As a licensed amateur radio operator and GMRS operator, I am really confused why so many people are so excited about CB when it has such a low audio quality, lack of extensibility, and general lawlessness.

The barriers to entry for amateur radio are actually not that high, and the equipment costs are comparable to CB but with higher quality and greater extensibility.

Is CB simply the platform of choice for those who wish to remain "off the grid" per se due to the requirement of licensing for the amateur bands? Or is it just that the populist ghost of CB is so ingrained in society that it seems the best route for the beginner?

I gotta think it's really just the ease of use. I know that I could go grab a CB at anytime and just use it, we used to use them on the farm all the time until cell phones came along, they were just easy to install in a truck or combine and use.

I agree, it's all about accessibility.

Regardless of the difficulty of licensing, it's still a barrier. I decided to get into CB because I'm getting very fond of offroading and it seems to be the defacto standard for communication out there.

CB skips the band. GMRS does not.

CB operates on low band. GMRS is UHF.

CB may be used because of cheapness. The same for GMRS handhelds. People may use HAM because of the appeal of getting a callsign (licensing) and talking to foreigners.

People may need CB if they are in a rural enviroment compared to GMRS (UHF) where an abundant amount of buildings might be a problem.

Low band travels farther. UHF can pass through buildings and other structures magically.

Note: all depends on antennas and output of wattage of devices mentioned above.