A new study highlights the consumption patterns of cannabidiol (CBD), including dose, route of administration and reasons for using CBD. The study found that people use CBD, often in low doses, for a wide range of physical and mental health symptoms and also for improving general health and well-being.
Researchers collected information on demographics; CBD use patterns; reasons for use; and effects on anxiety, sleep and stress from 387 current or past-CBD users who completed a 20-question online survey. Majority of the users (77.4%) were from the UK.
The primary reasons for using CBD reported by patients were self-perceived anxiety (42.6%), sleep problems (42.5%), stress (37.5%) and general health and well-being (37%). More than half (54.4%) of the respondents reported using a low dose (<50 mg daily) of CBD. 72.6 per cent of users preferred the sublingual route of administration, and 69.7 per cent had been using CBD for a year or less.
Females were more likely than males to use CBD for self-perceived anxiety (aOR, 1.595; P=.04) and insomnia (aOR, 1.871; P=.015), but less likely for general health and well-being and post-workout muscle soreness. Individuals aged ≥55 years (aOR, 8.569; P<.001) and 35-54 years (aOR, 2.295; P=.04) were more likely to use CBD for arthritic/joint pain than those aged 18-34 years.
Th majority of the respondents using CBD for stress, sleep problems and anxiety reported that it was effective in reducing their symptoms.
Writing in the Journal of Cannabis Research, the authors said: "Self-perceived stress, anxiety, and sleep problems constitute some of society's biggest health problems, but we lack adequate treatment options. Further research is needed into whether CBD can efficiently and safely help treat these symptoms."
