CBD survey shows Americans receiving significant healing benefits
CBD is one of the hottest, if not the hottest, supplement utilized by doctors of chiropractic in the U.S., despite pending U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) rulings and varying laws and enforcement state-to-state in the U.S.
CBD remains the “Wild West” of supplements, touted in relieving everything from back and neck pain to sleep issues to preventing cancer.
Now a new survey from Project CBD, “Cultivating Wellness,” shines a light on the “darling compound of the cannabis world” and how and why it is being used by consumers. The 200-question survey covered an eight-month period and encompassed more than 3,500 respondents, and focused on six quality of life measurements: pain, mood, sleep, physical function, energy or motivation, and the ability to socialize.
Participants reported using CBD for more than 200 different medical conditions, including “symptoms of catastrophic illnesses like cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. The complete list of ailments is a sobering reminder of the limitations of pharmacology, and the magnitude of human suffering in the face of intractable diseases.”
The survey found that there were few adverse effects, which is consistent with studies showing that CBD is safe and well-tolerated even at high doses.
From survey results the typical CBD user is white, well-educated, over 45, female, and living in the U.S.
“CBD users in this survey also skewed older,” the survey summarized. “Almost two-thirds were over the age of 44, and almost 20% were seniors over the age of 64. This finding may be explained by CBD’s popularity for treating pain and sleep problems, ailments that are common among the elderly, particularly in the U.S. where half of older adults report suffering from chronic “bothersome” pain and half report regular sleep disturbances.
Other report findings:
CBD for Pain — 60% reporting that CBD made these aspects “much better.” Before taking CBD, the average pain score was 6.85; when taking CBD, the average pain score was 2.76, representing a 60% decrease in intensity.
CBD for Sleep — Participants reported that CBD helped them get to sleep more quickly, reducing the average time from about an hour to 20 minutes.
CBD for Anxiety, Depression and Other Mood Disorders — Approximately 90% of participants using CBD for a mood disorder reported that they had anxiety; 92% of participants experienced some relief from this symptom, and 68% reported that feelings of nervousness were “much better” with CBD.
CBD for PTSD — According the the survey CBD appears to be highly effective in addressing a range of symptoms, particularly anxiety, anger, irritability, depression, mood swings, and panic attacks.
CBD for Cancer — CBD was most helpful with ameliorating nausea and vomiting. Many participants also found it helpful for appetite, neuropathy (numbness or tingling), and weakness.
CBD for Diabetes — Blood sugar levels showed significant improvements over the pre-CBD levels, decreasing from 178 to 130 on average. Participants also reported significant improvements in neuropathy-type symptoms (i.e. nerve pain, tingling or numbness), and some improvements in their ability to maintain a healthy weight.
Few participants were able to say how much CBD (or THC) they were taking, “suggesting an urgent need for both better product labeling and consumer education…The vast majority of participants reported using CBD to alleviate pain/inflammation, to improve mood and sleep, and/or for general wellness.”
To read the full report by Project CBD go to www.projectcbd.org/science/cbd-survey-summary.
