Thanks to the burgeoning cannabidiol (CBD) industry, there are now various ways for you to enjoy all the health benefits of marijuana, without getting high.
Oils, tinctures, energy drinks, gummies, lotions, even massages — you name it, and there’s a big chance that there is a CBD product made for it.
It’s a big industry, one that is projected to reach around $22 billion (or more) by the year 2022, and almost every company out there are looking to get a piece of the pie. A tetrahydrocannabinol-free (THC) component extracted from industrial hemp, CBD has gained popularity for its purported medicinal uses. These include potential treatment to muscle pain, inflammation, anxiety, insomnia, and in some cases, even epileptic attacks. These benefits are still being studied.
Despite this, according to Crystal Turner, who’s a wellness department manager at CBD retailer Oryana, CBD products are a hit with people that use it for different health reasons. She said, “A lot of people come into our store and use CBD for chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety — some people, even for seizures. More and more people are finding it has huge therapeutic potential.”
It’s selling well in Michigan, which is only one of the many states that are taking advantage of the new industry. However, the jury is still out on just how effective many CBD products available today are.
Effectiveness of CBD products
Prior to the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD products are mostly unregulated. This presents one large, gaping problem: these CBD products vary widely in both efficacy and quality.
In fact, before it fell under the jurisdiction of the Food & Drug Administration, the government body issued warnings to several CBD manufacturers in 2016 for not matching the amounts of CBD listed on the labels of their products. There were even some products that included higher amounts of THC in it.
Furthermore, most published studies around the drug only look at CBD doses in large and controlled quantities. Very little is still done with CBD products that only contain a rather small percentage of it. It is also still unclear how the compound will react when mixed with other drugs.
Despite this, however, it seems like there is no stopping its industry at the moment. And it will continue being the “in miracle compound” for many years to come, especially now with the Farm Bill in place. According to market data collected by the New Hope Network, CBD sales, nationally, have grown by more than 300 percent in the past year. And it will only continue to do so.
