7 Best Weed Strains for Anxiety

Many people have already turned to weed for anxiety and depression treatment.

Marijuana can help people relax, chill out, and avoid racing, stressful thoughts. Unfortunately, for others, marijuana can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety: paranoia, racing thoughts, a fast heartbeat, etc.

Why do some people feel more anxious after they smoke? Different strains offer different effects. If you had a negative experience with marijuana and anxiety, you may have been consuming a strain with THC levels or effects that didn’t mesh well with your brain.

Now that weed is legal in Canada, consumers can make better choices about the weed they smoke and what they use to treat anxiety, depression, or other medical conditions.

If you have not used cannabis to treat anxiety before, or you want strains that specifically target symptoms of anxiety and related disorders, add a nugget of these strains to your shopping list.

Anxiety: Should Users Choose Sativa or Indica?

If you have not purchased specific strains of marijuana in the past, you may feel a little lost about where to start. Shopkeepers and friends will usually ask you to first pick out whether you want a sativa, indica, or hybrid blend.

If you are looking to treat anxiety, which should you pick?

Some users make the mistake of only looking at indicas to relieve anxiety. Indicas are known to produce a calmer, more sedative effect. Sativas are uplifting, but many worry they will add more fuel to the fire of anxiety. Before you head down the indica aisle, however, consider the amount of THC that you want to consume. Indicas tend to have high THC levels. New users may find that too much THC brings on a sense of paranoia or panic that is common after smoking weed.

Sativas may come in handy depending on what symptoms you experience while you are anxious or the time of day you want to inhale. Throughout this list, you’ll see sativas, indicas, and hybrids (a combination of sativa and indica) that are favorites among users with anxiety.

Best Weed Strains For Anxiety

Keep your mind open; the following strains are just suggestions based on user favorites. As you try different strains, keep a log of how you feel before and after consumption.

(Consider the way that you are consuming cannabis, too. Some cannabis consumers prefer vape pens to edibles or traditional joints, especially if you want a clear-headed, gentle high.)

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Cannatonic

Cannatonic is a great place to start for people who might not have (successfully) used weed to treat their anxiety before. Cannatonic tends to have high CBD to THC levels, reducing the “high” that users often get from smoking. High CBD levels also help to reduce potentially negative effects of THC (aka paranoia.)

Cannatonic is a hybrid stain that is also popular for physical pain relief.

Canna-Tsu

Canna-Tsu comes Cannatonic and Sour Tsunami strains. This is another high-CBD option that will offer relief alongside minimal (if any) psychoactive effects. Leafly highly recommends Canna-Tsu for people who suffer from anxiety that is related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD.) This strain hits quickly and is great to have on hand for relief when anxiety strikes.

Strawberry Cough

Anxiety affects people in many ways. Some people find themselves chatting people up and down, trying to make decisions or just trying to fill the silence. Other people keep their racing thoughts in their head and back out of social obligations out of discomfort. The latter tend to have a form of “social” anxiety.

This is when a good sativa can come in handy.

Take Strawberry Cough. This sativa dominant strain encourages conversations and can bring users out of their shell. Users also report feeling uplifted and happy, enjoying a head high that can take them from morning until night. Strawberry Cough can be quite potent, so it’s important for users to try out a small amount at a time.

Sour Diesel

Sour Diesel is another sativa-dominant strain that can help users with anxiety wake and bake for a happy day. The balance of THC and CBD gives users a balance of calm and stress relief alongside euphoria. Sour Diesel is also the parent of many other strains that help relieve stress and anxiety. Any member of the “Sour D” family is a good bet for users who want to chill out.

Sour Patch Kids

Sour Patch Kids is an indica strain that comes from the genes of Sour Diesel and Candyland. Users can enjoy a sweet, citrusy flavor that offers similar effects to Sour Diesel. If you are looking for a mild sedative and a joyful mood, this should definitely be in your list of strains to try.

Northern Lights

If your thoughts tend to race as you go to bed, you might want to choose an indica. Indica strains tend to mellow out the body and mind, easing the transition from wakefulness to sleep. Northern Lights is one of the most popular strains of all time, and once you enjoy a puff, you’ll understand why. Enjoy a nice night in on the couch or sweet dreams with this strain.

Tuna Kush

Tuna Kush has the effects of and indica dominant strain without knocking users too far off their butt. Users may also know this popular strain as “Tuna OG.” With a 16-18% THC content, Tuna Kush will provide a gentle sense of euphoria with a light body high for the end of a long day .

Trial and Error

Everyone experiences anxiety (and reacts to weed) differently. These are just a handful of strains that can help relieve the symptoms of anxiety. Users may go through a period of trial and error before they find a strain that is compatible with their mind and lifestyle.

If you are new to consuming cannabis, take it easy and consume small amounts first.  

Talk to your doctor before you start to treat your anxiety with marijuana. While many users have found great success in using marijuana for anxiety, there is still a lot of research to be done. Users might experience side effects, especially if they are currently taking sedatives and other anti-anxiety medications.