Study reveals why cannabis shifts from calm to panic

Northwestern University researchers discovered that cannabinoids weaken the brain's natural brake on somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala, causing anxiety. Higher doses combined with environmental stress synergistically release this brake, triggering panic attacks. Silencing these neurons eliminated the anxious response in mice exposed to predator odor.

Higher doses of cannabinoids and environmental stress worked together to synergistically release the 'brake' on the central amygdala, which in turn drove excessive anxiety.