Beating Your Fear Of Flying With Cannabis

Palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. No, these aren’t the lyrics to Eminem’s Lose Yourself. These are classic symptoms of flight anxiety, and if you’re one of the 25 million people in the U.S. who experience them, you’re not alone.

Would you like a solution? If so, you’re in the right place because, in this article, we’ll explore the fear of flying and how cannabis may help.

What Causes Fear of Flying

Fear of flying, also called flight anxiety, aviophobia, or aerophobia, is the feeling of overwhelming dread or anxiety once you’re on a plane or even think of getting on one. The fear can be due to several factors, such as fear of heights, claustrophobia, or feeling out of control. It may also stem from general anxiety, past flight trauma, or lingering fear after watching the first Final Destination movie.

For some people, fear of flying causes mild nervousness, while others have full-blown panic attacks that make getting on a plane torturous. Depending on the severity of your fear of flying, you may also experience:

• Sweating
• Heart racing
• Nausea
• Hyperventilation
• Gastric distress
• Dizziness
• Irritability
• Shortness of breath
• Trembling
• A strong urge to get off the plane
• Obsessing over something going wrong
• Panic attacks

How Cannabis Might Help with Fear of Flying

Since aerophobia typically presents as anxiety, nausea, and panic, a doctor may prescribe antianxiety medication like Valium or Xanax to calm your nerves. You may also be prescribed an antihistamine-based, motion sickness medication like meclizine or dimenhydrinate (Dramamine®) to ease nausea.

However, numerous studies show that cannabis can work similarly to these medications without the same risk of dependency or heavy sedation. It’s ideal if you want a natural, plant-based option to ease flight anxiety or motion sickness.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology showed that 96.4% of 886 participants experienced significant nausea relief within five minutes of using cannabis. According to a 2019 study on Cannabinoid Modulation of Fear Extinction Brain Circuits, cannabinoids, especially tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), may help alleviate fear and treat anxiety disorders.

There’s also research from Johns Hopkins University that suggests cannabis can significantly reduce feelings of anxiety and panic by helping you relax. Lastly, a 2020 study on the Endocannabinoid System in Modulating Fear, Anxiety, and Stress pointed out that using cannabis in the right amount may help you relax and minimize fear, anxiety, and stress responses.

All of these findings suggest that cannabis may be a powerful tool for lowering flight anxiety during your next trip.

Choosing the Right Cannabis Product for Flying

The cannabis plant, especially its flower, contains several beneficial compounds, such as cannabinoids. The most popular of these cannabinoids is THC, which causes euphoric effects, and cannabidiol (CBD), which is calming and non-intoxicating.

Both cannabinoids are effective for lowering anxiety, but too much THC can itself cause anxiety and paranoia to worsen your aerophobia. As such, it’s safer to use pure CBD or a full-spectrum cannabis product with a low THC content. Full-spectrum products with less than 10% THC usually contain enough CBD and other cannabinoids to balance or soften THC’s psychotropic effects.

In summary, the ideal cannabis products for flight anxiety are pure CBD or high-CBD, low-THC options. These provide calming effects without overwhelming impairment that might worsen flight-induced anxiety, fear, or panic. However, your experience may vary depending on the exact ratio of cannabinoids, your tolerance, consumption method, and dose.

How to Use Cannabis for Flight Anxiety

If you’re caught smoking, vaping, or even carrying marijuana on a plane, you could face serious legal consequences. Since that’s illegal, what are your options for using cannabis to ease your fear of flying?

Cannabis with less than 0.3% THC is federally legal, so it’s fine to travel with, according to TSA. However, some airports, such as Denver International Airport in Colorado and Las Vegas’s McCarran International Airport, have their own policies that consider any form of cannabis on airport premises illegal.

Instead of risking taking cannabis with you on a plane for flight anxiety, your safest option is to dose before entering the airport. How? Edibles or pills. Ingested cannabis can take 30 to 90 minutes before you feel it, and its effect can last for 4 to 12 hours.

So, if you time it right, you can eat an edible outside the airport, feel the effects by the time you board, and let it work its magic during your flight. Of course, this only works if you have no boarding or flight delays.

