1 in 3 CBD Users Take It Instead of or Alongside Conventional Medications
About 90 million US adults have tried CBD, and one-third of users have taken it as a substitute or supplement to conventional medications — most commonly replacing over-the-counter pain relievers.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
35.2% of US adults (~90.8 million) have tried CBD; among users, 32% used it as a substitute or adjunct for medications, with adjunct use (24.2%) more common than substitution (11.0%); most commonly for pain, psychiatric conditions, and replacing ibuprofen/Tylenol.
Key Numbers
35.2% ever used CBD (~90.8M); 21.8% used in past 12 months; 32% used as substitute/adjunct; most replaced: ibuprofen (4.8%), Tylenol (3.9%); only 2.4% reported CBD-related health problems.
How They Did This
Nationally representative cross-sectional survey via Ipsos KnowledgePanel of 2,880 US adults (1,523 qualifying, including 1,008 CBD ever-users), weighted for national estimates, with medications coded using MedDRA and RxNav.
Why This Research Matters
Millions of Americans are making medication decisions involving CBD without adequate evidence or clinical guidance — this quantifies a major public health knowledge gap.
The Bigger Picture
The scale of self-directed CBD-medication substitution reveals a disconnect between consumer behavior and clinical evidence — people are making treatment decisions in an evidence vacuum.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-reported data with potential recall bias; survey doesn't capture CBD dose, product type, or quality; cannot assess whether substitution improved or worsened outcomes.
Questions This Raises
- ?Is CBD an effective substitute for OTC pain relievers?
- ?Are people who substitute CBD for medications achieving adequate symptom control?
- ?What clinical guidance framework is needed?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Nationally representative probability-based survey with validated medication coding, providing reliable prevalence estimates despite self-report limitations.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2026 with October-November 2023 survey data, reflecting current CBD consumer behavior.
- Original Title:
- Self-reported use of cannabidiol as a substitute or adjunct for approved medications.
- Published In:
- Frontiers in public health, 14, 1720348 (2026)
- Authors:
- Austin, Emily A C, Berghammer, Lara, Ellis, Shannon E(2), Appolon, Giovanni, Brooks, Jenna, Rice, Nina M, Land, Prosperity, Ping, Siyuan, Satybaldiyeva, Nora, Grant, Igor, Leas, Eric C
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08095
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How many Americans use CBD?
About 35% of US adults (roughly 90.8 million people) have tried CBD, and about 22% used it in the past year, making it one of the most widely used supplements in America.
Are people replacing their medications with CBD?
About 1 in 3 CBD users have used it to replace (11%) or supplement (24%) conventional medications, most commonly over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and Tylenol.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08095APA
Austin, Emily A C; Berghammer, Lara; Ellis, Shannon E; Appolon, Giovanni; Brooks, Jenna; Rice, Nina M; Land, Prosperity; Ping, Siyuan; Satybaldiyeva, Nora; Grant, Igor; Leas, Eric C. (2026). Self-reported use of cannabidiol as a substitute or adjunct for approved medications.. Frontiers in public health, 14, 1720348. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1720348
MLA
Austin, Emily A C, et al. "Self-reported use of cannabidiol as a substitute or adjunct for approved medications.." Frontiers in public health, 2026. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1720348
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Self-reported use of cannabidiol as a substitute or adjunct ..." RTHC-08095. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/austin-2026-selfreported-use-of-cannabidiol
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.