A new study published Wednesday found Google searches for CBD, or cannabidiol, have increased exponentially over the last few years, and are projected to hit another record high this year.
According to the study led by UCSD researchers, searches for CBD increased 126% from 2016 to 2017, 160% from 2017 to 2018, and are expected to grow another 118% by the end of 2019. In the month of April alone, the most recent month data was collected, there were 6.4 million CBD Google searches.
Searches for CBD surpassed various popular health-related queries like veganism, vaccination, exercise, and marijuana. CBD’s search numbers are even closing in on searches for yoga and electronic cigarettes, and are searched for half as much as dieting.
Growth in CBD interest in 2019 included all states, ranging from a 211% jump in Oklahoma searches to a 605% surge in Alabama.
While CBD is found in marijuana, it won’t get you high. It is a non-psychoactive substance being used to treat various ailments from anxiety to menstrual problems, according to the study.
CBD has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating epilepsy, but there have been no definitive and proven health benefits beyond that.
The researchers behind the study hoped this data would encourage the prioritization of CBD research.
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“Our findings suggest that investigation into CBD should become a public health priority to catch up with the public’s interest,” they wrote.
The study was authored by researchers Eric Leas, Alicia Nobles, Theodore Caputi, and John Ayers.
