It is difficult to believe that CBD has gained so much popularity globally in just a few years. Statistics show that the US and the UK are now perhaps the top two markets of CBD products. Data indicates that the UK CBD market is worth £690, or even more.
Despite the introduction of some stringent regulatory measures, the popularity of CBD will continue to grow in the UK and Europe. In the short run, stringent regulations introduced by FSA in the UK may hamper the market growth. However, in the long run, it will serve to boost consumer confidence. So, what are the reasons for CBD popularity?
CBD is safe and legal
CBD is now classified as a novel food in the UK, a food product that was not widely consumed before 1999. However, this classification as a novel food also confirms that it is highly safe for regular use. In addition, its classification as a novel food means government agencies will keep a close eye on its safety-related issues.
WHO report on CBD does not find any health risks associated with regular CBD use. Furthermore, it states that CBD cannot induce physical dependence due to the lack of psychoactive compounds.
Perceived health benefits
It is true that CBD products manufacturers cannot claim to diagnose or treat diseases with the help of CBD products. This is because CBD products are regarded as something used to supplement a regular diet and are not a medication.
Nevertheless, it is no secret that most people use CBD products due to their perceived health benefits. One of the online surveys of 2409 individuals shows that almost two-thirds of all CBD users use CBD products for their perceived health benefits. These results were confirmed in other studies in clinical settings, too, indicating that many use CBD for various reasons along with their regular treatment.
It seems that a large number of people believe that regular CBD use may help them maintain balanced health.
CBD is derived from Hemp
Fortunately, nowadays, most people are aware of the differences between marijuana and CBD products. CBD is extracted from legally grown Hemp. These varieties of Hemp are naturally low in THC (a psychoactive compound). Most countries have an approved list of hemp varieties that can be grown.
There is a long history of hemp cultivation. Many experts believe that Hemp was perhaps one of the first plants cultivated by humans. This is because various parts of the hemp plant have different uses like its fibres were once used to create a strong fabric that helped produce sails for early ships. Thus, Hemp has a considerable role in human history.
Hemp oil is not just about CBD, but it also contains other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, explaining many of its unique properties.
Entourage effect
One of the issues with many studies is that they try to study the health benefits of natural extracts by extracting one single molecule from them. However, such an approach rarely works as expected. Any natural extract contains numerous compounds that appear to boost activities of each other – a phenomenon called the entourage effect.
It means that CBD product may be more beneficial if it has other cannabinoids, terpenes, fatty acids, flavonoids. Although science does not know how they promote the working of each other, nonetheless, this synergy called entourage effect is well documented.
To conclude, this is undoubtedly not a comprehensive list of reasons for the popularity of CBD. Still, these are definitely some of the important reasons why more and more people are interested in CBD.
