CBD has been making waves in the health and wellness world over the past decade, but with an ever-changing landscape that has seen laws continue to shift across the UK and Europe and a flurry of creative new CBD-infused products brought to the table seemingly every week, the momentum we’ve been seeing isn’t likely to slow down any time soon.
Over the past year and a half, we’ve begun to place a greater focus than ever before on our health and are turning increasingly to natural remedies to help manage and treat symptoms of our conditions and ailments, which has in turn fuelled an even greater interest globally into all that CBD has to offer.
And, as our favourite luxury CBD brands become more aware of what their customers truly want and what is likely to keep them engaged long-term, there could be plenty more interesting developments to come as we head into 2022. We asked the experts at Naked, the leading online cannabis dispensary, to share their top trend predictions for next year, and suffice it to say that things could be about to get even more interesting.
Products grounded in science and research
The efficacy of CBD products in relation to various health conditions has, for a long time, remained up for debate, with scientific research ongoing and many studies having focused on only small groups of participants thus far. But since 2010, nearly 23,000 scientific papers have been published on the topic, and that number continues to grow, which makes CBD now one of the most studied natural remedies in the world.
As our favourite CBD companies pull out all the stops to increase customer confidence, we can expect to see an increase in partnerships with respectable research facilities to prove just how effective their products are, which in turn will see us splashing out on more CBD products as we head into next year.
Brand makeovers
Increasingly, we’re seeking out brands that align with our personal values, and thinking more than ever before about just which ones we want to support. With this in mind, we can expect to see some of the first CBD brands to the table having a rethink about how they present themselves, placing greater focus on factors like sustainability, diversity and inclusion to name but a few.
Gone are the days when we would take what brands say on their labels at face value, and we’re more likely to do our own digging these days to ensure they measure up. In 2022, brands will need to be more transparent in order to remain in favour, and the winners will be those who can do so whilst continuing to stand out from the crowd.
Increased understanding and wider acceptance
Despite having been readily available on our shelves for some years now, there is still something of a stigma attached to CBD, with some still believing that it is unsafe or should still be illegal. But as brand marketers and health professionals alike continue to make communicating its benefits and explaining the differences between CBD and other derivatives a priority, we may finally start to see the tide turn as we head into 2022, with those who have resisted thus far finally willing to consider giving it a try.
The rise of alternative cannabinoids
And finally, could CBD soon have competition? Currently, it is one of the few cannabis derivatives that are considered legal in the UK in certain strengths, but as research broadens around other cannabinoids and terpenes like CBN and CBG, all that could be about to change.
While those containing active THC – the psychoactive compound that makes cannabis users feel ‘high’ – stand little chance of a reprieve, there is still some way to go in researching how those that do not might fit into the health and wellness landscape. These two compounds, in particular, have been drawing particular interest and could soon be making their way onto our shelves – although we likely won’t see much movement in this respect until at least the tail end of next year.
Either way, it’s clear that the CBD movement is here to stay, and with more exciting developments ahead in 2022, its star is burning brighter than ever.
