One of the most talked-about topics in the world of cannabis is CBD and this trend has been going on for several years now. But it wasn't until the end of 2018 that things really started to pick up for CBD, especially in Canada where recreational cannabis became 100% legal on a federal level.
Before cannabis was even officially legal throughout the Great White North, CBD was becoming much more widely accepted. But as soon as legalization happened, cannabidiol-based products joined the mainstream market. Cannabis enthusiasts and experts all have their own theories on why this happened, but here's the real deal.
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Cannabis Products Became More Accessible
The first reason that CBD was able to hit the mainstream market has to do with enhanced accessibility. As soon as legalization happened on October 17th, 2018, citizens and visitors to Canada of legal age were able to access cannabis products in a way that was never possible before.
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act ensured that CBD was harshly regulated. There are still some strict regulations for CBD set by the Canadian government, but the Cannabis Act made it legal to buy, possess, produce, and distribute (of course you need a license to produce and distribute).
Access to cannabis varies from province to province; some provincial governments encourage shopping in legal retail dispensaries while others are all about online purchasing. But however you swing it, the fact of the matter is that access to cannabis is at an entirely new level than it was in the past.
And it's not just access to dried cannabis flowers. It's also much easier to access CBD products, including topicals, oils, tinctures, capsules, and CBD-infused edibles. Whatever your CBD consumption preferences may be, you can count on easy access in Canada, and this has played a huge role in CBD's mainstream status.
Legalization Helped to Raised Awareness
Although the popularization of cannabis started booming in Canada in the 1960s, things really didn't take off until the late 90s and early 2000s. The Canadian laws began to reflect the growing acceptance of cannabis, and this is a big reason why it became legal for medical purposes way back in 2001.
Now fast forward to October 2018 when the federal government legalized cannabis wholeheartedly. As you could imagine, the fact that the government showed their complete support of cannabis had a huge impact, and not just on Canadians, but on the entire world.
When a government makes a statement like that, it's no surprise that the people start to view cannabis and related products (CBD included) in an entirely new light. Even those who never supported it before have begun to open their minds a bit, especially for CBD products that aren't intended to create a high.
Awareness wasn't just raised from the government's liberal actions, though. The number of resources dedicated to cannabis and CBD has skyrocketed since legalization, and these resources are all about educating the public.
Take CBD Oil Guide Canada as an example. This resource is all about helping Canadians find high-quality CBD products nationwide. Websites like this are a great resource for finding CBD suppliers with lab tested products in Canada's major cities.
Canada Already Had a Headstart in the CBD Industry
What a lot of people don't realize is that Canada was already way ahead in the CBD game, even before the Cannabis Act was passed. CBD is made from hemp (not from marijuana), and Canada has been a major producer of hemp for decades. This headstart has definitely contributed to the CBD-heavy market up North.
One of the predictions from a Forbes report from January 2019 on Canadian cannabis trends states that CBD would be the next big thing. "As one of the largest hemp producers in the world," says Forbes, "Canada already has the supply to be a leader in the CBD industry…The market for CBD in Canada alone is expected to hit $1 billion in the next five years."
Legalization Led to a "Craft" Cannabis Culture
Craft cannabis didn't really take off until legalization happened. With the craft cannabis movement, weed users have started to experiment with high-end strains and a greater variety of products, including CBD.
CBD products are more inventive than they ever were in the past; nowadays you can find everything from CBD-infused bath bombs and massage oils to pain-relieving ointments and tinctures. Whether you're into the "craft" culture or not, there's no denying that legalization has made a huge impact on CBD's position in the mainstream cannabis market.
