The COVID-19 outbreak has led to many unpredictable outcomes. One of those is the popularity of CBD for anxiety, including oils and balms. Those products are, in turn, helping people with sleep.

In the days after states announced that they would shut down most businesses to prevent spread of the coronavirus, a well-reported run on dispensary products began in many different states.

However, CBD products remain legal in the eyes of the federal government because they are derived from hemp. That means people can continue to stock up on CBD for anxiety and sleep, and they have. Sales have spiked as people turn to online CBD markets.

Does CBD for Anxiety Really Work?

For those new to cannabis, CBD is a chemical compound in marijuana that does not alter consciousness or cause a “high.” However, it has become popular among cannabis consumers as a wellness product that many feel improves health and can help with such issues as pain management, nausea, anxiety and even depression.

The worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus has raised anxiety levels around the world, as might be expected. Many have used CBD for anxiety to help them not only feel calmer, but to also sleep better at night. But does it really work?

Led by a professor at the University of Colorado, a 2019 study found that it may help, especially with anxiety.

The study found that 80% of participants experienced less anxiety when taking CBD, a decrease that lasted. A smaller number experienced moderate improvement in sleep. Importantly, the study also found that with the patients in this study, “CBD appears to be better tolerated than routine psychiatric medications.”

A 2017 review of the literature on CBD also found that “CBD may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia.”  Researchers with the VA Palo Alto Health Care System found that CBD works better with sleep than THC. The latter works in the short term, but may inhibit sleep with continued use.

The study found that CBD may treat a host of sleep-related disorders, including REM sleep behavior disorder, excessive daytime sleepiness and nightmares associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Consumers Plan On Using More CBD

As for consumers, they have made it clear they plan to use more CBD during the COVID-19 crisis, which is going to last for an unknown length of time. So, if you are thinking about trying CBD for anxiety, you are far from alone.

According to a study from Brightfield Group, 39% of CBD consumers plan to use more CBD products during the CIVD-19 outbreak. Among members of the Millennials and Generation Z, that number has risen to 49%.

The Brightfield Group wrote that CBD sales are going up as “anxiety levels are skyrocketing. Anxiety is the No. 1 ailment of CBD users – 53% of them report it. Depression and insomnia, which are likely to spike over the coming months, are No. 3 and 4.”

Brightfield Group wrote, “With so much of the country in quarantine right now, many are turning to self-care indulgences to keep themselves sane and even just pass the time, which is likely to help boost some CBD self-care products during quarantine time.”