January 2020 is the first ever National CBD Month. Supporters of CBD say the products help people in a variety of ways, and judging by the number of places beginning to sell CBD it’s becoming one of the most popular health related items in the U.S. today.

CBD is short for cannabidiol, and it’s one of 113 ingredients identified in cannabis and the second most active. What exactly does it do?

Supporters say it can help with chronic, muscle, joint, and other forms of pain. It also aids in dealing with depression and anxiety. Alternative medicine specialist and consultant at Your CBD Erie, Jessica Anderson says it helped her as well. 

"CBD gave me life back, I was disabled for ten years and a lot of it was nerve pain, but a lot of those medications out there don't help with nerve pain so I suffered," Anderson said. "I found cannabinoids to help reduce the nerve pain and now I'm back to work."

It’s sold in different forms which includes lotions, oils, and candies. However, not all are fans of the continued use of the product. According to the FDA, CBD has the potential to harm people by causing liver injury, affecting the metabolism of other drugs, causing irritability and other side effects. However, the FDA’s warnings haven’t kept it from being sold and consumed by more and more people each year. According to BDS Analytics, global CBD sales are expected to reach $20 billion within the next four years.

As people continue to praise the benefits of the products, that number may continue to grow.