CBD can reduce THC-induced anxiety: October 2022 placebo-controlled, randomized study

Some people say that using CBD with THC helps reduce some of the anxiety they sometimes experience with THC by itself. This placebo-controlled, randomized, within-subjects study data seems to confirm this notion.

Published in October 2022 in the journal Psychopharmacology, this study adds to the growing evidence that THC and CBD together, in more balanced proportions, help reduce some forms of anxiety versus THC without much CBD.

The participants used vaporized cannabis flower to compare THC alone, CBD alone, THC + CBD in equal parts, and placebo.

Anxiety is generally divided into 2 main types, state and trait. State anxiety is a more transient, immediate reaction to an adverse situation, or "state". Trait anxiety is a more stable, consistent personality attribute, or "trait" when reacting to an adverse situation. This study examined both types of anxiety.

The authors' concluded overall that "THC/CBD-equivalent cannabis induces less state anxiety than THC-dominant cannabis."

They did observe that state anxiety was increased with both THC and THC+CBD, but that the THC+CBD induced anxiety was "significantly lower".

An important observation was that when baseline anxiety was high (before a THC dose), CBD did NOT help, but when baseline anxiety was low, CBD "completely counteracted" the induced anxiety.

Significant quotes from the authors::

Both THC and THC/CBD significantly increased self-rated state anxiety compared to placebo.

State anxiety after THC/CBD was significantly lower than after THC alone.

When baseline anxiety was low, CBD completely counteracted THC-induced anxiety;

however, when baseline anxiety was high, CBD did not counteract THC-induced anxiety.

 The full text paper is here at SpringerLink.