Pondering Paranoia: Marijuana Studies Show It Helps Reduce and Get Over Fears

A new study releases evidence that medical marijuana not only helps phobia patients manage anxiety, but also helps phobia sufferers conquer their fears for good. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, phobias are the most common mental disorders in the US with more than 19 million sufferers. A phobia is classified as an irrational fear of something harmless. People with phobias can experience an immediate or overwhelming sense of panic when faced with, what they consider, a dangerous place or situation. These severe anxiety attacks involve a rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, dizziness and nausea.

Recent studies have demonstrated that two of the components of cannabis can be effective in treating phobia patients. In 2013, researchers from the University of Michigan published a paper in the journal Neuropsychology. The researchers exposed a group of subjects to their fears. They completed the experiment again after the subjects were given synthetic THC and overtime, they showed no fear. A study published last year by Frontiers in Pharmacology showed that CBD can be effective in treating specific phobias. The reason for this is that CBD can reduce fear memory.

Fear expression was inhibited and produced longer lasting reductions in fear. There are many prescription medications for phobia patients, but many complain that the side effects from these drugs are worse than the phobia itself. Medical marijuana can be used as a safe alternative that could help millions of phobia sufferers get back to their daily lives. With that said, it also has the potential to increase anxiety in large doses and so it is encouraged to take with caution. It is also important to ensure that the CBD contains little or no THC.