Is Cannabis a Happy Pill?
A lot of people claim to use marijuana because it makes them giddy and happy and allows them to have an escape outside their busy minds. But does it?
Before looking into how medicinal cannabis helps with stress and anxiety, it is imperative to remember its 2 main ingredients:
- THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the popular content of cannabis which gives the feeling of being “high” or the intoxication level. This is usually used for recreational purposes.
- CBD (cannabidiol) is a component of the cannabis plant or hemp. CBD is found in this particular cannabis plant that has low THC. CBD is mostly used for medicinal purposes and it does not give a level of high the way THC does.
With these in mind, it is also worth discussing that THC and CBD have different effects on the brain. Hence, both have medicinal properties and help in various medical conditions.
How does cannabis help?
The fact that people use cannabis to help with anxiety is common knowledge. To some, cannabis is the ally that gives calm and comfort in a way that no friend does. In addition, it helps reduce symptoms of panic disorder, phobias, traumas, etc.
One thing common in most of the research conducted on the matter is that while a puff of a cannabis joint low in THC but high in CBD has a significant effect on the reduction of depression. However, several puffs of joint both high in THC and CBD prove to have the most beneficial result in stress reduction.
Most people think that THC (the content that makes you high) is the one responsible for helping with depression, anxiety, and stress. In reality, the combination of both, which is called the “entourage effect”, proves to yield optimum results.