Nearly 29% of North Americans have tried CBD, about double the rate in Europe

CBD use was significantly more prevalent in North America than Europe across all time periods. In North America, lifetime prevalence was 28.9%, past-year 19.5%, past-month 12%, and daily 6.4%. In Europe, lifetime was 12.8%, past-year 17.6%, past-month 7.2%, and daily 2.1%. In Europe, clinical patients had higher past-year use (25.6%) than community samples (11.6%), while in North America the pattern reversed (community 26.1% vs. clinical 4.1%).

Systematic review and meta-analysis of 43 studies (48 samples, n = 388,447) from PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Prevalence estimated at five time periods for North America (30 studies) and Europe (13 studies) separately. Moderator analyses examined sex, data collection year, and sample type.

Despite the explosive growth of the CBD market, no prior systematic assessment of how many people actually use CBD existed. These numbers provide a baseline for tracking trends as regulations and products evolve.

The reversal in clinical vs. community patterns between continents is notable: in Europe, sick people seek out CBD, while in North America, healthy people use it as a wellness product. This reflects different regulatory environments and cultural attitudes.

High heterogeneity across studies. Wide confidence intervals for some estimates. Different CBD products and legal definitions across countries. Studies span different years and regulatory environments.