From movie stars to athletes, it seems every other celebrity is talking about CBD these days. You’ll even hear about it from comedians and different podcasters. But where is that sudden interest in CBD coming from, and does the substance actually live up to its hype? Let’s take a look into the origins of the CBD craze, and the factors that make the substance so attractive.
The beginnings of the trend
Although it only recently gained popularity, CBD has been a known substance since the 1940s. It is one of the most abundant active agents found in plants of the cannabis family, and medical marijuana users have long noted that strains of cannabis with high amounts of CBD also provided the most health benefits.
In Europe, CBD had been legal since the growth and sale of hemp was legalized back in 2014. At least that was the case as far as the EU parliament was concerned — some EU member nations did, and still do, limit the sale of CBD within their borders. For the record, the UK is not one of those countries. CBD can be freely purchased here, although there are regulations regarding who can sell it and under what conditions.
Despite being known and legal for years, CBD only became a health trend in late 2018, when the Farm Bill made hemp legal in the US. That, combined with the nation’s growing interest in the legalization of marijuana, led to CBD exploding in popularity overnight. A popularity that was fueled, in part, by a wave of celebrity endorsements. Why were these celebrities so eager to endorse CBD? Well, let’s take a look at the probable reasons.
1 – CBD does not cause dependency
One of the selling points of CBD is the fact that it provides pain relief without the risk of causing a chemical dependency. That means you can start and stop taking it at will without dealing with crazy cravings or withdrawal symptoms. Giving that the US was — and still is — in the middle of an opioid crisis, this made CBD instantly attractive as an alternative to pharmaceuticals.
When asked why they use CBD, many celebrities cite waiting to avoid opioids. Instead, they choose CBD alternatives, such as the products offered by Cibdol.
2 – CBD is a natural plant extract
The artificial concoctions sold by pharmaceutical companies have gained a bad reputation over the years, especially in the US. Whether or not that reputation was earned is up to debate, but the fact remains that this notion made a natural solution like CBD very appealing to consumers.
3 – CBD is a win for the medical marijuana community
By the time CBD became popular, many celebrities and athletes had been advocating for the legalization of marijuana — or at least the legalization of medical marijuana — for years. Since CBD offers many of the same health benefits as marijuana, its legalization was perceived as a win by these advocates, who of course went out and endorsed CBD use as soon as it began gaining traction.
4 – CBD is a profitable market
When looking into what made CBD popular, it’s hard not to notice that many celebrities were invested in the CBD market early on. Some made CBD products part of their lifestyle brands, while others invested heavily in CBD and hemp stocks. Either way, that investment gave some big names in Hollywood plenty of reasons to talk about CBD all the time, which they did.