Study: Nearly Half of College Students Have Tried CBD at Least Once 

Nearly half (48%) of college students have tried a CBD product at least once, according to a study by University of Georgia (UGA) researchers published in the Journal of Substance Abuse. The study also found about 30% of students reported using CBD once a month or more to handle anxiety and stress. 

In a statement, Jennie Pless, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the UGA School of Social Work, noted that while “People look back on college as a time of fun and freedom … we sort of forget the anxiety that can come with it.” 

“We have students who are taking on a whole new world and living on their own for the first time with other life responsibilities. They have a lot going on and are not sleeping well, so they’re trying to find ways to navigate all of that. CBD is one of them.” — Pless in a press release 

The researchers also found that nearly one in five student respondents said they believed CBD helped them fall asleep and improved their sleep quality; that college-aged men were more willing to try and repeatedly use CBD products than their female peers; and that all students who consumed CBD products preferred edibles. 

Data for the cross-sectional study was collected from 4,183 undergraduate students through an online survey at one large university in the southeastern United States, making it the largest study examining CBD use among college students.