Best Hemp Flower for Depression: What the Science Says

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Although cannabis has been condemned for decades, research has proven the many benefits it has for the body and mind. Hemp has surged in popularity in recent years, thanks to new research that explores its potential health benefits.

One of the areas where CBD may be beneficial is managing depression. Research suggests that CBD may help minimize symptoms of depression by positively effecting serotonin receptors in the brain.

So, in this article, we look at hemp strains with high CBD levels and expound a bit on why these strains may help with depression.

Can CBD Hemp Flower help with Anxiety and Depression?

People will tell you they use CBD hemp flower for pain, or sleep, anxiety and even depression. Anyone who’s suffered from even mild anxiety recognises that this mental state can quickly feel inescapable, which is when the fast, relieving effects of CBD hemp flower can come into play. So, does CBD hemp flower help with anxiety, and if so, why?

Specifically, which strains of CBD hemp flower are the most useful for anxiety, and how do you know which anti-anxiety CBD product to buy (assuming making your own is not an option)? Let’s continue reading to find out.

Which Hemp Flower Strains Should you Try?

Most hemp users agree that heavy sativas are great when you need to be active and want a boost without crashing right away. The fruitier the sativa, the better, because that generally means higher concentrations of the ultra-citrusy terpene limonene.

I have found sativa-dominant CBD vape cartridges to be particularly easy to keep on me when anxiety flares up; they’re fast-acting, easy to conceal, and don’t need to be lit with a match—as long as you remember to recharge your vape’s battery.

1. Special Sauce

With 18.8% CBD content, Special Sauce will give you a great soothing feeling and get you all relaxed and ready to go to bed.

This Indica strain has sweet notes of berries, setting a nice mood for you to enjoy. Thanks to its high CBD level and rich terpene profile, Special Sauce is often used to treat depression and balance mood.

2. Suver Haze

A cross between Suver #8 and ERB, Suver Haze is a great choice of hemp flower for depression. Not only is it high in CBD (21.3%), but it also has a combination of terpenes that enhance the overall benefits of this bud.

Suver Haze can be used both daytime and nighttime and goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea.

3. ACDC

This is an extremely popular hemp strain since it was bred specifically for medical purposes. ACDC is not a highway to hell, with its perfect 20:1 CBD-to-THC ratio keeping you grounded.

Because of its great genetics, this strain is some of the best hemp flower for depression, melting stress away, and easing feelings of nervousness and agitation.

4. Sour Space Candy

Sour Space Candy is one of many people's favorite types of hemp flower for depression. This strain is a hybrid with 16.7% CBD and an enticing terpene profile. Its sweet flavors provide you with a soothing smoke and set a relaxing mood after a tiring day.

For this reason, you can use this flavorful hemp flower to treat your depression and anxiety.

5. Elektra CBD

Oregon CBD bred Elektra by crossing Early Resin Berry and ACDC. This hemp flower strain has light green and orange buds that give off a rich chocolate and citrus aroma, high in myrcene and caryophyllene.

Many consumers use Elektra for its therapeutic effects since it balances mood and helps you relax while keeping your mind active.

6. Hawaiian Haze

Hawaiian Haze offers a sweet floral smell and an earthy taste with notes of tropical fruits. This terpene-rich hemp strain induces a boost in energy and focus.

Thanks to its average 0.26% myrcene content, Hawaiian Haze is the perfect strain to battle symptoms of depression, as it has uplifting and elevating effects.

7. Cherry Wine

The fragrant profile of this strain is one of the main reasons why you would like to have it on your shelf. Cherry Wine contains around 15% CBD, making it perfect for any new users who want to feel calm and focused.

Thanks to its rich terpene profile, this strain is full of therapeutic effects that will have you going through the day with ease.

8. Harlequin Hemp Strain

Harlequin is a popular strain to treat anxiety and depression. Bred to reach high CBD levels and little to no THC, the effects of this strain start at the head, relaxing the thoughts and allowing a sense of calm to take over your brain.

If you want a soothing, mellow buzz, Harlequin is a good option to treat your depression.

9. Suzy Q Hemp Flower

Users know Suzy Q for its strong, relaxing Indica effects that leave the mind and body feeling calm and relaxed. Its CBD level can go as high as 25%, making it a therapeutic strain that helps you feel focused.

For this reason, Suzy Q is used to numb physical pain, psychological stress, and depression. Moreover, because it is neither overly sedative nor overly stimulating, Suzy Q is appropriate for use at any time of day.

