How to Choose the Best CBD Oil for Anxiety

Posted by MONTKUSH on 26th Jun 2020

Finally, the quarantine is over!

Now that you’re back at the office, you can have lunch with your colleagues and compare COVID-19 masks with the sales department. Who makes a better mask, anyway? Local artists or fashion designers?

After many weeks of lounging in pajamas, your office clothes feel strange. You might even be disappointed you couldn’t finish the last season of “Orange Is the New Black” before leaving the ‘homebody life’ you’ve come to know and love.

When returning to work, you might be excited to see your co-workers, even the ones you don’t like, after a pandemic that hasn’t quite left yet.

… but, wait.

Elevator rides? Takeout lines at lunch? How often does your employer sanitize the office, anyway? The virus could be anywhere. Perhaps the co-worker next to you, who swears they only have allergies, has COVID?

As the world returns to a new normal, going back to work isn’t so easy. The threat of a possible resurgence in COVID-19 cases is a worrisome, anxiety-inducing reality. Luckily, there is a way to manage the stress and pain of returning to work as the virus continues to spread.

Of course, we’re talking about CBD oil. It’s a natural wellness product that many people claim can reduce anxiety and many other mental health conditions or physical ailments such as depression or arthritis.

Keep reading to learn more about the latest $11 billion health-craze that’s sweeping the nation and get some tips on how to choose the best CBD oil for anxiety.

First, it’s essential to know what CBD is, how it affects the body and how it can help you reduce ruminating thoughts and other symptoms of a stressed, anxious mind.

What is CBD? (… And What It’s Not)

CBD, or Cannabidiol, is a natural, popular chemical compound in hemp. Hemp and cannabis are very closely related. Genetically, they are the same species, and both produce CBD in varying levels, but there are some significant differences between hemp and marijuana:

  • Hemp contains less than .3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by law. The cannabis plant contains more than .3 percent THC.
  • Hemp is legal at the federal level throughout the United States, but marijuana, depending on state laws, is not.
  • Hemp does not produce a “high” or intoxication like cannabis does when ingested.

CBD, and the intoxicating chemical compound THC, is one of the hundreds of compounds with the label “cannabinoid”. CBD and CBD oil should not be confused with hemp oil, which is a product sourced from hemp seeds.

Although closely related, hemp and CBD are not addictive or intoxicating; CBD is the contrary, helping people and improving lives every day.

CBD has garnered a lot of attention from celebrities like Mike Tyson and Kourtney Kardashian, and most importantly, CBD helps average Americans who deal with medical conditions like anxiety, chronic pain, sleep problems, PTSD, panic attacks and many other issues.

The health and wellness benefits of CBD are possible because of a complex system within the human body.

What are Endocannabinoids and Cannabinoids?

Discovered in the early 1990s, endocannabinoids are naturally found in our bodies and are part of our biological system. They help us maintain homeostasis. In other words, endocannabinoids help us regulate our body temperature, fluid balance, blood pressure, stress and much more by attaching themselves to cellular receptors.

There are two primary receptors in our bodies where endocannabinoids latch. They are CB1, the most abundant type in the brain and nervous system, and CB2, the most common type found outside the nervous system. The receptors are on the surface of cells, waiting for endocannabinoids to attach themselves to the site.

Cannabinoids are naturally found in nature and at high-levels in the hemp and marijuana plant. Cannabinoids are numerous, but how do they interact with our bodies?

The CB1 and CB2 receptors cannot differentiate the difference between the human body’s endocannabinoids or hemp cannabinoids. The CBD cannabinoid attaches itself to these receptors, thereby influencing the body’s homeostasis.

When someone ingests CBD, either by vaping, eating or absorbing through the skin, the cannabinoid travels through the bloodstream. Scientific research suggests that when CBD attaches to CB2 receptors , the cannabinoid raises levels of the anandamide, an endocannabinoid that a 2015 study indicates could enhance mood and reduce fear.

Now that you know how the endocannabinoid system works let’s see what science says about how the best CBD oil for anxiety can help you bring calm into your life.

CBD and Anxiety Relief

In the United States, anxiety is not uncommon; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S.

Anxiety affects up to 40 million adults age 18 or older or 18.1 percent of the population every year. Still, only 36.9 percent of people affected by anxiety seek help. Causes of anxiety issues vary and usually develop from factors like genetics, personality, brain chemistry and life events.

There are many different types of anxiety disorders. Here are some of the most common conditions:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
  • Panic Disorder
  • Social Anxiety Disorder
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

If you have any of these anxiety disorders or experience panic attacks, conventional treatments include psychotherapy and the use of medications like antidepressants, benzodiazepines and buspirone, but there is an all-natural alternative — CBD oil.

As CBD becomes more popular, research scrambles to catch up. What research there is, appears to support the idea that CBD can help reduce symptoms associated with the many types of anxiety disorders, fears, and stress that surround the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scientific Research from the study ‘Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series’ published in The Permanente Journal stated, “CBD appears to be better tolerated than routine psychiatric medications,” and that “CBD displays promise as a tool for reducing anxiety in clinical populations.”

