BENEFITS

“Retail sales of hemp-derived CBD products in the United States reached $170 million in 2016, and are projected to grow at a 55% compound growth rate over the next five years …” – A Cross-Sectional Study of Cannabidiol Users, by Jamie Corron and Joy A. Phillips.

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Already CBD has become standard in natural or alternate medicine. Mention “CBD” in a social gathering and you likely won’t run into blank stares and questions of “What’s that.” People know, at least those focused on wellness.

Why has CBD become so popular so quickly? Here are seven major reasons:

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• The growing acceptance of holistic approaches to healthcare. CBD therapeutics don’t follow the old-line separation of mind and body.

• The push-back on the scary side effects of many pharmaceuticals. When you listen to a television commercial promoting a prescription for X or Y medical conditions there will be announced a laundry list of side effects. They can range from weight gain to suicidal ideation.

• The fear of artificial chemicals, especially their unknown long-term side effects. CBD is from a plant. Lawsuits have shown that businesses frequently do not warn consumers of possible harmful effects of artificial ingredients. Recent lawsuits have involved the Monsanto weed killer Roundup. In May 2019, a jury in Oakland, California awarded Alva and Alberta Pilliod $2 billion. Members of the jury agreed there was a correlation between their cancer and 30 years of using Roundup.

• The epidemic of mental illness issues. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, every year one out of five adults will suffer with some form of mental illness. And, one in 17 will develop a chronic mental illness condition. However, many do not seek any treatment. That may be because of the cost, or it could be because help is not available in some communities. CBD is affordable and easily available for common non-life-threatening conditions.

• Stress as the American way of life. That wears down human beings. The American Psychological Association found that preoccupation about money triggered 62% of the national plague of stress and work 61%.

• The aging of the population in the U.S. That increases physical distress. There also tends to be an uptick in loneliness which can trigger depression. According to the United States Census, by 2035, 78 million will be age 65 or older versus 76.7 million age 18 or younger.

• The need for the reduction of inflammation which causes pain, at a time when pain medication is being withheld. Because of the opioid epidemic, too many can’t find relief for their pain.