Hate Public Speaking? 300 mg of CBD Can Make the Jitters Go Away

Do you love public speaking and thrive under the pressure of standing before large crowds? Good for you.

For those of us who aren’t quite so gifted in the art of public speaking without getting some kind of performance anxiety jitters, there’s a cannabis compound to help with that: cannabidiol (CBD). Or, to be precise, 300 milligrams of it.

According to a study published in the February 2019 Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 300 milligrams may be the optimal dose of CBD for treating socially motivated anxiety, such as the immediate anxiety of a public speaking experience.

The study involved a simulated public speaking test where subjects were given doses of CBD from 150 to 600 milligrams. The control group was given a placebo. After measuring blood pressure and heart rates, as well as subject ratings on the Visual Analogue Mood Scale, a test for measuring specific mood states, the study concluded that 300 milligrams of CBD were most effective in reducing anxiety associated with public speaking.

A study published in the February issue of the Journal of Psychiatry found that 300 milligrams of cannabidiol (CBD) was effective in reducing public speaking anxiety. (Photo by Teemu Paananen/Unsplash)

For both patients and physicians, knowing how to properly dose cannabis for medicinal use is still fairly cloudy territory due to the lack of available data, and legal roadblocks that have prevented cannabis research on human test subjects. The effects of various CBD consumption methods (smoking, vaping, and sublingual sprays) and of CBD itself from person to person also make it difficult to pinpoint the most effective doses.

Previous studies have demonstrated CBD’s general efficacy in treating social anxiety (also by using SPSTs), and animal studies have shown similar doses of CBD to be effective in treating anxiety symptoms. Not only does this most recent study provide further evidence that CBD is an effective anti-anxiety medicine, it also gives us a much better idea of how much CBD we should take next time we have a speaking engagement and need help to take the edge off, immediately.   

Cannabis Dosing Not an Exact Science Yet

While this study identified the effective dose for public speaking anxiety among its participants, it’s important to note everyone’s endocannabinoid system is different. What works for one patient may not work the same way for another.

@kellysikkemaCannabidiol (CBD) products have shown promise in addressing anxiety in many people, though the exact effects depend on the makeup of a person’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). (Weedmaps News File Photo)

CBD interacts with our bodies through our endocannabinoid system (ECS), which regulates our bodies, returns us to a state of internal balance, and triggers our responses to cannabis compounds, or cannabinoids. The ECS is present throughout the entire body, consisting of three main components: cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids (or internal cannabinoids), and the enzymes that break them down. CBD sets off a response in the body by binding to cannabinoid receptors. Genetic mutations of these receptors may cause the body’s response to CBD to vary from person to person.

For example, scientists have identified nine variations of the human CB1 receptor gene. CB1 is one of two cannabinoid receptors with which CBD interacts. If you’re walking around with one of nine variations of the CB1 receptor, your body’s response to CBD may differ from that of your friend with a different variation. Such variables in the ECS make it impossible to guarantee 300 milligrams of CBD will effectively treat your public speaking anxiety. But given the extremely low risk associated with consuming CBD, even in large amounts, it may be worth a shot to experiment with moderate doses and see what works for you.