The team conducted a retrospective case series at a psychiatric clinic to study the effects of CBD on people who suffered from anxiety and sleep. The team found that out of 72 adult patients, 79.2 percent of people reported an anxiety decrease within the first month. What is even more astonishing is the fact that the patients’ anxiety levels remained low for the duration of the study.

Your Guide for Choosing the Best CBD Oil for Anxiety

Deciding where to buy CBD oil as a new or even regular CBD user can be a daunting, confusing task because there is a lot to consider. For example:

What method does the company use to extract CBD from hemp?

Does the company where you buy CBD from make full-spectrum, broad-spectrum or isolate CBD products? Which is best?

Does it contain healthful phytochemicals?

These are some things you need to consider when buying the best CBD oil for anxiety.

How is CBD extracted?

While searching for CBD brands, it’s important to consider how manufacturers extract CBD from hemp. Some companies use solvents that deplete some of hemp’s beneficial organic compounds. Here are the four primary methods of extraction you need to know:

Solvent Extraction is a simple process that uses alcohol, ethanol or butane to remove cannabinoids and terpenes from hemp. This method also removes chlorophyll and possibly other harmful contaminants from the plant that could end up in the final product.

CO2 Extraction uses pressurized carbon dioxide to pull CBD and other phytochemicals from hemp. This technique has four different categories for extraction: supercritical, subcritical and mid-critical. Each type uses different amounts of pressure to extract the oil. When CO2 is pressurized, it acts as a safe and effective solvent without the safety risk associated with alcohol extraction.

Olive Oil Extraction is a safe, effective way CBD oil producers extract hemp’s phytochemicals. This involves decarboxylating hemp, meaning heating the plant material to activate CBD, and adding it to olive oil where cannabinoids dissolve. The hemp is then removed and all that remains is oil infused with CBD.

Pressurized Extraction is a process where CBD oil companies, like MONTKUSH, take whole, organic hemp flowers and place them into a rosin press to make a whole-plant extract. The press heats and adds 200 tons of pressure to the hemp. As the flower is squeezed and pulverized, high-quality rosin liquid exudes from the plant that later turns into some of the best CBD oil for anxiety on the market today.

Each method works to extract CBD from hemp, but not all processes produce as high-quality CBD oil as pressurized extraction does.

Full-Spectrum, Broad-Spectrum or Isolate?

You want to spend your money on CBD from a company that sells high-quality products, and to do that, you need to know the three primary types of tinctures available. Here are the three extract types you need to know about:

Full-Spectrum CBD oil is the most superior type of CBD oil. It comprises of all hemp’s wellness and medicinal properties and contains phytochemicals like terpenes, essential oils and other cannabinoids. Full-spectrum CBD oil also has .3 percent THC or less.

Broad-Spectrum CBD oil is similar to full-spectrum CBD, but it’s missing just one thing. Producers remove THC from the final product.

CBD Isolate is just what you might think. It is a crystalline form of pure CBD but without any of hemp’s healthful phytochemicals like terpenes or essential oils. CBD isolates are also THC-free.

Each of the above CBD forms has its advantages, but only one has the Entourage Effect.

The Entourage Effect is a theory that suggests all compounds in the hemp plant — CBD, THC and all phytochemicals included — provide better mental and physical relief for users when taken together as full-spectrum CBD, like MONTKUSH, opposed to broad-spectrum or CBD isolates.

Your CBD Needs Phytochemicals

If CBD oil does not contain fine, bodacious organic chemicals like terpenes or other robust cannabinoids, you are losing out on the full-wellness effect hemp offers. High-quality CBD will have many different types of terpenes and cannabinoids.

Terpenes are aromatic oils within hemp that emit flavors like pine, citrus, berry or mint. Over 100 terpenes have been identified and are unique to each plant like personalities are to people. Some terpenes include limonene, pinene and linalool. Each terpene has benefits, and if you want to calm anxiety, use CBD oil containing high amounts of linalool because it contains anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties.

Cannabinoids, mentioned earlier, include more than just CBD — there are hundreds more! There’s also cannabichromene and cannabinol (CBN). While lesser known than CBD, CBN can potentially be a neuroprotectant, which means for anyone struggling with anxiety, CBN can possibly protect neurons from damage caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Further CBN research is needed to confirm this, but one study shows the cannabinoid’s potential.

Choose the Best CBD Oil for Anxiety

As COVID-19 continues to spread and the country reopens, returning to a cramped office might have you worried about catching a highly contagious disease. Luckily, CBD oil can help reduce anxiety and bring you some much needed relief.

CBD can help make those claustrophobic elevator rides and corporate lunches seem like 2019 again — but with cute, colorful masks that add flair to your office wardrobe.

Now that you know more about hemp, cannabidiol, the methods used to extract CBD and the types of oils companies offer, you can choose the best CBD oil for anxiety to relieve you of your worries without getting high and forgetting them altogether.

Choosing CBD oil created using methods like pressurized extraction, help preserve the most beneficial phytochemicals like cannabinoids and terpenes from becoming lost in the extraction process. Phytochemicals, when taken together, produce the entourage effect that provides more health benefits than when taken alone.

Return to the office with a clear and focused mind. Add CBD oil to your wellness plan to improve your overall health.