CBD
Cannabidiol · Cannabinoid (non-intoxicating)
What it is
The non-intoxicating cannabinoid — sold in every format from oils to topical roll-ons, with one prescription form (Epidiolex) for rare epilepsies. Related entry: THC.
What human evidence shows
One genuinely proven indication: seizure reduction in specific epilepsy syndromes (the Epidiolex RCTs). Everything else — anxiety, sleep, pain, recovery — runs on small trials with mixed results, mostly at pharmaceutical doses rather than consumer-product ones.
Risks
Mild profile in trials (fatigue, GI upset, appetite change) with two caveats that matter here: documented liver-enzyme elevation at pharmaceutical doses, and real drug interactions via CYP450 — it inhibits the enzymes that clear many common medications. Market-integrity is the bigger issue: independent testing repeatedly finds products with wrong CBD content and detectable THC in "THC-free" items — relevant to anyone drug-tested.
Legal status
US: legally complicated. Hemp-derived CBD sits outside the CSA, but the FDA does not permit CBD as a dietary supplement or food additive, product rules vary by state, and federal hemp definitions are changing. Epidiolex is prescription-only. Sport rules generally allow CBD itself but athletes fail tests on THC contamination.
Evidence base
established literature
Large human evidence base: several phase 3 or 4 trial reports, plus multiple meta-analyses or systematic reviews.
- phase 3/4
- 14
- randomised
- 456
- reviews
- 322
- human trials
- 630
Counts are of published papers, not distinct trials, and measure how much research exists — not whether this works or is safe for you.
Research (12)
- Cannabidiol (CBD) and cognition in epilepsyEpilepsy Behav · 2021
- CBD: A Potential Lead against Hair Loss, Alopecia, and its Potential MechanismsCurr Drug Discov Technol · 2024
- Cannabidiol (CBD) Use by Older Adults for Acute and Chronic PainJ Gerontol Nurs · 2021
- Cannabidiol (CBD) and its analogs: a review of their effects on inflammationBioorg Med Chem · 2015
- Cannabidiol (CBD) and Colorectal Tumorigenesis: Potential Dual Modulatory Roles via the Serotonergic PathwayCurr Oncol · 2025
- [Cannabis, CBD, THC : therapeutic potential, realities and latest discoveries]Rev Med Liege · 2025
- Mechanisms of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Cancer Treatment: A ReviewBiology (Basel) · 2022
- Cannabidiol (CBD) as a potential therapeutic agent for liver cancer: a comprehensive review of current evidenceCancer Cell Int · 2025
- Cannabidiol Adverse Effects and ToxicityCurr Neuropharmacol · 2019
- Therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) in the treatment of cardiovascular diseasesExpert Opin Investig Drugs · 2024
- The Impact of THC and CBD in Schizophrenia: A Systematic ReviewFront Psychiatry · 2021
- CBD-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: Optimization, Characterization, and StabilityACS Omega · 2024
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