Web and social media search for CBD is at an all time high. Adam Berry/Getty Images
CBD is officially more popular than Beyoncé. At least when it comes to internet research.
According to CannabisMD’s Knowledge Navigator, a backend tool used to survey consumer trends, online interest in cannabidiol, more popularly known as CBD, has spiked exponentially in the past year. The data analyzed was pulled from a wide array of user searches across the web, including over 12,000 URLs, along with social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
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As the Navigator-generated chart shows, the number of searches entered for CBD have consistently risen since 2017, with no peak in sight. As of 2019, the tool’s graphs show CBD’s popularity has surpassed several popular topics, including Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, kale and veganism.
Search for CBD appears to surpass megastar Beyoncé sometime in mid-2018. cMD Knowledge Navigator and Google Historical Data
For context, the Knowledge Navigator’s data is in line with current Google search trends, which show a similar historical uptick for the term “CBD.” The timing of the intense interest in cannabidiol taking off in 2018 makes sense; last year was when hemp saw a national decriminalization that helped get CBD production off the ground.
Countless startups currently sell cannabidiol-infused products for wellness purposes, with benefit claims ranging from reducing anxiety to curing seizures. In fact, the marketing for many CBD-containing products has come under fire in recent months, with an increase in calls for industry regulation.
It’s clear that consumer interest is at an all time high, as the search data shows, and is expected to continue growing upward at this rate. After all, with the number of CBD producers increasing at an incredible rate—the market is set to reach $20 billion by 2424—consumer fascination with CBD is likely to continue trending up too.