Best Strains For Anxiety

Best Strains For Anxiety

There has always been a huge debate over the relationship between marijuana and anxiety. For some smoking cannabis can be very relaxing and a great way to relief stress, but for others it can lead to paranoid thoughts, panic attacks and an overall feel of anxiety.

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So how to best answer a popular question whether marijuana helps reduce or induce stress? Well it does both but the trick is to find best strains for anxiety, no matter if you are experiencing anxiety and want to deal with it using marijuana, or if you simply want to smoke without those paranoia or panic attacks.

Today there are over 1.500 different strains of cannabis and the number is growing rapidly. Growing marijuana became a whole new industry, and a pretty lucrative one, so people are investing a lot of time, money and effort to create strains that will become a perfect choice for different groups of users. Best strains for anxiety, concentration, staying productive, relieving physical pain, sleeping… you name it and it is out there, created by combining existing strains into new ones, strict growing rules, nutrition dosage and more.

what is best strain for anxiety

For decades people are talking about the medical benefits of using marijuana and in the majority of cases the effects were tested on patients that suffer for life-threatening diseases like cancer and those experiencing strong physical pain. Lately scientist are starting to test the effects of marijuana on other disorders, especially anxiety and the results are pretty promising. This lead to an increased number of marijuana strains for anxiety that proved to be very helpful.

Studies have shown that the reaction and the level of stress marijuana can reduce/induce is strongly connected with the levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) in the strain. The more THC the bigger chance you will experience higher levels of stress after consuming, so if you are looking for best strains for anxiety you should go with marijuana that has lower levels of THC and higher levels of CBD.

For people that have a stressful life or an anxiety disorder, marijuana could be the best natural way of coping with it. To get the most benefit from marijuana you should first do your best to recognize your sensitivity and tolerance and then start experimenting with different strains. To help you find best marijuana strains for anxiety, here are some that you should try, based on levels of THC and CBD, as well as user experience.

Best strains for GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)

People suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder usually have an exaggerated concern about the majority of things in their everyday life and can’t stop worrying excessively about their family, jobs, health, money… Symptoms include ongoing tension and fear for the future, constant restlessness, trouble falling asleep, problems with concentration and more.

It is a common disorder in highly stressful environments, and although its causes are not fully known, most medical professional agree that brain chemistry, genetics and the effects of your everyday environment can contribute to its development. Here are the best marijuana strains for anxiety disorder professionally known as GAD:

– Granddaddy Purple

When it comes to best strains for anxiety, indicas have been a preferred choice because they have a much more calming effect than sativas which are often said to supercharge your brain. Granddaddy Purple is a very popular indica strain that has 17 – 23% of THC and between 0.01 and 0.1% of CBD. It will make you feel very relaxed and reduce your stress levels significantly.

Granddaddy Purple for anxiety

– Jack Herer

Although this is a sativa strain, Jack Herer is a hybrid from three different strains that created a perfect blend of potency and a calming effects. It is described as a very clear-headed strain, which makes it perfect for moments when you feel overwhelmed with problems and not being able to find a solution. It has also been very useful in situations where high levels of stress affect your creativity.

Jack Herer strain for anxiety

– Cannatonic

Thanks to its high levels of CBD (up to 23%) and low levels of THC (up to 15%) Cannatonic is for many people a first choice when it comes to best marijuana strains for anxiety. This is a very relaxing strain with uplifting effects that help focus the mind, so it is a great choice for people that are feeling depressed.

cannatonic strain for anxiety

Best strains for people suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a condition that affects people who experienced a terrifying and extremely traumatic event that includes a serious physical harm or physical threats. The effects of this disorder were first noticed after World War I, when a huge number of soldiers started showing signs of high stress and anxiety. It was called shell shock, and after further studies it was recognized as a serious condition and became known as PTSD.

PTSD is common with victims of all types of violent attacks. The first symptoms start showing 3 to 12 months after the traumatizing event and include often reliving of the trauma, avoiding other people or places that remind them of the trauma, as well as trouble showing emotions such as affection, sleep trouble and often outbursts of anger. Best marijuana strains for anxiety that is often neglected and considered irrelevant include:

– Canna-Tsu

As we said, smoking marijuana with high levels of THC for people that have conditions like PTSD is a bad idea which is why best marijuana strains for anxiety have lower THC levels and higher CBD levels. Canna-Tsu is one of those strains making it a perfect choice for people with PTSD and generally one of the best strains for anxiety. Its citrus aroma gives it a great flavor and it helps you relax easily while keeping your mind clear and focused.

canna-tsu strain for anxiety

– Girl Scout Cookies

Girls Scout Cookies is one of the most awarded marijuana strains throughout the world. You might think that a strain with high levels of THC should not be a part of best marijuana strains for anxiety list, in some cases PTSD patients have a significant deficiency of a compound called anandamide. This is a THC-like compound important for your memory, so if you are one of these patients Girl Scout Cookies is a great choice.

