Cannabis for Stress

It’s nothing new; stress is a major issue for millions of Americans. In fact, more than 75 percent of Americans report symptoms of stress, including headache, sleep issues, and fatigue, and almost twenty percent believe their mental health has declined in the last year, according to the American Psychological Association.

What can be done to combat stress? For many, cannabis is the answer. One of the main reasons people consume cannabis is to help them relax and reduce stress. Several studies indicate cannabis can be an effective stress reliever. We have linked all of these studies below in the ‘sources’ area, as we do in every chapter.

Cannabis Microdosing: The Key to Be Stress-Free?

One of the main takeaways from the majority of the studies done on cannabis and stress was that microdosing could be the key. The properties of cannabis to reduce stress and anxiety could be most effective when we are microdosing. The feelings of anxiety in higher doses might arise, but in low doses, it could help greatly.

From a health standpoint, microdosing cannabis is a great choice. The best way to describe micro-dosing is with the word attrition, which means the process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of something. The health benefits of microdosing include avoiding the dreaded full day on the couch, the reduction of binge eating munchies, and decreasing the amount of smoke you inhale into your lungs.

One study on microdosing cannabis was conducted by researchers at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago. To research dose-related effects, participants were administered 7.5 milligrams of THC as well as 12.5 mg at separate times. The majority of participants indicated that the smaller dose provided them with greater stress relief, and the higher doses tended to harm their mood.

Another study published in the Journal of Pain in 2012 involved cancer patients who weren’t responding to pharmaceutical painkillers. The study concluded that the lower doses tended to cause a higher pain-relieving effect than the higher doses.

How to Microdose Cannabis

Two of the most important things to consider before microdosing are your physiology and tolerance. If you’re a medical patient, your condition is also an important factor. A dose that works well for one person might be ineffective for you. A good starting point, especially as a new consumer, is to start at a milligram or two of a product containing THC. It’s also a great strategy to consume a ratio of 1:1 THC to CBD if you can. If you are really nervous, first try just CBD instead. Start at as low of a vape or smoking dose as possible, and then increase that daily to see how well you respond.

It can be hard to consistently microdose with vaping and smoking cannabis flower or oil concentrates. For this reason, you might want to simply ingest a small number of edibles, tinctures, or topicals to get the medicated benefits without the overwhelming buzz. Edibles found in most dispensaries must have mg content printed on them, making dosing with edibles easier to control.

Busting stress with cannabis medicine is most certainly nothing new. However, since most of the studies on cannabis for stress are best achieved with a microdose, we will likely see the bulk of stress-related cannabis research include microdosing aspects as well.

What We Learned: Cannabis for Stress

Stress relief is yet another way that cannabis can help our overall health. This makes it important for cannabis newcomers to learn about. Here’s what else we learned in this chapter:

• Stress is a major issue for one-third of all Americans, according to the APA.
• Studies indicate that stress relief is best achieved with low doses of cannabis.
• Cannabis may help with occasional stress relief, but should not be relied on daily.
• Microdosing with edibles is generally easier to control than doing so with flower or concentrates.
• Further studies on cannabis and stress will almost certainly include an aspect of microdosing.

You’re more than halfway through the Cannabis and the Body Guide! Look at you go! Why stop now? Answer the below question and let’s get into yet another chapter.