Smoking the cannabis plant can help people alleviate their anxiety, but CBD-dominant grass can provide relief more safely than high-THC smokables can.
That is according to a new study conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder. The American researchers claim that it is the first randomized trial to examine how commercially available weed products can impact symptoms of the mental health condition.
For the study, the investigators recruited 300 people with anxiety and examined their mental state prior to and immediately after smoking different kinds of cannabis. They used a THC-dominant cultivar, a CBD-dominant strain and another that had an even quantity of both cannabinoids.
What they discovered was that cannabis generally helped significantly relieve symptoms of anxiety in participants. However, those who smoked the CBD-dominant bud only showed superior improvement with less paranoia.
The researchers used a mobile van lab to test subjects immediately before and after smoking at their own homes. Cannabis consumption is prohibited on their school grounds.
“The short-term effects were very clear: CBD was associated with tension and anxiety relief with limited harm,” senior author Cinnamon Bidwell said. Their findings were published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
The university is known to engage with an assortment of cannabis research. Last month, a CU Boulder study found that pot made exercise more enjoyable, but did not improve performance. Furthermore, an investigation by the institution last May showed that cannabis can significantly improve sleep and mental clarity among cancer patients.
Mobile research lab. Photo credit: CU Boulder
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Colorado cannabis industry in shambles
The price of pot in the state has dropped by about 56 per cent since 2021, making it hard for cultivators to turn a profit. The number of workers in Colorado’s cannabis industry has declined by over 30 per cent since pandemic restrictions were lifted that year as well.
“It happened quick,” Sean Azzariti told the Denver Westword. “Colorado was genuinely a boom town for 10 years. You can kind of see now that it has become a race to the bottom.”
Azzariti was the first person to make a legal recreational cannabis purchase in the state.
Despite industry troubles, Colorado residents will still be celebrating their love of cannabis on Apr. 20 at the Mile High 420 Festival. The event, held at Denver’s Civic Center Park, has been an annual tradition for almost 30 years.
rowan@mugglehead.com
