Why CBD Users Reported Taking It Was Different From Demonstrated Treatment Efficacy
A survey of CBD users can show why respondents used a product and whether they perceived benefit. It cannot, by itself, establish that CBD caused the improvement or estimate benefit among everyone who might try it.
The survey sampled users
The review summarizes a cross-sectional online survey by Moltke and colleagues involving 387 current or former CBD users. Anxiety, sleep disturbance and stress were common reported reasons for use.
Many respondents described perceived improvement. Most reported relatively low daily doses, and sublingual administration was common. Those are descriptions of this respondent group, rather than evidence that one regimen works for every condition.
Selection and comparison matter
People who choose CBD and complete a survey may differ from nonusers and from people who stop without responding. Their expectations, product selection and concurrent treatments may also differ.
Without a randomized comparator, perceived change does not isolate CBD’s effect. Nor does the prevalence of a reason for use measure the prevalence of a diagnosis in the wider population.
Use the survey for the question it answers
The findings can help identify patient priorities and questions for controlled trials. They may also show why product histories need to include route and self-reported dosing.
They do not supply a placebo-adjusted clinical response rate, establish product composition or demonstrate functional safety. Motivation, subjective benefit and controlled efficacy are separate evidence categories, even when they concern the same symptom.
Related: Why outcomes must remain specific to the tested domain.
Research cited
Șolea R; Șerban E; Călugăr-Solea SF; et al.. Pharmaceuticals (2026). Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Medical Potential of Cannabidiol in Mental and Neurological Disorders.
