Health

14 CBD Influencers Who Are Shaping the Industry

By Joshua Kraus
Gras Grun, Unsplash

With the CBD market projected to reach $22 billion by 2022, social media influencers are turning out in greater numbers to shape public opinion on CBD oil and drive the industry forward. An umbrella term for anyone who has established credibility in a specific industry, CBD influencers are made up of experts, advocates, and activists who use their digital pulpit to exhort the health benefits of CBD.  

From household names to YouTube pseudonyms, here are 14 CBD influencers who are shaping the industry.

Montel Williams

Former TV-host Montel Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999. When he discovered that CBD helped alleviate his symptoms, he began advocating for greater access to the substance, and has been working for years to develop medicinal-quality CBD. Williams also founded the cannabis oil company Lenitiv Scientific and sells his own line of CBD products.

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Sunny Daze

Whit, aka Sunny Daze, is one of the CBD community’s many micro-influencers who make a living chronicling their cannabinoid-focused life on Instagram. Promoting CBD wellness products like Fine Healing Goods and The Root of it All, Whit has built a dedicated group of followers who trust her product recommendations.

CBD Woman

After using and researching CBD products for two years, Rachael, aka CBD Woman, began sharing her experiences with the world. Rachael advocates CBD use to support physical, mental, and emotional health, and her YouTube videos cover topics like calculating the correct CBD dosage and weighing the benefits of CBD oils vs. CBD vaping. She also runs the site Excite For Life, a curated collection of CBD products she has personally tried and found useful.

Anthony and Sergio Pettis

While Anthony competes in the UFC Lightweight Division and Sergio competes in the Flyweight Division, the two brothers both use CBD products to treat their career-related aches and pains. The MMA fighters are outspoken about their CBD usage and have stated how grateful they are for the opportunity to use a natural product rather than rely on potentially damaging anti-inflammatories. In 2018, the Pettis brothers welcomed the sponsorship of hemp CBD provider CBDistillery in the hopes of making high quality, fairly-priced CBD more accessible.

Dr. Rachna Patel

Before she became one of the industry’s leading CBD oil and medical marijuana gurus, Dr. Patel worked as an Emergency Medicine Doctor to help patients treat and manage their pain. In 2014, she struck out on her own and founded a practice that treats these symptoms with CBD. Patel has appeared on more than 200 podcasts and travels the world to spread CBD awareness. Along with her own line of hemp oils, she also wrote a book about CBD oil and runs a Facebook group to field CBD-related questions and discussions.

Aisling Bea

Irish actress, comedian, and writer Aisling Bea has appeared in many TV shows and released a number of stand-up specials. Now she is using her public platform to advocate for CBD and its efficacy for insomnia. Bea, who had been suffering from sleep deficiency for years, credits the cannabinoid for helping her achieve restful sleep and renewing her sanity.

Michael J. Fox

After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, the Back to the Future star tried many different approaches to treat his condition, one of which was CBD. The Michael J. Fox Foundation – which has been researching a Parkinson’s cure since 2000 –  has devoted intense study to the possible benefits of CBD oil on the disease.

Tommy Chong

Tommy Chong’s inclusion on this list should be no surprise; the counter-culture icon has been instrumental in spreading cannabis awareness since the 1970s. And at 81, he hasn’t slowed down one bit. Chong’s Choice, his personal brand of cannabis products, offers a slew of CBD oils, vapes, pens, and gummies, and he takes to his social platforms daily to promote CBD and medicinal cannabis. Chong also credits CBD for helping him defeat cancer – twice.

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Kristen Bell

The Good Place star has long been open about dealing with mental illness, and has discussed her use of CBD oil for anxiety and CBD lotion for pain and soreness. Bell believes in the extract’s healing properties and appreciates its lack of psychotropic effects, which allows her to use CBD and be with her children. She has also stated how important it is for people to think critically about cannabis rather than succumb to fearmongering.

Vaping Kamea

CBD, fitness, beauty, and (unsurprisingly) vaping, converge on this influencer’s popular Instagram page. Vaping Kamea, aka VKS Media, has made over 2,000 posts documenting her unique lifestyle, and uses her platform to promote CBD brands like Hemp Bombs, VaporFi, and Pacific CBD. Part of the reason she’s been able to successfully carve out her own niche in the CBD community is the quality of her photos, which are often professionally shot.

Dr. Michelle Ross

Neurosurgeon Dr. Michelle Ross does it all. Along with drawing on her cannabis expertise to coach patients on how to improve their health with cannabinoids, she authored the book Vitamin Weed about endocannabinoid deficiency, posts about all things CBD across her many social media platforms, and even appeared on a season of CBS’s Big Brother (she came in 4th place).

Sanjay Gupta

Famed neurosurgeon and CNN reporter Sanjay Gupta once opposed the use of medical marijuana. But while working on the CNN documentary “Weed,” he encountered enough evidence of the plant’s healing properties to reevaluate. Since then, he has completely reversed his stance and fully supports the use of CBD and medicinal cannabis for patients in need.

Little Mary and Jane

At 34 thousand followers strong, Little Mary and Jane is another Instagram-based curation service that handpicks products for “discerning women cannabis enthusiasts” while educating them on cannabis, CBD, and self-care. Christina, Little Mary and Jane’s founder, envisioned the company after she was prescribed medicinal cannabis and had trouble navigating the industry. Wanting to make it easier for patients to understand the products and make wise selections, she began building a collection of high quality items that include CBD chamomile teas, oils, and clay masks

The Impact of Influencers

Whether it’s a talk show host advocating CBD as a treatment for MS or an Instagram personality promoting personally vetted products, CBD influencers are spreading awareness and priming the public for mainstream acceptance.

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