ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Pharmacoepidemiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1571025
Over the counter CBD products in Germany: an exploratory survey about consumption patterns and health related effects
Provisionally accepted
- 1Molecular Preventive Medicine, University Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Freiburg, Germany
- 2University of Freiburg Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany
- 3Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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Over-the-counter cannabidiol (CBD) products are showing substantial growth in marked share in recent years. However, the knowledge about health effects of these products is currently weak. In an explorative, retrospective online survey, the reasons for consumption, possible health-promoting or therapeutic effects, and adverse effects among CBD consumers in Germany were investigated. The anonymous questionnaire was accessible from February 21st, 2023 to June 20th, 2023. Participants (n = 208) were recruited mainly via social internet platforms. The study data was collected and managed using SoSci-Survey®. The study group was predominantly female (66%), between 41-60 years old (46%), and most of them were chronic CBD consumers (> 3 months, at least daily). The principal mode of CBD use was oil (36%) with a CBD concentration between 10-20%. Overall, the CBD products were mostly reported to have a positive effect on health. One of the main reasons for use was for improving physical and mental capacities. Here, the effect of CBD was rated effective for helping the general state of health (89%), and for the well-being (89%). In 79% of cases, the CBD product was rated as effective in alleviating disease symptoms. Improvements were reported especially in relief from pain (general, chronic, muscle and joint pain), or psychological symptoms (sleep disorders, nervousness, anxiety). Reported adverse effects were mainly dry mouth and sleepiness, but for 69% of the participants, no adverse effects were reported. A strong belief in the efficacy of dietary supplements, natural remedies, and CBD products among users suggests that expectation and placebo effects may have played a relevant role in the reported outcomes. This should be considered when interpreting the results and underlines the need for further controlled studies to differentiate pharmacological effects from psychological influences.
Keywords: Cannabidiol, cbd, Germany, Over-the-counter, Online survey, Cannabis, Well-being, general health
Received: 04 Feb 2025; Accepted: 01 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Weissgerber, Hermanns-Clausen and Lamy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Evelyn Lamy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, 86156, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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