Mental well-being is an essential component of the definition of health. The World Health Organization’s statement emphasized that “an excellent psychic condition enables individuals to achieve themselves, overcome the tensions of everyday life, work productively and contribute to the community’s life. Its impairment can significantly impact the consumption of health services and is the subject of social stigma more than other diseases. ”
Many people face stress and anxiety daily, especially after the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
The awareness of the importance of mental wellness combined with the generalization of mood disorders has led the scientific community to always look for new components to fight these problems. Among these, cannabis has emerged in recent years: in fact, numerous studies have observed its positive effects on anxiety.
Before analyzing the main benefits of cannabis on anxiety, it may be helpful to remember some information and data on mental wellness disorders.
Anxiety can be defined as a state of agitation, nervousness, and concern for every aspect of everyday life, even in situations that are not at all serious. This type of disorder has a physiological nature and is distinguished from automatic anxiety, the organism’s natural and immediate response to a dangerous situation. The condition can occur occasionally and for long periods, especially in individuals with marked sensitivity.
Anxiety can occur with symptoms both physically and psychologically. In the first case, you may experience tachycardia, dizziness, insomnia, a lump in the throat, dyspnea, muscle tension and tremors. From a psychological point of view, the symptoms can vary from fear to nervousness, restlessness, inability to relax, concentration, and memory problems.
According to ISTAT data contained in a report on mental health (period 2015-2017), depression is the most common mental disorder: it is estimated that in Italy, more than 2.8 million – equal to 5.4% of the adult population – those who suffered from it during 2015, while the European average stands at around 5.2%. Depression is often associated with anxiety disorders. It is estimated that 7% of the population over 14 (3.7 million people) suffered from anxious-depressive disorders in the same year.
Data relating to Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or DAG, also indicate an actual prevalence in the United States, where it is recorded that 6.8 million people struggle with this disorder.
The causes of anxiety states can be different because, as already pointed out, the disorder affects people of all ages. However, among the leading and most common are:
external factors, i.e., situations that may include family, school, or work conditions, mental or physical abuse, and many others;
genetic, some people may be genetically more prone to anxiety;
personalities, often, people who are introverted, shy, or have low self-esteem may be more predisposed to developing anxiety disorders.
People look for remedies to support it, whether a temporary condition or a more extended disorder. Under high stress, they often prefer compounds as much as possible and natural rather than chemicals, which can lead to problems arising from prolonged use. In addition, natural remedies exploit components that already work in synergy within plants and can potentially bring the same benefits to the human body without side effects. As already pointed out, medical cannabis for anxiety generates growing interest in these solutions.
Hemp is a plant with an ancient history of cultivation. It is a variety of the Cannabaceae family, which develops with a low THC content, not to say non-existent, and therefore without any effector psychoactive.
On the other hand, cannabis offers many properties, such as the ability to act positively on physiological cycles that affect emotions, sleep, and mood.
The scientific community has extensively studied these properties through numerous clinical trials that have observed how to treat different conditions and diseases with cannabinoids. There have been positive effects on neurological diseases and behavioral disorders like autism, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and anxiety and stress.
More specifically, a study by Washington State University in Pullman observed the effects of cannabis on a sample of about 1,400 people suffering from these disorders. The selected model, once hired, would have to answer a series of questions through an app that allowed them to quantify their moods on a scale from 1 to 10. The results showed that, after cannabis use, patients experienced a 50% decrease in depression and a 58% decrease in anxiety and stress.
The University of São Paulo also conducted a study that obtained similar results. In this second trial, 27 healthy subjects who took 300 mg of CBD thirty minutes before the test was recorded were observed. In addition, this trial showed that cannabis could be used successfully to treat anxiety and depression symptoms and enhance attention without side effects.
Despite the considerable scientific evidence regarding the essential benefits offered by cannabis on human health, there are still innumerable restrictions concerning its use and its active ingredients, especially in the nutraceutical field. In some European countries, including Italy, the legislation is clear: as far as Cannabis Sativa L. is concerned, only seeds and oil derived from these are allowed in the formulation of food supplements. Therefore, Biofarma Group has focused on these elements to obtain a product that can make the most of this plant’s therapeutic effects.
Based on the scientific evidence in the literature regarding cannabis and anxiety, Biofarma Group has developed a product that can support subjects suffering from this condition: Hemp Stress Support.
Nutraceutical formulation allows you to find your psychological balance, promote relaxation, reduce fatigue, and counteract the harmful effects of the stressful stimulus to which the subject is subjected.
The effectiveness of this formulation derives from the use of cannabis Sativa oil as the main active, whose function is to induce relaxation in the subjects who take it. However, the strength of this substance is also supported and strengthened by a series of other components that enhance the product’s ability to balance mood: chamomile extract, lemon balm extract, and Griffonia. In addition, vitamins B6 and camellia sinesis (better known as the tea plant) present in the formulation have an essential function and ability to reduce stress and fatigue.
However, the avant-garde of the product lies not only in the effectiveness of the active ingredients but also in the innovative technology used: microencapsulation. Biofarma Group is the first CDMO in Italy to use this technology in the nutraceutical field, applicable to powders, capsules, and tablets. Its use allows you to coat and protect an ingredient, keeping it active and stabilized until the moment chosen for release. Its use favors: gastro-resistance, the ability to taste masking, modified release, more excellent solubility of hydrophobic substances, and a combination of different meanings for better dispersibility and absorption.
In the case of Hemp Stress Support, micro-encapsulation has made it possible to convert hemp oil into a powder. In the case of Hemp Stress Support, micro-encapsulation has made it possible to transform hemp oil into a powder. Allowing the development of a tablet and thus supplying the market that requires a galenical shape, very different from the common liquid form—an absolute novelty for consumers.
Edited by:
Arianna Vanelli: R&D Manager
Stefania Murzilli: Scientific Specialist
ISTAT, “Mental health in the various stages of life,” 2018
