I have so many friends and family members who would love to reap the benefits of cannabis, but cannot get past the anxiety they feel while indulging. If you’re in this boat, don’t be discouraged! This is extremely common and I recommend taking the following steps to see if it helps.
- Try a relaxing strain, instead of a euphoric one. Sativas can often be overwhelmingly euphoric and cause paranoia. Indicas or indica-dominant hybrids will provide more of a body high that will typically have you less in your head. The key word there is “typically,” because not everyone responds to different strains of cannabis in the same way.
- Ensure you’re in an appropriate environment to use cannabis. Being comfortable with the setting and who you’re surrounded by is very important. Go home, put your favorite Netflix show on, make some delicious snacks, invite some close friends (or not), and enjoy!
- Be careful that you’re not overconsuming. It’s perfectly okay to take a hit or two and save the rest of that joint for later. Using too much is one of the biggest contributors to feeling uneasy.
- Introduce some CBD into the mix. CBD will dilute the psychoactive effects a bit, allowing for a mild high that’s great for anxiety and tension. You can typically find CBD:THC ratio products in flower, edibles, tinctures, vapes, and more.
- Try keeping a log of the products you use and how you felt while taking them. It’s easy to forget which products do and don’t work for you given the forgetfulness that cannabis induces. A great app for that is Tetragram.
- Ensure you’re in the right headspace before consuming. If you feel paranoid just thinking about using cannabis, you may amplify those feelings once high. I have many friends who still feel like they’re doing something “bad” due to the stigma against it, then they spend the rest of the night looking over their shoulder. Remind yourself that there’s nothing wrong with the recreational or medicinal use of marijuana and that many people would consider it safer than alcohol.
Taylor Sieg – CCC Product Specialist
