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An industry projected to hit $16 billion in the United States by 2025, CBD is having its day. It’s been boosted by celebrity endorsements as well, from Whoopi Goldberg joining forces with Om Edibles to create bath products, body balms, tinctures, and edibles marketed toward women looking for natural relief of painful menstrual cycles to former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski launching a new line of CBD products.

Following the passing of laws in 2018 that legalized hemp in all 50 states, companies have added the plant extract to cocktails, smoothies, breath sprays, lotions, and even toothpicks. But according to researchers at Harvard Health,  the marketing of and enthusiasm for CBD products  “has gone way ahead of the science.”

What Does the Science Say? 

Or has it? The state of Washington has been at the forefront of cannabis research and legislation since the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2012. Washington State University has a full, multi-disciplinary research center, the Center for Cannabis Policy, Research and Outreach, with nearly 100 scientists working on a diverse range of cannabis-related projects. This shift has paved the way for numerous studies on cannabinoids, including CBD. Here are some of their findings:

Anxiety and Stress Management: Researchers believe that CBD may influence serotonin receptors in the brain, which play a key role in mood regulation.

Scientists in Washington have conducted studies examining CBD's effects on anxiety. One study from the University of Washington found that CBD may significantly reduce anxiety levels in individuals with social anxiety disorder. A 2019 study published in The Permanente Journal found that 79 percent of participants experienced a decrease in anxiety after taking CBD.

Chronic Pain Relief: CBD is increasingly being studied for its analgesic properties for chronic pain relief, with research indicating it may help reduce pain by interacting with neurotransmitters and reducing inflammation. A 2020 review published in Frontiers in Pharmacology highlighted that CBD could be effective for conditions like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and neuropathic pain. By modulating pain pathways in the body, CBD may offer a natural alternative to traditional pain medications.

The University of Washington’s Addiction, Drug  & Alcohol Institute offers an online training course for health practitioners on Cannabis and Chronic Pain, presenting current information and clinical practice guidelines on the use of medicinal cannabis for the treatment of chronic pain.

Sleep Disorders: Sleep disturbances are a common issue, prompting research into CBD's potential to improve sleep quality. More than 80 percent of the 1,255 cannabis users surveyed for the Washington State University-led analysis on cannabis use for sleep reported no longer using over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids such as melatonin and benzodiazepines and half of those specifically reported using cannabis strains containing CBD and the terpene myrcene, an aromatic plant compound with a long history of therapeutic use as a sleep aid

“One of the findings that surprised me was the fact that people are seeking the terpene myrcene in cannabis to assist with sleep,” said Carrie Cuttler, senior author of the study and associate professor of psychology at WSU. “There is some evidence in the scientific literature to support that myrcene may help to promote sleep, so cannabis users seemed to have figured that out on their own.”

Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders: Washington State has been particularly active in researching CBD's effects on epilepsy. The approval of Epidiolex, a CBD-based medication, has paved the way for clinical studies at local hospitals and research institutions. These studies have shown that CBD can effectively reduce seizure frequency in patients with certain types of epilepsy, including Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

Know What You’re Buying

As more studies emerge, our understanding of CBD’s efficacy and safety will continue to grow, paving the way for its broader acceptance in holistic health and medicine. “We need more research,” said Dr. Peter Grinspoon in Harvard Health Publishing, “but CBD is proving to be a helpful, relatively non-toxic option for managing anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain.”

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