Who buys CBD, what do they use it for, and what makes them trust one brand over another?
Consumer interest in CBD took off after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp production. But because so much CBD was sold through dispensaries, vape shops, and ecommerce, where standard retail scanner data didn't reach, brands had very little reliable information on who their customers were.
In January 2020, Bigeye surveyed 798 US adults who had bought a CBD product in the past six months. The result is the 2020 National Study of CBD Use: a detailed profile of the CBD consumer, covering what they use it for, how often, how much they spend, where they buy, and which marketing channels reach them.
Why This Research Matters
The CBD category grew fast, and mostly outside the systems brands normally use to understand their customers. This study was built to fill that gap with primary research, not estimates.
Respondents came from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, spread evenly across six age groups from 18-24 to 65+. The study also groups respondents by how legal cannabis products were in their state, so marketers can see how behavior differed between fully legal, partially legal, and restricted markets.
Collected at the start of 2020, the data is a clear snapshot of the category during its early mainstream growth: a useful baseline for any brand trying to understand how the CBD consumer took shape.
What's Inside the Study
CBD Usage
How long respondents have been using CBD, how they first heard about it, and what they use it for. The study tracks 37 reported uses, grouped into six categories (Mental Health and Neurological Disorders, Pain Relief, Sleep and Relaxation, Medical Conditions, Beauty and Skin Conditions, and Other), with a breakdown of each group by age, gender, and state. It also includes the 8% of users who buy CBD for their pets.
Purchasing Behaviors
Monthly spend, purchase frequency, in-store and online retailers, subscription use, and which other ingredients CBD users buy, including THC, ashwagandha, maca, and psilocybin, broken down by age.
Marketing and Media Channels
Which paid, earned, and owned channels CBD users remember seeing products in, which ad formats they prefer to engage with, and what prompts them to try a new product.
Product Features and Design
How users rank product considerations like value, brand trust, dosing, and certified organic hemp, and design features like ingredient labels, dosage information, and container ease of use. Results are broken down by reported use.
Future Use of CBD
What concerns users have about CBD, how likely they are to recommend it, and how likely they are to keep using it long-term, all tracked against how long they've been using CBD.
Users' Activities and Interests
The health and wellness habits, sports, and personal interests of CBD users, useful for audience targeting and media planning.
Key Themes
A Category Full of New Users
74% of respondents had been using CBD for two years or less, and 43% for less than a year. Newer users skewed older: 61% of respondents aged 55-64 and 64% of those 65+ had been using CBD for less than a year. Retention looks strong. 88% of all users said they were somewhat or extremely likely to keep using CBD long-term, and the share who were extremely likely grew from 53% among first-year users to 79% among those using it for five years or more.
Word of Mouth Drives Discovery
40% of users first heard about CBD from friends or family, far more than from healthcare professionals (11%) or social media (11%). Recommendations also lead when it comes to trying new products: 20% say a friend or family recommendation is most likely to prompt them, followed by product samples (18%) and healthcare professionals (16%). And users are ready to pass it on. 87% say they're somewhat or extremely likely to recommend CBD to family and friends.
Trust Is the Biggest Barrier
Even among current users, 35% worry about scams and black-market companies, and 35% about a lack of quality control. When comparing products, users rate "represents good value" (4.16 out of 5) and "recognized, trustworthy brand" (4.15) highest, and on the package, they look first for a clear ingredient label (4.23) and dosage information (4.14). The study recommends factual education, organic certifications, and lab test results over overblown claims.
Dispensaries Lead in Store, Amazon Leads Online
In store, 43% of users had bought CBD from a cannabis or medical marijuana dispensary, 26% from a health, vitamin, or supplement store, and 21% from a drug store. Online is still developing: 44% had never bought CBD online, and among those who had, Amazon was the most-reported retailer (26%). Two-thirds (67%) spend up to $99 a month on CBD, and just 6% use a CBD subscription service.
One Ingredient, Many Uses
Anxiety (38%), stress (36%), better sleep (36%), and relaxation (34%) are the most-reported uses overall, with joint, muscle, and chronic pain leading for users 45 and older. The study found that the number of uses rises the longer someone uses CBD, pointing to CBD's appeal as a multi-functional ingredient, and to an opportunity for brands to speak to more than one need at a time.
Who This Research Is For
This study is built for anyone who needs a clearer picture of the CBD consumer.
It's most directly relevant to:
CBD and hemp brand owners shaping positioning, product, and packaging decisions
Marketers and media planners choosing channels and messages for a category with ad restrictions
Retailers and buyers evaluating CBD assortments in health, drug, grocery, and beauty stores
Manufacturers and product developers prioritizing formats, dosing, and on-pack information
Wellness, beauty, and pet brands considering CBD as an ingredient
How to Use This Research
Use the 2020 National Study of CBD Use as a baseline for CBD strategy:
Segment your audience by reported use, since spend, purchase channel, and media habits vary widely between them
Build trust into the pack with clear ingredient labels, dosage information, and proof of quality
Plan for word of mouth with sampling, referral, and review programs, since recommendations drive both discovery and trial
Choose channels deliberately using the recall and ad preference data by age and use
Benchmark newer research against this early-2020 snapshot to see how the category has changed
About the Research
Bigeye surveyed 798 US adults aged 18+ in January 2020, screened for a CBD product purchase in the past six months. Respondents completed a 32-question online survey on the Qualtrics platform. Margin of error ±3.4% at a 95% confidence level. Research led by Adrian Tennant, VP of Insights.
Download the Full Study
The 2020 National Study of CBD Use is a free study from Bigeye's Insights team. Download it for the full data set from 798 US CBD users, with breakdowns by use, age, gender, and state, plus detailed appendices on product features, design, concerns, and user interests.
Want to understand your own CBD or wellness customers? Talk to our research team, or see how we approach consumer research.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do people use CBD for?
How much do consumers spend on CBD each month?
Where do consumers buy CBD products?
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What are consumers' biggest concerns about CBD?
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