A 2019 study analyzed data from 72 adult patients who were consecutively treated with CBD for anxiety or sleep disorders at a psychiatric outpatient clinic in Colorado. The study found that the use of CBD for anxiety and sleep disorders had positive effects on most patients.
Within the first month of CBD treatment, anxiety scores decreased in 79.2% of patients and remained decreased throughout the study. Sleep scores also showed improvements in 66.7% of patients within the first month, but fluctuated over time.
The majority of patients in the study were able to tolerate the use of CBD, with only a small number of patients experiencing side effects that resulted in discontinuation of the treatment. The side effects reported by patients were generally mild and included fatigue and mild sedation. Overall, the use of CBD was well-tolerated by patients in the study.
The study showed that most patients experienced improvements in anxiety and sleep after taking CBD, and these improvements were sustained over time. At the first monthly assessment after starting CBD treatment, a majority of patients experienced improvements in both anxiety and sleep. Even two months later, a significant proportion of patients reported continued improvement in their symptoms. Although a small number of patients experienced worsening symptoms in anxiety and sleep, the majority of patients reported sustained benefits from CBD treatment.
The doses of CBD used in the study ranged from 25 mg/day to 175 mg/day, and the lower dosages were found to elicit adequate clinical response. The doses of CBD used in this study were much lower than those reported in some clinical literature (300 mg/day to 600 mg/day), ranging from 25mg/day to 175mg/day. This was based on the authors' experience that lower doses are sufficient to elicit a clinical response and that higher doses are cost-prohibitive due to the current retail cost of CBD.
The study found that CBD was generally well-tolerated by patients, with very few reporting side effects. In fact, the researchers noted that CBD appeared to be better tolerated than routine psychiatric medications. This is an important finding, as many people with anxiety and sleep disorders may be hesitant to take prescription medications due to concerns about side effects. Overall, the study suggests that CBD may be a viable treatment option for anxiety and sleep disorders, with minimal side effects.
Study Title: Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series
Study Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326553