Study: Out of 2,400 CBD Users, 42 Percent Gave Up Pharmaceutical Drugs

A new study shows that many consumers are giving up conventional pharmaceutical drugs in favor of CBD and cannabis.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is found in hemp, but unlike THC it doesn’t cause people to get “high.”

In a study released in early August, market-research firm Brightfield Group surveyed 2,400 registered users of Hello MD, a medical cannabis education and advocacy website. This figure includes both strains of psychoactive cannabis, a.k.a. “marijuana,” with high levels of CBD and CBD-only products like CBD oil supplements made from industrial hemp.

80 percent said they consume CBD in some form at least once a week, with 41 percent using it daily. The vast majority, about 82 percent, reported that CBD offered significant relief from their ailments, which ranged from anxiety to chronic pain. Although the research has some limitations, it’s compelling evidence that CBD can have healing benefits.

While the idea that people are giving up pharmaceuticals for CBD is making headlines — even in places like Forbes magazine — we wanted to dig deeper into this fascinating study, which reveals a lot of interesting details about how and why people are using CBD in all its forms.

CBD AND PHARMACEUTICALS: 52 PERCENT REPORT CBD MORE EFFECTIVE THAN PHARMA DRUGS

People use CBD for diverse reasons, according to the study.

EFFECTIVE BUT NOT A MIRACLE CURE: 57 PERCENT STILL USE CBD AND PHARMACEUTICALS TOGETHER

However, neither CBD nor any form of cannabis are miracle cures and it’s important to note that most people, or 57 percent, reported that they continue to use both CBD and pharmaceutical drugs together.

There was also no placebo group as one would find in conventional “double blind” medical research.