![](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Holding-Weed-Treating-Depression@2x-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Feeling anxious or depressed<\/a>? You\u2019re not alone. Anxiety and depression are two of the more common issues we hear about at the dispensary where I work, especially around the holidays. As a patient consultant and educator, I see hundreds of patients a week and help them find relief with cannabis. Here are some of the successful medicating strategies I\u2019ve learned:<\/p>\n Much comes into play when you\u2019re looking at the right amount of cannabinoids for an individual \u2014 personal metabolism, genetics, hormone levels, how much you\u2019ve eaten<\/a>, and how you feel that day in general.<\/p>\n Some patients get nervous about trying THC, but starting with a small amount and working up to the desired goal can be a way to avoid unwanted effects. A small puff of sativa<\/a> lifts a mood and motivates without causing anxiety and a very low-dose Sativa edible or sublingual preparation can create the same effect.<\/p>\n High-CBD flowers, edibles and sublinguals are available in many different ratios. I explain to patients that cannabidiol is about homeostasis rather than euphoria. CBD generally takes people to a base level where they can be functional and calm without the grogginess of benzodiazepines. Experimentation with various ratios is essential, as we all metabolize cannabinoids differently. More balanced ratios (1:1-1:4) often are helpful for depression while larger ratios (18:1 and higher) are exceptionally useful for anxiety and anxiety-causing disorders such as OCD. As with THC, microdosing is key \u2014 the goal is to find the optimal amount for balance and relief in the body. It\u2019s important to note that large amounts of high-ratio CBD can act as a depressant.<\/p>\n Different strains contain specific terpene profiles that influence effects. Sativas are uplifting and for overcoming a depressive episode. Some strains can exacerbate anxiety \u2014 another reason microdosing is the best approach to successful medicating. Hybrids are effective for both depression and anxiety.\u00a0 They can range from calming and functional to uplifting and creative. Be aware of strains that cause negative effects for you personally and look out for those genetics in new strains you try. Indicas can be helpful for anxiety, but be careful when you\u2019re dealing with depression as they can exacerbate mood, making it harder to get out of bed or leave the house if there is too much sedation.<\/p>\n PHOTO Gracie Malley<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Terpenes that alleviate depression<\/a> are beta caryophyllene (\u03b2-caryophyllene) and limonene. Beta caryophyllene, one of the more common terpenes found in cannabis, can be found in hops and black pepper and is known to have more stimulating effects. Limonene, more often found in sativa-dominant strains, is also found in citrus and has uplifting antidepressant properties. Terpenes that help anxiety are linalool and myrcene (\u03b2-myrcene). Linalool, primarily in indica-dominant strains, has anti-anxiety properties and is found in lavender. Myrcene<\/a>, another common terpene found in cannabis that is also in mangoes. Note that both terpenes have sedating properties not ideal for treating depression.<\/p>\n Smoking\/vaporizing cannabis metabolizes differently in the body than consuming edibles. When smoking or vaporizing dried flowers the effects are felt almost immediately, including the therapeutic effects of the flower\u2019s terpenes. Edibles are great for microdosing<\/a> and have a longer therapeutic effect. Higher dosages of edibles can be problematic \u2014 the way we metabolize them produces a drowsier feeling towards the end of the experience whether they be sativa or indica which is undesirable in cases of depression. They can also create a next-day \u201cstoned-over\u201d effect, which can make motivation difficult.<\/p>\n It\u2019s amazing to have patients come in to say they\u2019ve been able to stop taking Xanax, Ativan, etc. These drugs are debilitating, addictive and make it hard to have a functional and productive lifestyle. As cannabis use evolves and becomes normalized, people are discovering they can take control of their depression and anxiety on their own terms using natural medicine that lacks the side effects of pharmaceuticals.<\/p>\n This article was originally published in the print edition of Cannabis Now. <\/em>LEARN MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n TELL US,\u00a0<\/strong>have you used cannabis to treat your depression or anxiety? What were the results?<\/p>\n The post Alleviating Anxiety & Depression with Cannabis<\/a> appeared first on Cannabis Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Feeling anxious or depressed? You\u2019re not alone. Anxiety and depression are two of the more common issues we hear about at the dispensary where I work, especially around the holidays. As a patient consultant and educator, I see hundreds of patients a week and help them find relief with cannabis.Continue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":43661,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1967,50,136,2790,85,366,53,139,768],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43660"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43660"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43662,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43660\/revisions\/43662"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}There is no standard dosing that fits everyone.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
THC<\/a> in lower doses soothes both anxiety and depression.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
CBD<\/a> is an excellent solution for treating depression and anxiety.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Strain selection is important for appropriate therapy.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Holding-Weed-Treating-Depression@2x.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAll plants, including cannabis, have naturally-occurring terpene molecules, which create the unique scents of strains and display specific effects in the body.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Mode of medication is important.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
\nRead More: Alleviating Anxiety & Depression with Cannabis<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"