Ask the expert: Will consuming THC make me feel anxious?

THC can actually be beneficial for anxiety, in the right dose and under the right supervision, an expert explains.

It’s not unusual for people to associate cannabis with feelings of paranoia or heightened anxiety. This could even be the reason you have avoided exploring prescribed cannabis as an option, thinking that it just isn’t right for you.

While it is certainly true that cannabis is not right for everyone, a bad previous experience is no reason to avoid it altogether, especially when it is in the form of a regulated product, prescribed under the supervision of a specialist doctor. 

In the UK cannabis is now prescribed for many patients with diagnosed psychiatric conditions. Anxiety is actually the second most common condition reported by patients, following chronic pain. 

Here, Dr Niraj Singh, a consultant psychiatrist and medical cannabis prescriber explains how the right dose of THC, under the right supervision, can actually be beneficial. 

Q: Will THC make me more anxious?

A: There’s an assumption that THC is going to cause more problems and yes, in excessive amounts that can happen, but it can also be really beneficial.

For each person there is a subjective therapeutic window. The factors for each individual vary according to their own endocannabinoid tone. 

In each of us is a network of receptors that cannabis acts on to bring about its therapeutic effects. This network is called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), and it’s made up of many different components. 

In a nutshell, these components are: 

• Receptors: CB1 and CB2 are the most well studied
• Endocannabinoids: anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG), which are made by your body and attach to CB1 and CB2 receptors
• Enzymes: FAAH and MAGL, which break down AEA and 2AG 

Your endocannabinoid tone is a reflection of how all of these components act together to bring about balance within your system. This tone also encompasses the levels of endocannabinoids in your body, the rate at which they’re made and broken down, as well as the density of receptors in your brain. 

As such, everyone’s tolerance to THC will vary. For each person therefore there will be a ‘sweet spot’ where THC will provide therapeutic benefits resulting in improved mood, reduced anxiety, improved sleep and reducing hypervigilance and flashbacks. 

Above a certain level however THC can worsen anxiety and therefore during prescribing gradual titration is necessary.

Dr Niraj Singh is a consultant psychiatrist, with extensive experience in treating adults with ADHD, mental illness associated with Autism, intellectual disabilities as well as other mental illnesses. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Got a question for Dr Singh? Email us at editor@handwmedia.co.uk or contact us on Twitter @CannabisHNews or Instagram @cannabishealthmag

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