Author Interviews, Cannabis, JAMA, UCSD / 23.10.2019
Online Searches for CBD Skyrocket
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
John W. Ayers, PhD, MA
Vice Chief of Innovation | Assoc. Professor
Div. Infectious Disease & Global Public Health
University of California San Diego
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Touted as a “cure all,” researchers have documented unfounded claims
that cannabidiol (CBD) treats acne, anxiety, opioid addiction, pain,
and menstrual problems. You can buy CBD droplets, massage oils,
CBD gummies, or even ice cream.
But public health leaders have been mostly silent on the subject because they lacked data
that demonstrates just how popular CBD is and the future trajectory might be.
To fill this data-gap we analyzed Google search queries that mentioned
“CBD” or “cannabidiol” emerging from the United States from January
2004 through April 2019 and forecasted searches through December 2019.
Rather than relying on self reports, where some might not be willing
to discuss CBD openly, our strategy allowed us to directly observed
millions of instances of people seeking out information or even
shopping for CBD online.
(more…)