CBD is on its way to being legal in all 50 states, but enforcement and regulations vary widely by region.
Poor sleep habits. Chronic pain. High blood pressure. Depression and anxiety.
These are among the common ailments afflicting thousands of individuals across the U.S. They’re also some of the health conditions that were recently observed by the CBD Awareness Project in order to identify the cities whose residents might benefit the most from CBD. Also known as cannabidiol, it’s becoming a popular method for treatment as it makes its way into the mainstream.
The CBD Awareness Project attempts to shed light on the unregulated industry of CBD through connecting consumers with knowledgeable resources. It’s important to note that more research is needed to back up the claims of CBD’s reported health benefits. And, as GreenState mentions in the disclaimer above, it’s still not federally legal.
In spite of this, more and more people are becoming curious about the potential benefits of CBD and want to try it out for themselves. This June, grocery giant Kroger announced it would sell CBD products in 945 of its stores. And, the CBD Awareness Project reports, a recent study revealed that CBD usage “reduced the number of cigarettes smoked by 40 percent in smokers attempting to quit compared to participants who received a placebo.” Another showed CBD could alleviate common symptoms affecting cancer patients, like nausea and loss of appetite.
It’s unclear whether its alleged benefits can help everyone, but the CBD Awareness Project was curious about something. They wanted to know where larger populations of people were being affected by these ailments CBD is known to treat, and consequently, where use of CBD could be the most beneficial. The research, gathered from the 2018 Center for Disease Control and Prevention 500 Cities Project, considered cities only with populations of greater than 200,000, and in adults aged 18 and over.
Check out the list below:
Getty Images
25. San Bernadino, California
Interestingly, this was the only West Coast city reported, likely because marijuana laws are more relaxed.
- Adults with poor mental health: 16.1%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 41.1%
- Adults with arthritis: 23.1%
- Adults with diabetes: 14.6%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 35.0%
- Adults who smoke: 18.9%
- Adults with cancer: 5.2%
Getty Images
24. Richmond, Virginia
- Adults with poor mental health: 13.4%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 39.4%
- Adults with arthritis: 24.8%
- Adults with diabetes: 13.3%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 36.8%
- Adults who smoke: 20.5%
- Adults with cancer: 5.7%
Getty Images
23. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Adults with poor mental health: 13.2%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 40.4%
- Adults with arthritis: 29.2%
- Adults with diabetes: 10.4%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 32.8%
- Adults who smoke: 20.9%
- Adults with cancer: 6.1%
Getty Images
22. Lexington, Kentucky
- Adults with poor mental health: 12.9%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 39.2%
- Adults with arthritis: 27.4%
- Adults with diabetes: 10.5%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 34.9%
- Adults who smoke: 20.2%
- Adults with cancer: 6.3%
Getty Images
21. Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Adults with poor mental health: 13.6%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 38.5%
- Adults with arthritis: 26.4%
- Adults with diabetes: 12.4%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 38.2%
- Adults who smoke: 18.8%
- Adults with cancer: 5.9%
Getty Images
20. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Adults with poor mental health: 13.1%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 40.8%
- Adults with arthritis: 25.4%
- Adults with diabetes: 13.5%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 39.3%
- Adults who smoke: 20.5%
- Adults with cancer: 5.6%
Getty Images
19. Kansas City, Missouri
- Adults with poor mental health: 13.8%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 38.2%
- Adults with arthritis: 25.8%
- Adults with diabetes: 11.7%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 34.1%
- Adults who smoke: 22.0%
- Adults with cancer: 6.0%
Getty Images
18. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Adults with poor mental health: 13.7%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 38.6%
- Adults with arthritis: 24.2%
- Adults with diabetes: 13.8%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 40.2%
- Adults who smoke: 20.4%
- Adults with cancer: 5.8%
17. Nashville, Tennessee
- Adults with poor mental health: 13.4%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 39.4%
- Adults with arthritis: 26.8%
- Adults with diabetes: 10.8%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 35.2%
- Adults who smoke: 21.5%
- Adults with cancer: 6.1%
Getty Images
16. Columbus, Ohio
