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Marijuana Ingredient Reduces Anxiety During Public Speaking, Study Shows

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A new study has some good news for people who fear public speaking—or suffer from acute anxiety in general. The marijuana component cannabidiol, or CBD, seems to help.

The study, published in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, tested how CBD influences anxiety in a simulated public speaking setting, “a well-tested anxiety-inducing method.”

The researchers analyzed self-reported anxiety test results as well as physiological markers like blood pressure and heart rate in 57 male subjects throughout the experiment. Participants received either 150mg, 300mg or 600mg of CBD, or a placebo in the randomized, double-blind test.

Earlier research has demonstrated that CBD can mitigate anxiety in a dose-dependent manner. The present study reached the same conclusion: The impact of CBD on anxiety followed a U-shaped dose-response curve.

Here’s how the experiment worked.

Participants were shown an instructional video and given two minutes to come up with a four-minute speech about public transportation in their neighborhood. Anxiety markers were tested before, in the middle of and after their speeches.

Self-reports about anxiety levels showed that the group that received the 300mg CBD dose “showed lower anxiety levels” compared to the placebo group. Also, the higher (600mg) and lower (150mg) dose “had little or no effect on [public speaking] anxiety, and a significant response was only achieved with an intermediate dose.”

Via the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry.

“Confirming several preclinical and clinical studies, our results indicate that acute doses of CBD can decrease anxiety,” the researchers wrote.

“In conclusion, we observed again that single acute doses of CBD cause an inverted U-shaped dose-response pattern in human subjects submitted to an experimental model of anxiety,” the study found. “The narrow therapeutic window of CBD makes it difficult to use the drug in clinical settings before rigorous chronic dose-response clinical trials have established optimal doses.”

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Kyle Jaeger is Marijuana Moment's Sacramento-based managing editor. His work has also appeared in High Times, VICE and attn.

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