A Green Dragon Guide to Anxiety Relief: Evidence + Product Types

Why cannabis can affect anxiety at all

Your body has an internal balancing network called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), involved in mood, stress response, sleep, and more. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD interact with this system (directly or indirectly), which is why cannabis can shift how you experience stress—sometimes toward calm, sometimes the opposite.

The “sometimes the opposite” part matters: the CDC notes cannabis can cause unpleasant thoughts or feelings of anxiety and paranoia for some people.