- Adults with poor mental health: 14.1%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 38.9%
- Adults with arthritis: 26.0%
- Adults with diabetes: 11.4%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 33.9%
- Adults who smoke: 22.2%
- Adults with cancer: 6.2%
Getty Images
15. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Adults with poor mental health: 15.2%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 42.6%
- Adults with arthritis: 26.7%
- Adults with diabetes: 12.7%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 34.2%
- Adults who smoke: 22.8%
- Adults with cancer: 5.7%
Getty Images
14. Newark, New Jersey
- Adults with poor mental health: 15.2%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 48.9%
- Adults with arthritis: 25.5%
- Adults with diabetes: 15.3%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 38.6%
- Adults who smoke: 22.1%
- Adults with cancer: 5.0%
Getty Images
13. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Adults with poor mental health: 14.9%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 39.2%
- Adults with arthritis: 26.0%
- Adults with diabetes: 13.5%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 37.5%
- Adults who smoke: 22.2%
- Adults with cancer: 5.8%
Getty Images
12. Baltimore, Maryland
- Adults with poor mental health: 13.8%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 43.2%
- Adults with arthritis: 27.5%
- Adults with diabetes: 13.7%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 39.3%
- Adults who smoke: 22.0%
- Adults with cancer: 5.8%
Getty Images
11. Montgomery, Alabama
- Adults with poor mental health: 14.3%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 38.1%
- Adults with arthritis: 29.8%
- Adults with diabetes: 13.9%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 40.8%
- Adults who smoke: 21.1%
- Adults with cancer: 6.0%
Getty Images
10. Louisville, Kentucky
- Adults with poor mental health: 14.3%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 38.0%
- Adults with arthritis: 27.5%
- Adults with diabetes: 11.0%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 38.6%
- Adults who smoke: 23.3%
- Adults with cancer: 6.5%
Getty Images
9. St. Louis, Missouri
- Adults with poor mental health: 15.2%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 37.7%
- Adults with arthritis: 30.5%
- Adults with diabetes: 14.0%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 35.9%
- Adults who smoke: 24.7%
- Adults with cancer: 6.0%
Getty Images
8. Memphis, Tennessee
- Adults with poor mental health: 15.6%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 41.1%
- Adults with arthritis: 29.8%
- Adults with diabetes: 15.1%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 43.0%
- Adults who smoke: 24.5%
- Adults with cancer: 5.5%
Birmingham, Alabama
7. Birmingham, Alabama
- Adults with poor mental health: 15.1%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 41.8%
- Adults with arthritis: 29.3%
- Adults with diabetes: 16.7%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 44.1%
- Adults who smoke: 22.6%
- Adults with cancer: 5.7%
Getty Images
6. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Adults with poor mental health: 14.6%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 42.9%
- Adults with arthritis: 28.4%
- Adults with diabetes: 13.9%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 36.5%
- Adults who smoke: 22.7%
- Adults with cancer: 6.0%
Getty Images
5. Rochester, New York
- Adults with poor mental health: 15.9%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 39.7%
- Adults with arthritis: 28.9%
- Adults with diabetes: 13.7%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 34.9%
- Adults who smoke: 24.0%
- Adults with cancer: 6.1%
Getty Images
4. Cleveland, Ohio
- Adults with poor mental health: 16.4%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 42.6%
- Adults with arthritis: 29.5%
- Adults with diabetes: 15.8%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 40.3%
- Adults who smoke: 29.5%
- Adults with cancer: 5.6%
3. Toledo, Ohio
- Adults with poor mental health: 15.8%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 43.3%
- Adults with arthritis: 31.1%
- Adults with diabetes: 12.9%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 36.0%
- Adults who smoke: 26.7%
- Adults with cancer: 6.1%
Getty Images
2. Buffalo, New York
- Adults with poor mental health: 15.3%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 42.7%
- Adults with arthritis: 29.6%
- Adults with diabetes: 13.9%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 37.4%
- Adults who smoke: 24.4%
- Adults with cancer: 6.1%
1. Detroit, Michigan
- Adults with poor mental health: 17.9%
- Adults sleeping less than 7 hours per night: 50.1%
- Adults with arthritis: 33.3%
- Adults with diabetes: 17.3%
- Adults with high blood pressure: 46.3%
- Adults who smoke: 28.6%
- Adults with cancer: 5.8%
Have comments on this article or questions about CBD? Ask GreenState or send inquiries and tips to amanda.bartlett@sfchronicle.com
