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Should You Get High Or Get Still? Meditation Vs. Marijuana For Anxiety Relief

How does cannabis stack up against anxiety treatments that we know are safe and effective (like yoga and meditation)? Let’s take a look at some of the most compelling evidence:

  • Carrie Cuttler.
    Cuttler

    A study by scientists at the Washington State University found that just a couple of puffs of marijuana is enough to lower anxiety and depression for most users. This was one of the first studies to examine the strain-specific effects of cannabis on mood. The researchers concluded that herbal strains high in CBD (a natural anti-inflammatory compound with no psychoactive properties) but low in THC (the compound responsible for marijuana mind-altering effects) had the most beneficial impact on mood. Summarizing the results, assistant professor of psychology, Carrie Cutler, explained that  “one puff of cannabis high in CBD and low in THC was optimal for reducing symptoms of depression, two puffs of any type of cannabis was sufficient to reduce symptoms of anxiety, while ten or more puffs of cannabis high in CBD and high in THC produced the largest reductions in stress.”

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Alternative Daily

Cannabis Now

Balancing Act: Women’s voices are largely missing from newspaper letters to the editor

A majority of letters to the editor that appear in newspapers are written by men, which means a sizable chunk of the nation isn’t taking part in the national conversation.

Joyce Ehrlinger.
Joyce Ehrlinger

Joyce Ehrlinger, assistant professor of psychology at Washington State University, said that women are hesitant to position themselves as experts.

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Bristol Herald Courier

One puff is enough! A single drag of cannabis can alleviate depression, 2 can ease anxiety and 10 can slash stress (but long-term use could WORSEN symptoms)

Taking just one drag of a cannabis joint can ease symptoms of depression, a study suggests. Scientists also discovered that inhaling two puffs of weed can alleviate anxiety, while 10 can help to combat stress.

Carrie Cuttler
Carrie Cuttler

However, the Washington State University researchers warned long-term use of cannabis could worsen symptoms of depression. Led by Dr. Carrie Cuttler, they found symptoms of depression were halved as a result of the medical cannabis use.

Symptoms of anxiety and stress were reduced by 58 per cent, according to the study in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

The researchers wrote: “Acute cannabis intoxication temporarily alleviates perceived states of depression, anxiety, and stress.”

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The Daily Mail
Other sources:

Observer – click to view
Forbes – click to view
IB Times– click to view
Hemp Gazette – click to view
Inquisitr – click to view
Brinkwire – click to view
Metro – click to view
Medical Daily
Benzinga

 

WSU Tri-Cities: Future of WSU Tri-Cities includes housing, expanded educational offerings and growing world-class research

Washington State University Tri-Cities realized an average enrollment growth of 12 percent annually throughout the last four years. As that upward trend continues, so does our expansion of on-campus housing, program development, world-class faculty and specialization in research.

Among the many WSU Tri-Cities faculty accomplishments this year:

Paul Strand
Strand

Paul Strand, professor of psychology, is one of a team of WSU faculty leading the online implementation of a k-12 truancy prevention program that benefits schools statewide. WSULearning and Performance Research Center houses the online implementation of the Washington Assessment of the Risks and Needs of Students.

Peter Christenson
Christenson

Peter Christenson, assistant professor of fine arts and digital technology and culture, developed a scholar residency program at WSU Tri-Cities that welcomes artists, engineers, urban planners and more to campus, where students and community members learn first-hand from their expertise.

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WSU researchers see gene influencing performance of sleep-deprived people

Paul Whitney
Paul Whitney

Washington State University researchers have discovered a genetic variation that predicts how well people perform certain mental tasks when they are sleep-deprived.

Their research shows that individuals with a particular variation of the DRD2 gene are resilient to the effects of sleep deprivation when completing tasks that require cognitive flexibility, the ability to make appropriate decisions based on changing information.

“Our work shows that there are people who are resilient to the effects of sleep deprivation when it comes to cognitive flexibility. Surprisingly these same people are just as affected as everyone else on other tasks that require different cognitive abilities, such as maintaining focus,” said Paul Whitney, a WSU professor of psychology and lead author of the study, which appeared in the journal Scientific Reports.

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WSU News
Science Newsline
Sleep Review
PsychCentral
ScienceDaily
Discover Magazine
Genetic Literacy Project