CBD sales are soaring, but evidence is still slim that the cannabis derivative makes a difference for anxiety or pain

Many people have turned to cannabis and its derivatives as they search for pandemic relief, and one of the most widely available ones is CBD. It is also legal. You can buy oils, tinctures, capsules, gummies, cosmetics and even toilet paper said to contain the molecule. Martha Stewart has a line of CBD products, and some companies are marketing CBD products for holiday gifts. And, you can even buy CBD products for your pet.

An investment bank has estimated that this market will be worth US$16 billion by 2025, even though many of the products that allegedly contain CBD may not contain any CBD all. And, if they do, the amount often is far less than the amount stated on the product bottle or box.

The CBD craze started in 2018, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, the first drug containing CBD, used to treat two rare and severe types of childhood epilepsy. Since that approval, research on the possible medical applications of CBD has risen sharply.

But while the ads boasting its benefits are ubiquitous, there is still…