A recent study showed how more and more people are opting for cannabidol, or more commonly referred to as, CBD. CBD products treat a variety of different ailments instead of more traditional pharmaceutical treatments.

An independent marketing research firm, The Brightfield Group, released their summary findings after the completion of a joint research study with HelloMD. The studyinvolved a sample of 2400 HelloMD participants and it’s goal was to get a better understanding of those opting for CBD, the various types of products and growth potential.

As the study states,

“While the largest portion (57%) of CBD users responding continues to use both cannabis and other medications – either simultaneously or alternating between them, 42% of these CBD users have left their traditional medications behind altogether and now use cannabis alone to treat conditions including anxiety (67%), insomnia (60%), joint pain and inflammation (52%) and depression (43%). ”

According to this new study,

69% of respondents rated hemp-derived CBD products to be “more effective” or “much more effective” in treating various illnesses and conditions than traditional over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals.

In comparing CBD to prescription drugs, approximately 52% of this consumer group indicated that CBD products are either “more effective” or “much more effective” in relieving medical conditions than are prescription medications.

Some Conditions That Are Commonly Treated With CBD

Unfortunately, despite a ton of scientific and clinical research, the benefits of CBD are still being downplayed as a treatment for a wide range of conditions including anxiety, chronic pain, arthritis, MS, Parkinson’s, PTSD, depression, epilepsy, sleep disorders, autism, and numerous other neurological disorders.

CBD is one of 85 types of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant that is being successfully used to treat a variety of medical conditions. CBD can be extracted from the marijuana or hemp plant – both are classified as cannabis sativa I and share a very similar chemical makeup. The two plants are different in a very slight but significant way. Marijuana is loaded with THC, which is the cannabinoid that is responsible for the “high” feeling that you may think of when you think of marijuana. Hemp contains very little to no THC and will not get you high. This makes it much more of a medicine than a drug and much more approachable for people to try and see this as a viable treatment option for them.  

The study observes that one of the biggest contributing factors of the current CBD craze is that the consumers want the health benefits of the cannabis, but don’t want to be high. CBD derived from hemp does not produce a psychoactive effect and is currently legal in all 50 states. THC containing cannabis however remains illegal at the Federal level despite becoming legal in many states for medicinal purposes.

CBD deserves to be studied, considered and promoted more for it’s incredible therapeutic values especially because it has little to no side effects compared to a variety of pharmaceutical treatments that come with a long line of potential health concerns and likely side effects.