How cannabidiol products are used and valued : A cross-sectional study in japan
2022 Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 92-101
Details
2022 Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 92-101
Background : Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound specifically contained in the cannabis plant, is used in other countries to relieve symptoms of pain, anxiety, and insomnia, in addition to being prescribed as an antiepileptic drug. In Japan, it has been widely distributed in recent years in foods, cosmetics, and luxury goods. However, there have been no studies on the uses, efficacy, and safety of CBD products in Japan.
Methods : We created an online survey soliciting responses through social media from August 16 to 31, 2021. We limited the respondents to those who had previously used CBD and excluded respondents who had consumed cannabis that contained Δ9-tetrahydrocannabionol (THC) in the past year.
Results : Of the 1,351 respondents, 799 were included in the analysis, 60.6% of whom were male, with an average age of 37.7 years. The most common uses for CBD were relaxation (77.8%), sleep (66.3%), anxiety (56.2%), health improvement (50.8%), and depression (47.8%). Respondents used CBD for an average of 5.5 different purposes. Respondents assessed the severity of their illness/health problem before and after CBD use. The percentage of respondents for whom the severity was alleviated by more than 50% was as follows : headache (70.9%), chronic pain (67.8%), sleep disturbances (67.4%), substance use disorder (66.7%), nerve pain (65.5%), depression (62.4%), anxiety (59.6%), joint pain (54.5%), collagen disease (50.0%), and skin disease (49.7%). Epilepsy scored 42.1% and asthma 37.8%. The incidence of adverse events was 7.4%, and none of them were considered serious.
Conclusion : In Japan, it is suggested that CBD products are used as a means of self-care mainly in the area of mental health, and that many users have experienced improvements in their symptoms.
