CBD’s reputation still lingers somewhere between yoga studios and grandparents’ medicine cabinets.
College students did not get that memo.
According to a new, large-scale study from the University of Georgia, nearly half of college students have tried CBD, and close to one in three use it at least once a month. The reasons are familiar to anyone who has ever pulled an all-nighter, juggled classes with a job, or stared at the ceiling at 3 a.m., wondering why sleep will not happen.
Anxiety. Stress. Sleep.
And yes, friends offering it at a party.
The biggest CBD study on college students so far
The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, surveyed 4,183 undergraduate students, making it the largest study ever conducted on CBD use among college students.
Here’s what the researchers found:
- 48% of students reported trying CBD at least once
- 29% said they use CBD monthly or more
- Nearly one in five said CBD helped them fall asleep or sleep better
- Edibles were the most popular form
- College-aged men were more likely than women to try and regularly use CBD
CBD use was strongly linked to both general anxiety and social anxiety, according to the study’s regression models.
In other words, students were not just experimenting. Many were using CBD intentionally.
“We forget how anxious college actually is”
Lead author Jennie Pless, a doctoral student in UGA’s School of Social Work, says the findings reflect something older generations often overlook.
“People look back on college as a time of fun and freedom, and we sort of forget the anxiety that can come with it,” Pless said in a video interview. “We have students who are taking on a whole new world. They’re living on their own for the first time, working jobs, managing responsibilities, and not sleeping well. CBD is one of the ways they’re trying to navigate that.”
That context matters.
For many students, CBD is not about chasing a high. It is about taking the edge off.
Why college campuses are CBD hotspots
CBD is legal to purchase at 18+ in Georgia and most of the U.S., widely available online and in retail stores, and perceived by students as non-intoxicating and non-addictive.
That combination makes college campuses a natural testing ground.
Students reported first trying CBD because friends had it available, offered it in social settings, or recommended it. Once introduced, some kept using it for stress management or sleep.
Edibles led the list, suggesting students prefer CBD that feels familiar, discreet and easy to dose.
Not weed. Not nothing.
CBD occupies a strange middle ground for Gen Z.
It is cannabis-adjacent, but not intoxicating. It carries less stigma than THC, but more cultural relevance than traditional supplements. It fits into routines that already include caffeine, melatonin, magnesium, and energy drinks.
The study does not claim CBD is a cure-all. It also does not advocate use. What it does show is how normalized CBD already is among young adults navigating academic pressure and mental health challenges.
What this signals, culturally
This research lands at a moment when Gen Z is openly talking about anxiety, burnout and sleep deprivation, while also being more cautious about substances than previous generations.
CBD’s popularity among students reflects that shift.
Less about escape. More about coping.
And far from being “for grandparents,” CBD appears to be firmly embedded in modern college life.
Photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash
