Therapeutically Motivated Cannabis Use for Anxiety: Daily and Longitudinal Reductions Vary Between Flower and Edible Products.
Luiza Rosa, Jonathon K. Lisano, Carillon J. Skrzynski, Angela D Bryan, L Cinnamon Bidwell
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health February 10, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph23020224 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational daily-diary study with random assignment to product-type groups Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 345 |
| Population | Adults who wanted to use cannabis for anxiety relief |
| Interventions | CBD THC THC + CBD |
| Duration | 30 days |
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis |
| Keywords | Cannabinoid Daily data Edible Flower |
| Key findings | Anxiety decreased significantly over 30 days in both flower and edible users. In the flower group, THC+CBD and CBD products were associated with greater anxiety reductions (39.5% and 34.8%) than THC products (7.8%). In the edibles group, CBD product use was associated with a 24.9% reduction in anxiety over the 30 days. |
Abstract
Research shows that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is linked to increased anxiety, while cannabidiol (CBD) may have anxiolytic effects. Cannabis use is often driven by coping with anxiety, though its daily impact on anxiety remains unclear. This study examined daily associations between cannabis use and anxiety across 30 days in adults who wanted to use cannabis for anxiety relief. Participants (N = 345) used flower or edible products ad libitum and were randomly assigned to groups by product type (CBD, THC, or THC + CBD). Each day, participants reported cannabis use in the past 24 h and rated their anxiety. Linear mixed-effects models tested whether anxiety changed over time, differed by cannabinoid group, and varied with use. Anxiety significantly decreased over the study period in both flower and edibles groups. In the flower group, THC + CBD and CBD products had greater decreases in anxiety (39.5% and 34.8%, respectively) compared to THC products (7.8%). In the edibles group, when participants used CBD products, this was associated with a 24.9% reduction in anxiety over the 30 days. Findings underscore the importance of distinguishing cannabis effects by product type and cannabinoid composition and suggest that CBD-dominant edibles were associated with less anxiety over time in this naturalistic study.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.