Can Cannabis Help Curb My Obsessive Thoughts?

By The Fresh Toast's Mary Sauer, provided exclusively to Benzinga Cannabis.

We don’t have all the facts on using cannabis to treat anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try, however.

If you deal with anxiety, you’ve probably already experienced a common symptom of this mental health disorder — obsessive thinking. Individuals with anxiety get stuck in thought patterns of worry. Sometimes anxiety is focused on everyday activities and events, other people might get caught up in fears of unlikely or extraordinary events.

Whatever the worry that plagues you, it can be very hard to get relief from obsessive thoughts. Common treatment methods include medication and therapy, but could cannabis help you make progress in this area?

Cannabis and Anxiety

The relationship between cannabis and anxiety is a complicated one. While 47% of cannabis users report they turn to marijuana to get a break from the anxiety and depression, there are plenty of anecdotal reports of users experiencing paranoia and intensified anxious thoughts.

So does cannabis make anxiety and obsessive thoughts better or worse? It depends. Research suggests that a lower dose of THC, the psychoactive property of marijuana, reduces anxiety but higher doses will make it worse. If you’re looking at a THC-free cannabidiol, however, a high dose will provide more relief.

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In 2019, the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research reported the important role the endocannabinoid system plays in obsessive-compulsive disorder. While more research needs to be done, they do believe that cannabis could be used to manipulate the ECS and offer relief from anxious thoughts and repetitive behaviors.  

Photo by Fernando @dearferdo via Unsplash

Try Micro-Dosing for Relief From Obsessive Thoughts

We don’t have all the facts on using cannabis to treat anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try, however. Users with anxiety have reported success by micro-dosing marijuana for an extended period of time. A writer for Cosmopolitan took 2-5mg of THC every few hours over the course reported being significantly more chill over the course of experience. 

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If this is something you want to try, we suggest starting slow and increasing over time. A tincture or edible will allow control over your THC consumption, allowing you to stick with a low dose when you need it. Remember to give yourself time to experience to full effects of THC to avoiding overdosing and experiencing a high, or increase anxiety that could be a side effect of a higher dose. If you do experience side effects, take a break and try again with a lower dose.

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