Cannabidiol (CBD from cannabis (hemp or marijuana) could help treat people who have anxiety disorders, a new review of previous research suggests. CBD could be used in addition to talk therapy to treat anxiety disorders such as phobias and PTSD, the review concluded. However, most of the studies examining whether the compound works as a treatment for anxiety have been conducted in animals, the researchers said. So more research is needed to see how well the compound might work in people with anxiety disorders, the researchers said.
A key part of anxiety is fear, and the few human studies that have been conducted on CBD have suggested that the compound dampens people’s fear by changing the activity of certain brain regions. Medications currently used to treat people with anxiety have problems, Stevenson said, as these drugs do not work for every patient and can take a while to kick in. Moreover, people who take such medications often experience side effects, he noted. (These effects may include drowsiness, weight gain or sexual dysfunction.) In comparison, CBD has shown that the substance does not tend to have significant side effects.