Considering Florida was recently named one of the most stressed-out states in the country and South Florida, one of the most stressed-out regions, it should not be surprising that Floridians are turning to CBD, the non-psychoactive compound in marijuana that has proven effective in treating anxiety.
In fact, Florida was recently named the “epicenter of the exploding CBD trend” in a study by DankGeek CBD, an online CBD marketplace that counted the number of tweets about CBD from every state from July 15 to August 15.
The bulk of those tweets came from South Florida, with the majority coming out of Miami, according to the study, which used geotagging to determine the location of Twitter users.
While it’s probably not the most scientific study, considering Twitter in June removed the ability for people to geotag their tweets, what does have scientific backing is the fact that CBD has been shown in multiple studies to be just as effective, if not more so, than pharmaceuticals in treating stress and anxiety. And it is also much safer.
CBD has also proven effective in treating dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease, conditions that largely affect senior citizens, who make up a significant portion of the state’s population. Florida also has the third-largest population of veterans, many of whom are turning to cannabis to treat their PTSD.
And we’re also home to the only company specializing in CBD-infused Cuban coffee, which takes off the jittery edge while maintaining the mental sharpness we all love from our cafecitos.
Florida was followed by Colorado, Oregon, Missouri, and Connecticut to round out the top five states that made up the bulk of CBD-related tweets for the month of July.
While it’s true that CBD can be effective in treating many ailments, quality matters — a 2017 study determined that 84 products from 31 companies contained inaccurate amounts compared to what was listed on the label. The best thing to do is obtain a medical marijuana license to purchase CBD products from local dispensaries, or at least ask for a third-party laboratory report from the companies that sell CBD on the internet, most of which are based out west.
By 2024, sales from CBD nationwide are expected to surpass $20 billion.