Alternatively, you could board your domestic flight with a CBD tincture. It should be in its original, clearly labeled packaging for easy identification and contain less than 0.3% THC. Pack it in your carry-on bag, following TSA’s 3.4 oz or 100 ml liquid limit. It is not recommended to travel internationally with cannabis products due to strict customs and border laws in the US and abroad.

Unlike edibles, tinctures are fast-acting and taken under the tongue, meaning you can use one on the plane as needed to calm your anxiety. However, there are no guarantees it won’t get you into trouble with TSA, CBP, flight attendants, or customs at your destination, especially if traveling abroad.

READ: A Quick Guide to Traveling With Medical Marijuana

Can I Use Just CBD for Aerophobia?

Yes, you can use pure CBD, such as a CBD distillate or isolate, for aerophobia. Studies show that CBD can ease anxiety and reduce nausea without the impairing risks of THC.

According to research on the Use of Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Anxiety, CBD interacts with several nervous system receptors, including serotonin and cannabinoid receptors. These interactions contribute to CBD’s anxiety-reducing (anxiolytic) effects. The study also suggests that CBD may increase levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide to enhance the cannabinoid’s anxiety-reducing properties.

However, you need to get the dose right for your desired results. Using too much CBD may lead to severe drowsiness or digestive discomfort, while too little might not ease your anxiety. Also, don’t expect CBD or any other cannabis product to completely erase your flight anxiety. It can only lower it, along with anxious heart rates, to more tolerable levels.

Can I Use Just THC for Aerophobia?

You can use a small dose of a pure or high THC product for aerophobia (fear of flying), but it’s not always the best idea. While THC may help you relax, too much of it can backfire, causing anxiety, paranoia, or even a full-blown panic attack. This is more likely if you’re already under stress.

So, while THC might help some people relax before a flight, for others, it might make things worse. Your safest bet is to use CBD or a full-spectrum product with a high CBD-to-THC ratio.

Do’s and Don’ts for Using Cannabis to Calm Your Aerophobia

Do’s

• Do choose high-CBD, low-THC products for their calming effects and minimal intoxication.
• Do test the product days before your flight to see how your body reacts and identify the right dose to use.
• Pair your cannabis use with calming distractions, such as a relaxing playlist, a breathing app, or a book, for a more soothing experience.
• Do use full-spectrum products with terpenes like linalool, terpinolene, or myrcene for extra calming effects.
• Do use discreet methods like tinctures or capsules, as they’re subtle and easier to dose.
• Do time your dose if using an oral CBD product – take it about 60 minutes before boarding to give it enough time to take effect.
• Do stay hydrated and eat a light meal to prevent dry mouth, dizziness, or intensified effects mid-flight.
• Do check local and airport laws because even legal cannabis can be banned for specific airports or flights.

Don’ts

• Don’t smoke or vape at the airport or on the plane, as these are illegal and may get you arrested.
• Don’t use high-THC products if you’re sensitive to anxiety or panic because high doses of this cannabinoid may worsen things.
• Don’t take cannabis for the first time before a flight because unfamiliar effects in a stressful situation can backfire.
• Don’t bring cannabis on international flights, as even CBD may cause issues with customs in foreign countries and when returning to the US (Customs and Border Patrol).
• Don’t forget that cannabinoids affect everyone differently, so finding the right dose for your needs may take some trial and error.
• Don’t overdo it with a large dose; start with a low dose and increase only if needed.

Alternatives if You Can’t Fly with Cannabis

If you live in a cannabis-unfriendly state, prescription medications like benzodiazepines (i.e., Xanax®) can help with flight anxiety. Over-the-counter aids like melatonin or Benadryl® can also help you relax by sedating you, while Dramamine® can reduce nausea.

Alternatively, distract yourself with noise-canceling headphones playing soothing music or an engaging podcast. You could also watch a movie or play games. If natural relaxation techniques like deep breathing or guided meditation work for you, you can try those too. 

In severe cases, working with a licensed clinical psychologist using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or other strategies often helps the most. They may conduct exposure therapy as well, incrementally exposing you to air travel-related triggers until you are ready to fly.