8 evidence-graded facts. Click any card for the full summary and sources.
CBD does not meaningfully activate CB1 receptors and produces no intoxication at normal doses. WHO's Expert Committee on Drug Dependence concluded CBD shows no abuse or dependence potential. "Cannabis without the high" is, for CBD alone, accurate.
CBD STRONG EVIDENCEPurified CBD (Epidiolex) is FDA- and EMA-approved for Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and TSC-related seizures, cutting seizure frequency in randomized controlled trials. This is the gold standard of cannabinoid evidence: real RCTs, real approval.
CBD STRONG EVIDENCEA landmark JAMA study testing 84 online CBD products found only ~31% accurately labeled; many under-delivered CBD, and 21% contained unlabeled THC. Regulated markets with lab testing largely fix this — unregulated ones do not.
CBD STRONG EVIDENCECBD inhibits CYP450 enzymes (notably CYP3A4 and CYP2C19) that metabolize many drugs: blood thinners, anti-epileptics, some antidepressants. If a medication carries a grapefruit warning, treat CBD the same way and ask a pharmacist.
CBD LIMITED EVIDENCESmall human trials show CBD reducing experimentally induced anxiety (e.g., simulated public speaking), but large definitive trials are missing, and effective doses in studies (300–600mg) dwarf most retail products (10–25mg). The molecule is interesting; the average gummy is underdosed.
CBD STRONG EVIDENCEOral CBD has bioavailability around 6–13%: the liver metabolizes most of it before it reaches circulation. Taking it with a fatty meal can multiply absorption several-fold. Two identical capsules can produce wildly different blood levels depending on lunch.
CBD STRONG EVIDENCEIn the Epidiolex epilepsy trials, a meaningful share of patients on high-dose CBD (10–20 mg/kg/day) showed elevated liver transaminases, especially with valproate. This is why the label requires liver monitoring — and why megadose self-experimentation is not harmless.
CBD STRONG EVIDENCEHuman studies showing CBD effects typically use 300–600 mg per day, sometimes more. Over-the-counter products commonly suggest 5–25 mg. Whatever you believe about CBD's potential, most consumer products deliver a small fraction of studied doses — expectations should scale accordingly.
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