Cannabidiol — better known as CBD — seems to be everywhere: in gummies, lotions, oils, lollipops, vapes, toothpaste, even a high-end sports bra. It’s been touted as a treatment for such concerns as anxiety, insomnia, pain, PTSD, and depression.
And it’s increasingly popular. Last year, 64% of U.S. adults reported trying a CBD product — and nearly half of those did so at a doctor’s suggestion, according to a Forbes Health survey. In 2022, the CBD market was valued at $18 billion, and it’s expected to more than triple in the next 10 years.
But hype aside, researchers are hard at work assessing the true value of CBD — which comes from the same plant family as marijuana but doesn’t induce a high — and the varied products it has spawned.
Here’s what experts have to say about CBD’s risks and benefits — and where they see CBD use headed in the future.
The medication Epidiolex — the only CBD-based treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — has been proven effective for severe seizure disorders. A twice-daily oral solution, Epidiolex has been shown to be effective in a number of clinical trials, including a 2021 study that found a median decrease in certain seizures ranging from nearly 50% to over 70%.
But some...
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