There is both a short-term and long-term effect of CBD on anxiety.
Let's cover the "Right NOW!!" part of it.
This centers around the critical pathway called GABA.
GABA works like our brain's "brake" pedal and is critical to the immediate effect of CBD on anxiety.
GABA is the target for benzos (see CBD versus benzos) so that gives you an indication.
The issue with benzos is that they build tolerance and even addiction very quickly (hence the black box warning).
CBD is an allosteric positive modulator for GABA which means that it supports it when low!
Basically, it works like a feedback mechanism which is critical because we don't want to keep pushing GABA in one direction.
That's how you build tolerance as the brain pushes back!
GABA is a very fast actor though for anxiety and we have a whole review on GABA and anxiety or CBD and anxiety with lots of research.
So…how immediately does CBD work for anxiety?
Generally, if you take CBD oil orally, CBD's effects on anxiety will begin in about 20-30 minutes with peak CBD in the bloodstream around 4-6 hours after.
You can boost this speed (and amounts) by holding CBD oil under your tongue up to 60 seconds so it's absorbed directly by the sublingual gland.
In that case, the effects may be 5-10 minutes afterward.
Studies on public speaking for people with diagnosed social anxiety disorders used 600mg of CBD about 1 hour before the event with significant effects (see CBD and public speaking).
You don't get more anxious than with public speaking!!
600mg is a higher dose. Many people see results with anxiety around 50-150 mg at a time and 300mg is the peak dose for neurogenesis (the long-term path for anxiety - see here).
Our 6000mg bottle is 200mg per full dropper which is a good amount.
Even the 2000mg bottle at 70mg is a good, immediate level to test and see how you respond.
Again, there's an immediate effect (GABA pathway) and a longer-term effect (serotonin) that builds over 2 weeks.
This is without tolerance, a "high" effect, addiction, or other concerns that plague benzos and other options.
One note…CBD isolate (where the research is) is very different in response than CBD full-spectrum due to histamine.
Some people actually see their anxiety get worse pretty immediately due to histamine release from full-spectrum (see our reviews). Learn all about isolate versus full spectrum here.
Always work with a doctor or naturopath with any supplement!
The information provided here is not intended to treat an illness or substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare provider.