A new study has found substantial interest in cannabidiol (CBD) among patients in Bulgaria with chronic pain and neurodegenerative diseases, with more than 85% saying they would consider using CBD if it were recommended by a healthcare professional.

Published in the journal Pharmacia, the study was conducted by researchers from the Medical University of Plovdiv in Bulgaria. It examined CBD awareness, attitudes and willingness to use the cannabinoid among 55 adults experiencing chronic pain.

The group included 18 patients diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The remaining 37 participants had chronic pain without a diagnosed neurodegenerative condition.

“The aim of the present study was to evaluate the awareness, attitudes, and willingness to use CBD products among Bulgarian patients with neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain,” researchers wrote.

Overall, 61.8% of participants had previously heard of CBD products, but just 14.5% considered themselves fully informed about their therapeutic effects, safety and appropriate use. Despite that knowledge gap, 85.5% said they would be willing to use CBD following a healthcare professional’s recommendation.

Participants who were already familiar with CBD were significantly more likely to have used it previously and reported higher levels of pain and anxiety than those who were unfamiliar with the cannabinoid.

Researchers also found a moderate positive correlation between pain intensity and anxiety, meaning participants reporting more severe pain generally experienced greater anxiety. Patients with neurodegenerative diseases had significantly higher anxiety levels than those without such conditions.

Among patients with neurodegenerative diseases, the leading reasons for considering CBD included improving sleep, reducing anxiety and potentially slowing disease progression. Other chronic pain patients were more likely to view CBD primarily as a form of pain relief.

The most commonly reported barriers were insufficient medical guidance, uncertainty about dosing and drug interactions, concerns about side effects and the cost of high-quality CBD products. Oral products, including capsules and tablets, were the most preferred forms.

“Bulgarian patients with chronic pain and neurodegenerative diseases demonstrate substantial interest in CBD products as complementary therapeutic agents,” researchers concluded. “However, insufficient patient awareness and limited medical guidance remain important barriers to the safe therapeutic integration of CBD products.”

The researchers cautioned that the study involved a small convenience sample and relied on self-reported information, limiting how broadly the results can be applied.