New!

| Most Popular Article Of The Week:

National Survey Reveals Confusion About CBD

Heather Mikesell

Share

Photo: Shutterstock

Although the buzz around CBD seems to have died down considerably over the past year, CBD is still reputed for a host of positive benefits, some of which still seem to be a mystery to many. According to a national survey by Invisibly, most people have never tried a CBD product and don’t understand the difference between CBD and THC.

While they do have some things in common, such as the fact they are both derived from the cannabis plant, the key differentiator is that CBD does not produce the psychoactive effect for which THC is known. In other words, CBD will not get you high, whereas THC will.

Don’t miss a headline—sign up for our newsletter!

Shedding light on consumer views about CBD, the survey polled 1,087 Americans. “It’s surprising that 58 percent of Americans still are not aware that CBD and THC are completely different chemicals from cannabis, the former not being psychoactive, producing a ‘high,’ in any way,” says Don Vaughn, Ph.D, Invisibly’s head of product. “Invisibly performs regular polls to better understand trending topics in health and wellness, finance, politics, and lifestyle trends. This was one that we were very surprised about the results.”

Some key takeaways about CBD usage:

62 percent of respondents have never tried any type of CBD product, and 53 percent of respondents would not consider using a CBD product for any reason.

40 percent of respondents who have tried CBD products said their primary reason was to reduce stress.

Women are the biggest consumers of CBD products and they are using it in both topical and ingestible forms. In fact, they are more likely to use CBD products at more than twice the rate of men.

Of the respondents who had tried CBD, 14 percent used it in an ingestible form, 11 percent as a topical ointment or cream, and 13 percent had tried it in both ingestible and topical forms.

Just under 71 percent of respondents who have never tried a CBD product reported “they won’t use any CBD product” while nearly 30 percent of respondents who have never tried it would consider using it to reduce stress, anxiety, or physical pain.

40 percent of those who have tried it said their primary reason was to reduce stress and anxiety while 17 percent said it was to reduce physical or chronic pain. 32 percent who have tried it use it for both reasons.

Some key takeaways about CBD understanding:

68 percent of respondents who have not tried CBD reported that they don’t know the difference between CBD and THC-containing products.

64 percent of respondents who have tried CBD did understand the difference between the two compounds.

36 percent of respondents who have tried CBD did so without understanding the difference between CBD and THC-containing products.

32 percent of respondents who have not tried CBD products still understood the difference between CBD and THC.

For more on CBD, check out 6 CBD, CBN, and CBG Products to Encourage Better Sleep.

About The Author
Heather-Mikesell-author-1

Heather, co-founder of Well Defined and the former editor-in-chief of American Spa, is an award-winning journalist and content strategist, skilled in writing, copyediting, and media relations. She is also a freelance writer and has contributed to Elite Traveler, Islands, Kiwi, Luxury Travel Advisor, Organic Spa, Porthole Cruise, Travel Agent, abcnews.com, jetsetter.com, outside.com, and wellandgood.com, in addition to various custom publications. She is frequently called upon to comment on various spa and wellness trends for various media outlets.