Update 2021: The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cripple the world in multiple ways, especially economically. Depending on where you are reading this from, you may be out of lockdown now and trying to get on with life as much as possible. For example, as of September 2021, the UK is out of full lockdown after challenging times at the beginning of the year cooped inside homes, unless for urgent medical care or to pick up food supplies.
An unimaginable experience on a global scale – work, family life and all other pressures were contained inside four walls for months on end. In stressful situations, anxiety naturally increases while millions suffer pain mentally and physically.
From people using CBD as a daily supplement, to others using the hemp extract to help alleviate a range of niggles and pains, people using CBD in lockdown has seen the industry hit new heights and sent sales soaring. Let’s look at why more people used CBD in lockdown and why, now more than ever, you should consider using the supplement to support your general health and wellbeing.
Why Did People Use CBD in Lockdown?
2020 and coronavirus will go down as one of the most surreal times in recent world history. It’s an indirect effect on the mental health and wellbeing of billions of people struggling to cope with a new way of life, after losing simple freedoms previously taken for granted. Leaving the haven of your home became a stressful experience for many. This is still the case today, even with masks no longer mandatory in the UK. One such coping mechanism that it seems many have turned to is by using CBD in lockdown.
Estimates suggest that UK customers have spent over £150m on CBD products in 2020, with a 50% increase in CBD sales from 2019. Since lockdown began, around 8.5 million people have bought CBD products or were intending to buy CBD products soon. This increase in customers using CBD in lockdown has been primarily attributed to the stress, anxiety and insomnia that people have faced during the uncertainty of COVID:19. But can CBD help with the woes we continue to experience?
What Are The Effects of CBD?
While the medical benefits of CBD are somewhat of a grey area in the UK, there are a growing number of studies as to how the high-grade hemp extract can help ease a variety of symptoms from a variety of diseases. Studies suggest reasons for taking CBD during the pandemic included addressing issues of insomnia, attempts to relieve anxiety and managing pain inflammation, which can occur from reasons such as stress.
There are now countless products that are infused with CBD and the time it takes for you to feel the effect will differ depending on the product. Any effects your body experiences, whether positive or negative, will vary from person to person. Always consult your doctor before taking, starting on a lower dose and seeing how you feel.
Ultimately, the impact of using CBD may feel like a gentle wave of calm that travels through your body. If used topically, it may help ease any inflamed muscles or soothe any dry and cracked skin patches.
One thing that can be said is that the relationship cannabinoids such as CBD have with the body are complex, and continue to be researched for medical purposes. Be it its anti-inflammatory properties or its antioxidant qualities, CBD and hundreds of other cannabinoids are being studied to determine how they can help a variety of diseases and conditions, such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sleep deprivation
- Increasing the appetite of those undergoing treatments for cancer
- Anorexia
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Heart disease
- PTSD
- General pain management
The pandemic has changed the way we feel and act as a society. Working from home has become second nature, wearing masks a familiar sight as well as keeping a distance from others. This level of social separation would of course lead to uncertainty, which in turn creates anxiety and added stress. Therefore, with the properties of CBD allegedly relieving these symptoms, it’s apparent that the food supplement with supposed multiple benefits physically and mentally are here to stay, whether we enter another lockdown or carry on as we are in society.