As we’ve written many times before, the CBD market is exploding in popularity. In the post COVID-19 pandemic world, we expect it to surge forward even more. You can find it online, in dispensaries, gas stations, cafes, smoke shops, grocery stores, pharmacies, and doctors’ offices.

A market research study done by BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research projects that the collective market for CBD sales will surpass $20 billion by 2024 in the United States alone. Since 2014, in states where marijuana is legal for recreational or medical use, CBD sales have consistently outperformed those of products containing THC.

Why CBD Has Become so Popular

The reasons for the continued projected success of CBD products are as follows:

• CBD has a history of health and wellness use, especially as an active component of the cannabis plant and because of a mountain’s worth of anecdotal evidence from people of all walks of life
• CBD is one of the few natural remedies out there that has an official scientific basis for at least some of its health claims and that scientific basis is growing stronger each day
• CBD has a wide range of potential applications, ranging from inflammation to mental health and everything in between
• CBD does not have any known negative side effects and does not lead to any form of dependence

The benefits of CBD are many, and as it has become more and more mainstream and popular with people of all ages, its uses have expanded greatly.

Typical Uses of CBD

The uses of CBD have tended to far outpace concrete scientific research. Although this may seem like a problem, the fact that CBD is completely non-toxic and safe for essentially everyone to consume, means that there is no real issue with people experimenting for themselves. In fact, in some cases popular use of cannabidiol to alleviate a specific issue has then spurred on research, instead of the other way around.

For these reasons, as the conventional uses of CBD receive more study and research, people are also giving it a try to help other health problems as well. Many people consume CBD to alleviate pain, inflammation, and arthritis, as well as to help them sleep, focus, and lift their mood. But there are additional, more unconventional purposes that people are beginning to consume it for as well.

Unusual Uses of CBD

• CBD for heroin addiction – There is mounting anecdotal evidence that CBD may be an effective treatment for overcoming addiction. There was also a study completed by The American Journal of Psychiatry that found that opioid addicts who received CBD oil felt their cravings decrease by two or three times compared to those who received the placebo. Additionally, after consuming CBD for three days it took seven days for the opioid cravings to return.
• CBD may help smokers quit – Many former smokers have attested to the fact that CBD decreased their cravings and helped them quit. Research has shown that nicotine interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system. Because of this, CBD is thought to help reduce cravings by essentially replacing the role the nicotine created for itself in the ECS. One study found that those treated with CBD oil smoked 40% less than those on placebo.
• CBD to treat hangovers – We’ve all been there after a night of drinking. The next day we experience a headache, nausea, drowsiness, and, often, anxiety. Although there haven’t been many studies looking at CBD and alcohol specifically, it has been shown to possibly help relieve all the symptoms that are associated with alcohol’s after effects. For that reason, many people have turned to CBD to help their hangovers.
• CBD for epilepsy in dogs - Though it is not exactly clear how it works, numerous studieshave proven that CBD can help manage a wide variety of effects of epilepsy and seizures in dogs, as well as help manage spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.
• CBD for Parkinson’s - Due to CBD’s interaction with the body’s nervous system, along with its potential effecton dopamine levels in the brain, and because of the success it has had in treating epileptic seizures, there has been much interest in learning whether CBD could be an effective treatment for Parkinson’s. Clinical trials studying the effects of CBD and THC on Parkinson’s patients, published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, found that psychotic symptoms associated with the disease decreased, as well as REM behavior sleep disorder symptoms.
• CBD and autism - CBD cannot cure autism and neither can any other drug. That is to say, CBD can’t cure or remove the core symptoms of autism, including social communication challenges, sensory dysfunction, and restrictive, repetitive behaviors. However, the associated or resulting symptoms of autism like anxiety, stress, aggression, and epileptic seizures are often the ones that are most hard on the individual and their family. The good news is that those are the exact symptoms that, according to the evidence and research we have so far, CBD may be most effective at combatting.
• CBD for unusual pain – Celebrities like Busy Philipps and Mandy Moore have reportedly used CBD oil to alleviate high heel painon the red carpet. Though there are no studies into why this may relieve high heel pain, it’s theorized to be due to the anti-inflammatory and painkilling properties CBD oil possesses.

Conclusion: Give CBD a Try for Yourself

The research looking into all the possible uses of CBD is expanding rapidly. However, for many people it is not expanding quickly enough and they are taking their health into their own hands. At Urban Roots Hemp Co., we support this 100%. Although it is important to review the research and science, as well as consult your doctor or other medical professional, there is really nothing to lose by trying CBD for your various health conditions.

If you have been trying more traditional approaches to solve your issues without much success, then it may be time to try an alternative like CBD. As we wrote in our previous articles, CBD vs. Ibuprofen and What Drugs Might CBD Replace One Day?, many of the drugs and medications you currently take most likely have some pretty serious and long term side effects. CBD, on the other hand, does not.

With that said, it is always a good idea to discuss trying CBD with your doctor first!