Research Forecast: Where is CBD Headed

British cannabis researcher Daniel Couch, PhD, and his team recently conducted a national survey of what people in the UK are using medical cannabis for (mind you, this includes marijuana’s THC along with hemp’s CBD). Couch’s team found people are using it for anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease. “This is observational data—people think it’s good for those things,” says Couch. “That’s probably where the industry is going to be aiming for.” In a PubMed scan (see below), the health condition most researched with CBD is pain, followed by inflammation—which is, of course, related to pain. The opioid crisis points to pain being a significant health concern, and if people can find relief without being hooked on a narcotic, that’s a good thing indeed. A recent study using topical CBD gels found four days of application reduced joint swelling and pain in a model of arthritis. The mainstream market is accessing CBD via topical formulations, and CBD creams, salves, and gels might be the next big thing in sports recovery as there is crossover between the joint health and sports products on store shelves. Matthew Kind, founder of CannaInsider, says CBD will be increasingly linked to one word: relief. Relief from what? That will vary person to person. Relief from anxiety will motivate some people, while others will seek relief from pain, including arthritis.