Is CBD the real deal, though? Americans in the early 20th century may have thought that
making pain-killer pills with willow bark would never catch on, but today, Aspirin is a $2.5 billion
global industry.
In 100 years, CBD will either be the new Aspirin, or it will be forgotten. Find out which in this
guide.
What Is CBD?
CBD is a natural component of the hemp plant, called a “cannabinoid” because it is only found
in Cannabis sativa. Unlike THC, the most famous cannabinoid, CBD does not have intoxicating
properties and instead makes users feel lightly relaxed.
Aside from its experienced benefits, CBD also appears to have a profound impact on human
neurochemistry — primarily at the 5-HT and TRP receptors. The potency of the CBD experience
seems to be dependent on the presence of concomitant substances also present in hemp
extract, leading the internet’s top CBD companies to focus extensively on products that also
feature terpenes and minor cannabinoids.
Due to the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD products are generally regarded to be “industrial hemp,” and
they are therefore not the Schedule I illicit drug “marijuana.” As such, CBD products are widely
sold online and shipped to all 50 states.
Why Is CBD So Popular?
Having its start in the early 2010s as a niche substance used for intractable forms of childhood
epilepsy, users quickly became aware of CBD’s apparent pain-fighting properties, allowing the
cannabinoid to reach a wider audience starting around 2015. Over the years, research into CBD
accumulated, providing mounting evidence that CBD might be useful not only for epilepsy but
also for chronic pain, sleep disorders, and a variety of psychiatric conditions.
Despite appearing to offer all these benefits, CBD does not seem to pose many serious
downsides. It does not cause cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a rare but serious
negative reaction to THC. It does not make you paranoid, subject you to hallucinations, or cause
any form of intoxication.
Though its lack of intoxicating properties would seem to be a detriment, the fact that CBD
doesn’t get you high has, on the contrary, allowed this cannabinoid to reach a much wider range
of popularity than even THC. Everyone from 80-year-old grandmas to Gen Z high-schoolers
love CBD, and you don’t have to be a “stoner” to enjoy its benefits.
Will CBD Demand Remain Steady?
Nobody can see the future, but we can make some basic projections regarding how CBD’s
popularity might evolve based on current trends. And, upon observing the current state of the
CBD market, it appears the industry’s future is very bright.
CBD might not dramatically take the world by storm as some bright-eyed investors fervently
hoped. Neither, though, did Aspirin. Over the years, the simple fact that Aspirin fit the daily
needs of consumers better than alternatives naturally granted its status as a worldwide
household name.
All the necessary prerequisites are in place for CBD to experience the same slow but steady
rise to global acceptance. The only major obstacle left is regulation, which is tied up with
marijuana’s status as an illegal drug and the frustrating pre-existence of CBD-based prescription
treatments.
These minor impediments can’t keep consumer demand for CBD contained forever, though.
The CBD cat is out of the bag, and it’s now simply seeking a perch from which to oversee its
new domain.
The Bottom Line: Is CBD a Fad?
No, CBD does not meet the definition of a fad, which Merriam Webster describes as “a practice
or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal.” Sure, some promoters of CBD might
exaggerate its benefits, but are the benefits of CBD nonetheless real?
Thousands of consumers around the globe seem convinced that they are. And, the vast majority
of them haven’t simply been brainwashed by marketing copy. They’ve experienced the benefits
of CBD firsthand, and so they know for themselves what this cannabinoid can do.
As with anyone whose life has been changed by a product, CBD users also aren’t afraid to
share their successes. Thus the popularity of CBD continues to spread: slowly, surely, and
sustainably.