Stress is one of the most persistent factors that impacts the everyday lives of modern men and women. It has a big impact on our mood, our health, our productivity and has a plethora of other negative effects. The weird thing about stress is that it doesn’t really go away if the cause of it isn’t in the immediate vicinity. It persists and can follow people around like a personal stormy cloud that sticks to you only while everyone else gets to enjoy the Sun.
The biggest problem with stress is that, after prolonged exposure, people tend to get used to it and take it as a given. This is why we sometimes get medication prescribed by a doctor to take the edge off, but sedatives and anxiolytics have a lot of negative side-effects which people really strive to stay away from. This is why, in the states that have legal marijuana, people tend to use pot as a substitute.
-Go for strains that are high on CBD and THC
In April 2018, a scientific study was published by the Journal of Affective Disorders that focused on uncovering how different marijuana strains impact various mental conditions. The study was conducted by researchers from Washington State University.
It was organized through an app called Strainpoint, the purpose of which is to allow Marijuana users to track symptom severity after they use their medical pot. The study included more than 1,400 medical cannabis users and close to 12,000 smoking sessions. While this study focused on anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, for the purpose of this article, we are going to stick to results related to stress – keep in mind that the results are positive for both anxiety and depression.
According to the study, 93.5% of the smokers reported relief of symptoms after “blazing”. When it comes to gender differences, there were none. Both men and women reported a significant reduction in stress levels, but you should keep in mind that there were no long-term benefits (or negative effects for that matter) on stress levels. Pot can help you manage stress while CBD and THC are in your system, but they have no “healing” effects that can make you immune to stress.
The best results were achieved by smoking plants that have a high level of both CBT and THC.
-Top stress-relief strains:
Ok, if indica weed has increased levels of THC and sativa has elevated levels of CBD, then hybrids are your best bet for stress-relief.
-White Widow
One of the most well-known hybrids in the world, White Widow has been a part of the Dutch coffee shop experience ever since the 1990s. It boosts energy, induces a slight euphoria, and enhances creativity. It also has a very pleasant woody, pine, and earthy aroma. Perfect!
-OG Kush
It’s more of a nighttime thing with OG Kush. It can come in both indica and sativa variations. It instantly causes euphoria but it will keep you lazy and complacent throughout the duration of the high. It is recommended for people with ADD/ADHD, and those with sleeping disorders as it helps you get that much needed shuteye.
-Sour Diesel
Sour Diesel is a sativa dominant strain that offers long-term stress, depression, and pain relief – making it one of the most popular strains for medical use. The high provides smokers with a cerebral experience paired up with a considerable boost of energy.
-Royal Jack
This strain has a lot of similarities to Sour Diesel with an added benefit of clear-mindedness. It is a sativa dominant strain that can boost creativity and allow you to focus on the tasks at hand.
Keep in mind that these are not the only strains you can use for stress-relief. Experiment for a while and find those that work for your particular situation and state of mind. After all, we’re all different and there are a lot of great strains out there.
-Know when to blaze
If you are using Marijuana for stress-relief, you should know when to use it. If work is the cause of your stress for example, then it might be a bad idea to go to work high since you will be unable to relax.
The goal is to find a safe environment where you can chill and let the stress vent while you listen to some good music, eat a great meal, and laugh with people you hold dear. Don’t use it as a preventive measure when going into a stressful situation – you need to have your wits about you when this occurs.
-Don’t overdo it!
One more interesting thing that this study found is that people who have problems with depression, even though they do experience a reduction in symptoms in the short-term, can deepen their symptoms if they overuse, just like with some depression pills. This is speculated to happen due to the blockade of the CB1 receptor that is linked to mood disorders. The blockade will disperse after a couple of days of abstention, but still, this is something to keep in mind.
So that’s about it! We wish you good luck in dealing with your stress sources. Keep in mind that weed is only there for relief and you still need to make moves to deal with those problematic things that cause you to stress out – weed is your ally, but not the solution to stress.
