In 2018 legislation changed regarding personal possession and consumption of Cannabis and their oils. Since then there has been a growing demand in CBD, cannabidiol, due to global trends overseas. So in 2019 further changes were made where CBD products could be consumed with a quantity less than 20mg for daily dosage. These changes will be adapted further as the industry grows and it is predicted to grow internationally to $90 odd billion by around 2030.

Many Conservative indigenous South Africans still prefer traditional herbs for therapeutics and some will say herbals can and do heal. In fact some have go from allopathic back to natural herbs since they have seen some benefits in going back to their roots. Most of the population who do still prefer herbals to allopathic medicine generally find the herbal treatments very effective and this includes CBD - full extract light Cannabis oils in South Africa.

So since the legal chances took place with amendments since 2017 to 2018, we’ve seen an emergence of CBD suppliers in South Africa in established retailers, niche specialist stores, as well as on social media. This is a new product type and new in terms of benefits in health & wellness which is available to South Africans.

So do South Africans use it and how do they perceive CBD products, and is there potential in South Africa for CBD products going forward? There seem to still be stigma-related perceptions among some conservative community which is rather large but from the experience I have seen as a director of Cannatural since 2016, it seems many people will use it but do not want others to know they are using it. Great secrecy still exists in keeping the use of any cannabis product under wraps for fear of ridicule as it seems keeping up appearances with family and friends is still top priority over benefits that we can share with others - so that many others could possibly benefit in some form or shape from Medicinal CBD or for that matter cannabis FECO products in South Africa. (RSO Oil products in South Africa)

HOWEVER keeping with the topic of what the potential is for the use of CBD in South Africa, an online survey was conducted it appears (KLA investigated this via online research panel in November 2021, with some interesting results)

THE INDICATION IS THERE IS AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING

Most people are aware and generally understand the CBD is; 88% get it that its is a chemical which stems from the Cannabis plant and that it does not have psychoactive effects. Then 71% indicated that they have tried it at least once, so there is willingness to try. (side note from the editor of this article - its sad that they are not explained how the product works and which strength could work an dosage needed would also depend and be different from person to person, or what the difference is between Broad spectrum/isolate or distillate CBD)

But it appears positive overal as there is still great interest in CBD and 27% who have never tried it before, do say the would be interested in trying it in the future. Overall, there is a considerable interest to try CBD products. And only 12% said that they have not tried them, nor are they interested in trying them which as all good and fair enough.

WHAT IS THE VIEW OF CBD products in terms of TRIALS IN FUTURE according to South Africans?

Around 76% feel that CBD products are best suited to help with stress and anxiety which is accurate in the editors opinion. Also around 54% believe CBD improves sleep, 48% believe CBD does relieve muscle pain, and inflammation, and 45% feel CBD products help with headaches and migraines.

Only 3% believe CBD products have no benefits, but 27% feel they are mainly for recreational purposes which is very interesting. (Side note from editor - when one has has a high tolerance to medicine its possible to feel no benefit from CBD, also as said before it depends which CBD product is used and quantity used. Recreational purposes is strange but it could make one relax especially those people who don't generally use any medicine and their systems are clean and free of chemical medicines).

Also coming from this survey, it appears the more mature age groups, we see higher interest to try CBD products (37% of 45- 50-year-olds are interested in trials, and 48% of 55-year-olds are interested in trials) with the belief that it is effective in assisting with muscle pain and inflammation as well as joint pain. (Side note from the editor is that we personally with our CBD have seen the more mature age groups using our products with success for this issues as mentioned)

Having a better quality of life, free from joint pain or minimal joint aches is a blessing

CBD SEEMS HERE TO STAY - BUT APPEARS CONSISTENT USAGE IS SOMETHING PEOPLE NEED TO LOOK AT IN ORDER TO OBTAIN RESULTS

It seems that CBD prices are a bit excessive which restrict many South Africans from purchasing frequently, particularly the varieties found in the health shops and pharmacies. When using CBD its important to use it regularly and maintain consistency to achieve results that prove beneficial. the research also clearly indicated that where 29% seemed apprehensive about using CBD products it was based on affordability and 15% felt that the lack of availability prohibits them from using CBD products.

There seems to still be misinformation 20% seem apprehensive about using it due to the perceived legal implications, so perhaps the information is not clear to them.

It also seems the price and affordability barriers may play a key role, much has to to with the low regular usage of the products, only 15% are using CBD once a week and 23% are using it once a month. (Side note from the editor - This is not really beneficial as CBD should actually be used daily to achieve good results, people dont really understand how CBD works, the more you use it regularly as in daily - the better it will start working)

ANSWERS ON THE SURVEY THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY ANOTHER SOURCE LOCALLY IN SOUTH AFRICA (via Themedialonline)

WHERE DO SOUTH AFRICANS SOURCE THEIR CBD PRODUCTS?

It appears that some (39%) prefer to go to retail stores, leading pharmacies that sell the products while others (34%) purchase based on personal referrals via friends and family or colleagues, 32% purchased online and 29% from a friend whereas 26% claim to purchase via social media.

Since some it seems may have had bought products that did not work for them. The preferred method of purchasing people are more likely to purchase CBD products from a reliable and trusted source. When making a first-time purchase, it is likely to be through a recommendation from someone known and trusted. This is great news for #Cannatural Natural Medicine as 75% of our clients are from referrals where others have recommended Cannatural South Africa.

ALL in all it seems perhaps more and more people will begin to feel comfortable using CBD products and pricing need not be that expensive as people become more familiar with various suppliers and what their needs are - learning more about CBD is recommended before buying your CBD oil. Ask people who can assist, people who do not simply want you to buy from them but who can take the time to see if this is what you want and what you need.

HOW DOES CANNATURAL APPROACH THE USE OF CBD PRODUCTS AND OTHER NATURAL PRODUCTS IN GENERAL.?

We like to explain to people the different products and how the can work differently for each individual. Some people are able to use a MEDIUM FECO Capsule and not have any psycho active effect at all. They have such a high tolerance. We have other consumers who use the CBD oil and they do perfectly well on this type of product. So its very important to start low and work up to a dosage or product that works for YOU the consumer.

We hope that this has assisted you as you look into the CBD options for your health going forward.

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