if you don't like this restriction, blame Congress. So doctors have been knuckling under to the new scrutiny the Feds are bringing to how they order controlled substances. They don't have much choice.

I'm thinking that cannabis might be safer longterm than benzos. This is self-medicating, but life works better when you can have some semblance of a normal circadian wake/sleep cycle. I've never gotten any euphoria from weed, whether smoked or eaten. I find nothing pleasurable in being "buzzed." It just feels weird, and my physical balance is slightly impaired. But the stuff does put me to sleep, which has improved my quality of life quite a bit.

I recovered from that spate of anxiety I was going through. So now I'm mainly interested in cannabis that promotes sleep.

Thanks everyone for the knowledgeable feedback. Cannabis sure is a complicated substance.
 
DesertHarp said:
I'ld say you're on to something there. Years ago, I was put on a high dose of Restoril (a benzo sleeping capsule) by a shrink. After a few months, my primary care doctor announced that I couldn't have both a benzo and an opioid. (He was giving me Vicodin for neck and back pain.) He said that he, personally, didn't have a problem with me getting both. He said, if you don't like this restriction, blame Congress. So doctors have been knuckling under to the new scrutiny the Feds are bringing to how they order controlled substances. They don't have much choice.

I'm thinking that cannabis might be safer longterm than benzos. This is self-medicating, but life works better when you can have some semblance of a normal circadian wake/sleep cycle. I've never gotten any euphoria from weed, whether smoked or eaten. I find nothing pleasurable in being "buzzed." It just feels weird, and my physical balance is slightly impaired. But the stuff does put me to sleep, which has improved my quality of life quite a bit.

I recovered from that spate of anxiety I was going through. So now I'm mainly interested in cannabis that promotes sleep.

Thanks everyone for the knowledgeable feedback. Cannabis sure is a complicated substance.
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If you gonna down the same road with cannabis to replace benzos then I'd make sure the strains would be mostly Indica based or full indica.
 
someguyontheinternet said:
CBN is definitely great for sleep, I can't use it during the day or else I can't function

THC and CBD can help with anxiety at lower doses, and all three combined at lower doses (particularly THC in this case) can help with sleep initiation and maintenance, people have been using cannabis to help with sleep in PTSD for a long time
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They absolutely do, and the entourage effect definitely plays a role stabilising you, THC alone would likely be more negative than positive for you, so a decent tarpene profile/CBD compound mix is likely very beneficial. Generally they are much more pleasant anyway.
 
MidnightDevil said:
They absolutely do, and the entourage effect definitely plays a role stabilising you, THC alone would likely be more negative than positive for you, so a decent tarpene profile/CBD compound mix is likely very beneficial. Generally they are much more pleasant anyway.
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Thank you and all above for sharing your knowledge with me. There's a lot more to cannabis that I had any idea of. But I bless the day one of my sisters turned me on to her gummies. I've been going to bed and waking up at about the same times each day, thanks to my gummies. Life goes so much better, when you have some semblance of a regular daily pattern. I was cursed with insomnia since childhood. There's no explaining to those who sleep normally how disruptive insomnia is.
 
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