CBD is unlikely to cause serious adverse effects Original paper

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second most prevalent active compound in cannabis after tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is strongly psychoactive, and high doses are linked to paranoia and psychosis. CBD is more weakly psychoactive and is used to treat conditions such as pain, insomnia, and anxiety. This study aimed to investigate CBD for potential adverse effects.

This is a systematic review of 18 randomized controlled trials involving the administration of oral CBD for at least one week in either healthy volunteers or healthy clinical samples.

This review found that serious adverse effects from CBD are rare in healthy people.

This study shows that CBD is unlikely to produce serious adverse effects in most people, but interactions with medicines and medical conditions were not assessed. According to a recent meta-analysis (also summarized in this edition of Study Summaries), CBD can interact with medicines (clobazam, sodium valproate …) and, when used to treat childhood epilepsy, was associated with somnolence, sedation, pneumonia, and abnormal liver-function tests.

Many tout CBD as a panacea, but while it can be helpful and at worst benign in most people, we need to respect it like we would any other bioactive molecule and recognize that there are contraindications for its use.