This section looks at the overall impact of CBD. Specifically: how did CBD impact key quality of life measurements, what sort of side effects did people experience, and how serious were those side effects?

Quality of Life Measures

Participants were asked to assess CBD’s impact on six quality of life measurements – pain, mood, sleep, physical function, energy or motivation, and the ability to socialize – and indicate if CBD made them feel “much better,” “a little better,” “a little worse,” “a lot worse,” or “no change.” A majority of survey respondents reported some improvement in all areas. The most significant improvements were in the areas of pain and mood. The only noticeable negative effects were on energy and motivation; just over 2% of participants reported that their energy or motivation got worse. This may be explained by the fact that both CBD and THC can be sedating depending upon the dose.

Side Effects

Forty percent of participants reported having one or more side effects. These were typically mild. The most common side effects were dry mouth (18% of participants), tiredness (12%), dry or bloodshot eyes (5%), and increase appetite (5%).

See Appendix B for the complete list of reported side effects.