It is estimated that roughly 4% of the world’s population suffers from some level of anxiety, although, researchers do not know the actual number. The condition often goes undiagnosed for various reasons in certain parts of the globe, so it’s quite possible that the actual rate is much higher.

Anxiety involves intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Physical symptoms can include a fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and fatigue.

Many of the pharmaceutical medications that are currently commonly prescribed to patients for anxiety involve a long list of possible side effects. Some cases of anxiety are so bad that pharmaceutical treatments don’t even work. Fortunately, CBD may be able to help in those cases. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Edmonton, Canada: Subjects report significant decreases in their anxiety levels following the inhalation of herbal cannabis, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Canadian researchers assessed the effects of cannabis inhalation on feelings of anxiety in 184 subjects over a four-year period. Study participants self-administered cannabis at home and reported symptom changes in real time on a mobile software application. Subjects consumed varieties of cannabis that were both THC and CBD-dominant.

Investigators reported: “Cannabis consumption resulted in a significant decrease in anxiety scores among both males and females (average efficacy of 50 percent) and efficacy was similar across the three cultivars.”

Authors reported greater efficacy among younger (under 40) subjects. Investigators also reported that female subjects typically required lesser doses to achieve similar anxiolytic effects. Study participants reported minimal side effects from cannabis.

The study’s investigators concluded: “Overall, cannabis was effective in relieving anxiety and well-tolerated at the doses consumed, independent of CBD and THC ratios. While one cultivar was not significantly more effective than the others, we did identify some gender and age differences in optimal dosing across the three cultivars. We suggest that the outlined THC:CBD ratios and optimal inhalations may be used as a starting point for patients and healthcare practitioners looking to use cannabis as an anxiolytic in order to mitigate the trial-and-error aspect of initiating medical cannabis treatments. Additionally, we recommend the above dataset be used as the foundation for future clinical trials to fully elucidate the efficacy of cannabis for the management of anxiety under more controlled conditions.”

The results of a 2021 US study using similar methods also reported that cannabis inhalation was nearly always associated with self-reported decreases in distress-related symptoms. Data published in June from the United Kingdom similarly reports that the use of cannabis products is associated with sustained improvements in patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.

Full text of the study, “Naturalistic examination of the anxiolytic effects of medical cannabis and associated gender and age differences in a Canadian cohort,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

A natural part of biological aging for every woman involves experiencing menopause. Most women experience menopause when they are between the ages of 45 and 55 years old. The menopausal transition is typically gradual.

For many years women have turned to the cannabis plant for relief for all types of conditions, including dealing with menopause. A recent study in Canada examined the reported frequency of use by middle-aged women experiencing menopause. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Edmonton, Canada: Canadian women frequently report consuming cannabis products to ease symptoms related to menopause, according to survey data published in the journal BMJ Open.

Investigators affiliated with the University of Alberta surveyed cannabis use trends in a cohort of nearly 1,500 women aged 35 or older.

Among those respondents who reported being current cannabis users, many indicated that they consumed marijuana products to improve menopause-related symptoms, such as joint achiness and sleep disturbances. Most women said that they had not discussed their use with their health care providers.

“Our survey established that women are using cannabis for symptoms during the menopause transition,” authors concluded. “Information about cannabis was more frequently accessed through online searches and personal contacts, with limited involvement of healthcare providers. … In general, many women in our survey reported cannabis was helpful for their symptoms. … Further research is required to investigate the efficacy and safety of cannabis on menopause symptoms and foster the development of clinical resources for women to use in making informed decisions around cannabis for medical purposes.”

The findings are consistent with those of prior surveys from the United States estimating that nearly 30 percent of middle-aged women who use cannabis do so to mitigate menopause-related symptoms.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use for menopause in women aged 35 and over: A cross-sectional survey on usage patterns and perceptions in Alberta, Canada,” appears in BMJ Open.