CBD Product Users Are Primed to Try Cannabis If Legalized
In a hypothetical legalization scenario in Spain, 65% of young adults would try medicinal cannabis, with people already using both CBD and THC products showing the highest demand for both medicinal and recreational cannabis.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
People using CBD+THC products showed significantly higher medicinal and recreational cannabis demand than those using THC or CBD alone (all p<0.001), and 65.2% of participants would try medicinal cannabis if legalized vs. 62.1% for recreational.
Key Numbers
N=1,492 aged 16-30; 65.2% would try medicinal cannabis; 62.1% would try recreational; CBD+THC users had higher demand than both THC-only and CBD-only (all p<0.001); men reported higher demand than women (all p<0.023)
How They Did This
Cross-sectional study of 1,492 Spanish participants aged 16-30 using two Marijuana Purchase Tasks to estimate demand for medicinal and recreational cannabis, with bivariate analyses and split-plot ANOVAs across CBD, THC, and CBD+THC user groups.
Why This Research Matters
As Spain and other countries consider legalization, understanding that existing CBD/THC product users form a ready consumer base helps predict market dynamics and target prevention efforts.
The Bigger Picture
The growing over-the-counter CBD market may serve as a gateway to broader cannabis use if legalization occurs, suggesting prevention programs should proactively target existing CBD consumers.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Hypothetical scenario may not reflect actual behavior; Spanish sample may not generalize; young adult sample; cross-sectional design; self-reported cannabis use categories; no measure of actual purchasing behavior.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would actual purchasing behavior match hypothetical demand?
- ?How would pricing affect uptake?
- ?Do these patterns hold in countries that have already legalized?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Well-designed cross-sectional study with validated behavioral economic measures, but hypothetical scenario and young Spanish sample limit real-world applicability.
- Study Age:
- Published 2026; reflects pre-legalization attitudes in Spain.
- Original Title:
- Behavioural Economic Demand for Medicinal and Recreational Cannabis Among People Who Use Over-The-Counter CBD Products, THC Only and CBD + THC.
- Published In:
- Drug and alcohol review, 45(1), e70073 (2026)
- Authors:
- González-Roz, Alba(5), García-Pérez, Ángel, Cuesta-López, Ignacio, Alemán-Moussa, Layla, Secades-Villa, Roberto
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08286
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Would more people use cannabis if it were legalized?
This Spanish study suggests yes — about 65% of young adults said they would try medicinal cannabis if legal, with existing CBD product users being most likely to adopt cannabis use.
Does using CBD products predict future cannabis use?
People already using both CBD and THC over-the-counter products showed significantly higher demand for both medicinal and recreational cannabis than those using either substance alone.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08286APA
González-Roz, Alba; García-Pérez, Ángel; Cuesta-López, Ignacio; Alemán-Moussa, Layla; Secades-Villa, Roberto. (2026). Behavioural Economic Demand for Medicinal and Recreational Cannabis Among People Who Use Over-The-Counter CBD Products, THC Only and CBD + THC.. Drug and alcohol review, 45(1), e70073. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.70073
MLA
González-Roz, Alba, et al. "Behavioural Economic Demand for Medicinal and Recreational Cannabis Among People Who Use Over-The-Counter CBD Products, THC Only and CBD + THC.." Drug and alcohol review, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.70073
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Behavioural Economic Demand for Medicinal and Recreational C..." RTHC-08286. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/gonzalez-roz-2026-behavioural-economic-demand-for
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.