Girl Scout Cookies for anxiety

Best marijuana strains for Social Anxiety Disorder

It is also known as social phobia and it’s one of the most common mental disorders today. Persons suffering from it have and overwhelming and unreasonable fears in groups of people. The fear that they will look bad, make mistakes that all others will notice, that others constantly watch and judge them and that they will be humiliated. In some cases these fears can lead to panic attacks.

Usually the symptoms come suddenly in social situations and include shaking, confusion, sweating, intense heart pounding, muscle tension… Because of this people with this disorder avoid social situations but it doesn’t have to be like that thanks to these marijuana strains for anxiety:

– Strawberry Cough

This strain will be very helpful in situations when you have to attend places with a lot of people because it will help you feel more social and alert but it’s not too stimulating so you will not get the feeling of paranoia or awkwardness while socializing. It brings a perfect balance of calm and energy which is perfect for feeling great in large groups of people.

Strawberry Cough and anxiety

– ACDC

This strain is often recommended to people that have severe cases of Social Anxiety Disorder. The reason is that it has very high level of CBD (up to 20 times more than THC) which brings its psychoactive effects to a minimum. It also has a citrusy and sweet flavor which is a great choice for people who do not like the earthy flavor a lot of strains have. ACDC will make you feel relaxed, focused and it will take away the stress. It is no wonder this strain found its place on the best strains for anxiety list.

acdc strain for anxiety

Best strains for OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

OCD is also a fairly common mental disorder and it best described as the need to get rid of unwanted thoughts by doing the same tasks over and over again. Like the feeling that everything around you has germs so you constantly wash your hands after touching people and things around you.

Although Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder has been studied by the leading mental disorder experts, the exact cause for OCD is still unknown. There is also not that many medical evidence that prove how marijuana helps in dealing with OCD, but numerous user experience show that there are some strains that can help people to take their mind of those exaggerated fixations that make them constantly repeat certain tasks. Some of the best marijuana strains for OCD are:

– Northern Lights

This is a very relaxing and tranquilizing marijuana strain that proved to be one of the best choices for people suffering from OCD. It is also one of the most popular strains in the world so you will have no trouble finding it. The reason it’s so popular with OCD patients is because it is known to slow your mind so to speak and relax you so those fixations that come with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder are less stressful.

Northern Lights strain anxiety

– White Fire OG

Another one of those strains that may look like they don’t belong on the marijuana strains for anxiety list because of its high level of THC, but people with OCD that tried it say that it proved to be very helpful. Experts say that the main reason for this is the presence of special kinds of Terpenes (responsible for marijuana flavors) that are increasing the feel of relaxation and are great for stress relief.

anxiety and White Fire OG strain

Best marijuana strains for insomnia

It is hard to make a list of best strains for anxiety without mentioning those that are great for people having problems with insomnia. It is one of the most common symptoms of all anxiety disorders, and it can by itself increase the levels of stress even if you did not show them earlier.

Insomnia comes in various forms – some people have trouble falling asleep, some wake up often during the night, some wake up much earlier in the morning and some feel tired even if they had a good night sleep. There are two main types – primary and secondary but regardless of which one you have these strains will help you fight it:

– Blackberry Kush

This indica strain is often recommended to people that are looking for pain and stress relief as well as those who have trouble sleeping. It is definitely not a strain that you would use in social situations or in situation where you need to be focused or creative but it is definitely the number one strain you want by your bed if you are having trouble falling asleep.

strain for anxiety Blackberry Kush

– Purple Urkle

Purple Urkle became popular as one of the best pain relieving marijuana strains so it is often used in medicinal purposes. Since this is and indica strain it is also a great way to relieve stress and since the majority of users reports that Purple Urkle is extremely sleep-inducing it is one of the best choices for those that often wake up during the night.

Purple Urkle anxiety strain

As you can see the best strains for anxiety list brings several choices for all most common types of anxiety disorders but it should not be taken literally. Different people have different experiences with marijuana and the way it effects their stress levels but this might be a good way for you to start if you decided to use marijuana to deal with your anxiety.

Our advice is to experiment with several strains that are similar to those mentioned here because you are the only person that knows your preferences and your sensitivity best. When you find the strain that gives the best results for the condition you are experiencing trouble with stick to it no matter if it’s mentioned on our best strains for anxiety list or not.

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