Cannabidiol, otherwise known as CBD, is a cannabis compound often touted for its effect on helping manage the impact of anxiety. It was once relatively unknown; however, beyond the endless patient testimonials, there have been several positive clinical trials involving CBD that justify its effects on anxiety. 
In the UK, six main types of CBD are commonly used for anxiety:

• CBD Oils: These are a mixture of carrier oils and cannabinoids.
• CBD Vapes: These are typically a mixture of CBD distillate and cannabis terpenes.
• CBD Patches: These are transdermal patches that release CBD into the skin, similar to nicotine patches. 
• CBD Edibles: These are foods infused with CBD, such as gummy bears.  
• CBD Extracts: These are concentrated forms of raw CBD that can be vaporised using a wax pen. They are similar to CBD vapes. However, they are solid, not liquid. 
• CBD Capsules: These are CBD oils injected into bite-sized capsules. They’re great for those with limited time and a dislike for the flavour of CBD oil.

Like other supplements, you can’t just take any CBD product and expect it to have beneficial effects. The quality of CBD, the product's potency, accompaniment of ingredients that help absorb CBD and more are essential to take in the full benefits. 
In this article, we hope to help you understand what data and testimonials there are regarding CBD and anxiety. We’ll also help you know how to select the right product and where to find them in the UK. 

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol is the prominent cannabinoid in hemp, a form of cannabis that looks and smells just like its THC counterpart. It is one of many essential cannabis compounds found in every strain of cannabis. 
Unlike THC, CBD does not cause a head high. It binds to the cannabinoid receptors found in the body beneath the neck, called the CB2 receptors. Cannabinoid receptors make up what is called the endocannabinoid system, and it is known to impact our homeostasis. Homeostasis refers to the stability of our internal environment. If an outside force, such as pain, throws off our body’s homeostasis, the endocannabinoid system kicks in to help the body return to its ideal operation. 

Can CBD Help With Anxiety?

There seems to be no shortage of patient testimonials regarding CBD and anxiety. This Reddit post asks, “Is CBD oil Effective at treating anxiety/depression?” and is answered with several patient testimonials and medical professionals. Many medical studies have been conducted since that post that looks into the benefits of taking CBD oil when faced with anxiety. 
Recently, researchers published a paper called “Reasons for cannabidiol use: a cross-sectional study of CBD users, focusing on self-perceived stress, anxiety, and sleep problems”. The study looked at 387 current or past-CBD users to observe basic demographics, CBD use patterns, reasons for use, and effects on anxiety, sleep, and stress. 
Here are the top 4 reasons the participants were using CBD:

• 42.6% self-perceived anxiety
• 42.5% sleep problems
• 37% stress
• 37% general health and wellbeing. 

The participants mainly used less than 50mg CBD daily, and 72.6% took a sublingual CBD product - like a CBD oil. 
The study found that CBD use was effective for stress, sleep problems, and anxiety in those who use the drug for those conditions. 
Another study, “Anxiolytic effects of repeated cannabidiol treatment in teenagers with social anxiety disorders, " looked at  37 18-19-year-olds with SAD, seasonal affective disorder. They examined the effects of 300mg CBD daily over four weeks compared to a placebo. Their findings showed that CBD significantly decreased anxiety measured. The results indicated that CBD could be useful for treating social anxiety. 

How Much CBD To Take?

There is no standardised dosing recommendation for CBD therapy yet. However, we can look at medical studies to indicate what could yield good results. 
This 2019 medical study found that 300-600mg of CBD significantly reduced anxiety symptoms in its sample size. The study also supports this we looked at above regarding SAD patients. 
Depending on the CBD product type, potency can differ. A 50mg edible will be more potent than a 50mg vape oil. 
To administer 300mg of CBD, you'd have to take this much of certain CBD products:

• 5000mg CBD oil: Approximately two pipettes
• Natural CBD wax: 0.3g
• Rainbow CBD gummies: 7.5 gummies
• Amnesia Haze CBD vape juice: 300ml vape juice (60% of the bottle)
• FourFive CBD capsules: 30 capsules

If you think 300mg CBD is the dose for you, you’ll find that the easiest way to administer this will be via the 5000mg CBD oil or the natural CBD wax. Both are small volumes and work out to be the most economical. 
There’s no benefit in taking all your CBD at the start of the day. We find it can be better to partition the dose throughout the day, timed in with meals. When taking CBD with food, it can be beneficial to eat meals rich in fats and oils, as cannabis is fat-soluble and will assist in metabolising the CBD. 

Risks Of Taking CBD?

If you missed our previous article, “CBD Oil Overdose: Can You Take Too Much?” you might be pleased to hear that it is improbable that you will take a toxic quantity of CBD. A study found that the poisonous amount of CBD is 20,000 mg, which is 66.66 times more potent than the dose clinical studies test for anxiety. 
This doesn’t mean that all CBD products are clean and safe. It is essential to vet CBD products you consider buying, as they are often formulated using concentrated forms of hemp that can contain impurities if done improperly. Our favourite extraction method is supercritical CO2, and we only carry products that have been 3rd party lab tested by accredited laboratories. 
Suppose you are currently taking a course of any medications. In that case, we strongly advise contacting your doctor before taking CBD oil, as some medicines can have adverse reactions if taken with CBD. 

Summary

We hope this article helps you better understand how CBD can be considered if you are dealing with anxiety. While we can’t tell you that a specific dose of CBD will help you with your anxiety, we can point to the research to reflect positive strides in understanding how CBD can be used with anxiety. 
We believe that everybody reacts to CBD differently and advise that you try different products and doses of CBD to help determine what works best for you. Patient testimonials are constructive in these early stages of CBD understanding; if you’d like to share your experience, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or leave a comment.