10. Oregon Watermelon

With an average 14% CBD level, this fruity strain provides a happy and focused mental feeling. Oregon Watermelon is a hybrid, rich in terpenes that will relax your body and activate your mind.

The terpenes found in Oregon Watermelon make it a great hemp flower for depression; A-Pinene boosts energy and improves focus, and myrcene relaxes the muscles and balances mood. Lastly, limonene improves mood and relieves nausea, and it’s commonly found in strains that treat anxiety and depression.

How do terpenes aid in anxiety and depression?

There are many cannabis-derived terpenes with anxiolytic effects. The best-known are limonene, linalool and myrcene, most commonly available in combination in ‘floral’ and ‘dank’ sativa-type strains. So, going one by one:

Linalool

Linalool is the primary component of lavender and is a relaxing fragrance in spas. This terpene binds to receptors in the brain stem that stimulate sleep.

Linalool effects are not as euphoric as sedative, though that can still be useful on occasion when it comes to anxiety. In the family of natural terpenes, it’s thought of as one of the most relaxing.

And because anxiety generally comes with a mix of emotions, pairing it with limonene can take things in a good direction from multiple angles.

Limonene

When inhaled, limonene simultaneously stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (the system that mobilises humans for flight and fight), while also activating the vagus nerve – the part of the parasympathetic system that serves as rest and digestion.

Limonene offers a trade-off between sympathetic and parasympathetic arousal, providing the body with what neuroscientists call ‘flexibility in stressful situations’.

Limonene Of all the terpenes studied for anxiety effects in humans, limonene is among the most promising. Proven anxiolytic in both aromatherapy and oral ingestion applications, it’s believed that this terpene, found in citrus, is the substance primarily responsible for some types of cannabis being more anti-anxiety than others.

Myrcene

Of the terpenes found in the cannabis family, myrcene is something of a generalist. A potent anti-inflammatory, some scientists believe that myrcene’s other attributes can all be traced back to this one property.

For those hemp users hoping to cash in on myrcene’s purported anxiolytic properties, this terpene is a major player in almost every cannabis cultivar.

What makes CBD hemp flower useful for mood?

Because anxiety is often a condition that can hit one ‘out of nowhere’ – that is, symptoms come on abruptly and seemingly without any particular reason or external trigger – the fast-acting nature of the CBD hemp flower is a natural fit for the first few moments when you feel the on-ramp of anxiety.

Just keep a CBD hemp flower or a pre-roll ready to pull out when you need it and in moments you can inhale and be relieved. As such, it’s not really a surprise to see multiple studies on the potential for CBD to impact anxiety.

In particular, the use of CBD as an anti-anxiety treatment is likely to be of great interest to scientists, who also know that it works fastest (and most intensely) when consumed by inhalation.

Besides its general value, CBD seems fortified by the terpenes present in flowered hemp, some of which are anti-anxiety in their own right. The combination of cannabinoids and terpenes produces the so-called entourage effect, whereby a hemp’s chemical constituents synergize, heightening each hemp compound’s potency in its own right.

How to choose the best Hemp Flower for anxiety

Sativa CBD hemp flower products vary widely in terms of both quality and, potentially, safety. To make savvy choices, read up on the information the CBD brand provides about its products. They might have product descriptions or marketing materials available.

Second, look for a certificate of analysis, which is an independent lab report that will tell you exactly what terpenes and cannabinoids are present in what amounts.

Finally, customer reviews. If any of the important information about the quality, safety, and usefulness of a CBD hemp item is being hidden, it’ll definitely come out in the reviews.

Customers are annoyingly truthful about such things – they use it, they will tell. Hands-on testimony trumps everything else when it comes to evaluating consumer goods.

Final Thoughts

Low serotonin levels are connected to depression, and even though CBD doesn’t necessarily boost serotonin levels, it can improve your brain's response to stimuli. This can have significant ramifications for stress-induced depression.

However, CBD is not the only component in hemp flower that may help with depression. Terpenes, molecules responsible for the aromas of plants, also have great therapeutic effects on the body and mind.

Links to sources used in this article:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7309674/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.837946/full
https://psychcentral.com/depression/all-about-cbd-for-depression
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.729800/full
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34544345/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8326332/

Note: Abruptly stopping a medication can cause serious side effects. If you want to stop taking medication and switch to a CBD treatment, work with your healthcare provider to adjust your dosage.