ATHENS, Ga. — Nearly half of college students have tried CBD products and nearly a fifth rely on the products to improve sleep, a study by the University of Georgia reveals.
The survey of more than 4,100 undergraduate students is the largest survey ever conducted on CBD use by college students. It was published in the Journal of Substance Use.
CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a compound found in cannabis. It is legal for those 18 years and older to purchase in Georgia and much of the United States. CBD appears to be non-addictive and doesn’t get users high.
Among the findings:
- Nearly half, or 48%, of participants tried CBD at least once, influenced by friends. The students said reasons include because their friends had the products available, offered them in a social setting or recommended them.
- More than 29% reported using CBD monthly or more to handle anxiety and stress.
- Nearly 1 in 5 students also said they believed CBD helped them fall asleep and improved their sleep quality.
- Students said they preferred their CBD as edibles, with gummies a.
- College-aged men were more willing to try and repeatedly use CBD products than their women peers.
“People look back on college as a time of fun and freedom, and we sort of forget the anxiety that can come with it,” said Jennie Pless, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the UGA School of Social Work. “We have students who are taking on a whole new world and living on their own for the first time with other life responsibilities. They have a lot going on and are not sleeping well, so they’re trying to find ways to navigate all of that. CBD is one of them.”
College towns are a prime spot for CBD businesses, since their primary residents are students under the stress of juggling school, social lives and jobs, Pless said
This study’s co-authors also include School of Social Work doctoral students Kasandra Dodd and Jana Woodiwiss, alumni Fahmida Afroz and Brian Graves and adjunct professor Y. Joon Choi.
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