Use of cannabidiol in anxiety and anxiety-related disorders

Summary & key facts

Researchers looked at human studies to see whether cannabidiol, or CBD, helps with anxiety. They found eight small studies that tested CBD for things like generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and anxiety symptoms after trauma. Overall, CBD often reduced anxiety on standard tests and caused few side effects like tiredness, but the studies used very different doses and methods, so we still need larger, better studies to know how well it works and what dose to use.

Key facts:

• This review pooled results from eight human studies: six small controlled trials, one case series, and one case report.
• The studies tested CBD for general anxiety, social anxiety, anxiety after trauma, and in healthy people facing stressful tasks.
• CBD was given by mouth as a capsule or as a spray under the tongue.
• Doses varied a lot across studies, from about 6 mg up to about 400 mg per dose.
• Most studies reported that CBD reduced anxiety on standard rating scales compared with placebo or baseline measurements.
• CBD was usually well tolerated. The most common side effects were feeling tired and drowsy.
• The review found no human studies that tested CBD for panic disorder, specific phobias, separation anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• The authors concluded CBD looks promising for anxiety but said more consistent, larger studies are needed to determine the right dose and where CBD fits among other treatments.

Topics

Bipolar Disorder and Treatment Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Anxiety Anxiety disorder Anxiolytic Cannabidiol Cannabis Clinical psychology Generalized anxiety disorder Internal medicine Medicine Panic disorder Psychiatry Randomized controlled trial Social anxiety

Substances

Cannabis Other

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Panic disorder and phobias PTSD Anxiety or worry