CBD Gains Popularity As Marijuana Finds A Middle Ground

Nevin Barich

LOS ANGELES , October 5, 2019 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – One of the most amazing generational shifts I’ve seen in my lifetime is the rise of legalized marijuana. I grew up in a generation that began with a more “black and white” view of marijuana use. You either were a stoner or you weren’t.

However, watching a new “middle ground” develop over the last few years has been nothing short of astounding and explains recent findings from The NPD Group stating that cannabidiol (CBD) is growing in popularity in the U.S. as more states legalize marijuana and consumers grow more comfortable with the hemp cannabis extract.

The NPD Group announced last week that nearly 20% of adults in the country have tried CBD in states where it’s legal and nearly half of them have used it recently.

“This number is expected to increase quickly as CBD is appearing in snack foods and beverages, consumers are getting more comfortable with the idea and just as many people plan to try it as are currently using it,” NPD said.

NPD’s Health Aspirations and Behavioral Tracking Service found consumers considered food and beverage a major pathway for CBD and 40% of them were seeking to better themselves with food and beverage choices.

“There is definitely interest on the part of consumers in CBD, but its future in the mass market is dependent on legalization, which is now a patchwork of state legislation,” said Darren Seifer, NPD’s food and beverage industry analyst. “Even with the complexities of legalization, consumer acceptance and adoption of CBD as a food and medicine is an important topic for food manufacturers to keep on their radar screens.”

CBD use in the restaurant space is “fraught with a little bit of risk,” said Shawn Stevens, founder of the Milwaukee-based Food Industry Counsel.

“We continue to watch very closely the development of the laws and regulations surrounding CBD, what the FDA is doing and how quickly it is going to be doing it and what the final result will ultimately look like,” Stevens said. “I predict, moving forward, that the FDA will legalize CBD for use in food products.”

And the middle ground will continue to grow.

Nevin Barich is the Consumer Products Analyst for Industry Intelligence, which can help YOU better address your own industry challenges. We invite you to come take a look at our service.Call us today at 310-553-0008 and we’ll schedule you for a 15-minute demo.

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