No. Pure CBD does not cause a high. In controlled studies, people given CBD could not tell it apart from placebo on measures of intoxication, even at doses far larger than anyone would normally take.12 Two things are still worth knowing: CBD can make you sleepy, and some products sold as CBD contain THC, which does cause a high.
How do we know CBD is not intoxicating?
Researchers have tested this directly, several times.
- Against THC. Healthy volunteers took 600 mg of CBD, 10 mg of THC or a placebo. THC caused intoxication and euphoria and raised heart rate. CBD did not differ from placebo on ratings of intoxication, mood or psychotic symptoms.1
- At very high doses. In a study designed to measure abuse potential, recreational drug users took single doses of 750, 1,500 and 4,500 mg of CBD. Their “drug liking” ratings stayed within the placebo range. A pharmaceutical form of THC and the sedative alprazolam both scored much higher.2
- In a driving simulator. Australian researchers gave 17 people placebo or 15, 300 or 1,500 mg of CBD. No dose caused feelings of intoxication or impaired thinking.3
The World Health Organization’s expert review summed it up: “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential.” It also found no evidence of recreational use of CBD.1 See Is CBD addictive?
Why does THC cause a high when CBD does not?
THC switches on a receptor in the brain called CB1. CBD barely binds to it. In most laboratory tests CBD produces no measurable response at CB1.1 The two compounds come from the same plant but act differently. See how CBD works and CBD vs THC.
Is CBD “non-psychoactive”?
Not strictly. “Psychoactive” means acting on the mind or brain, and CBD clearly does that: it reduces seizures in some forms of epilepsy and it can cause drowsiness.2 The more accurate word is non-intoxicating. CBD does not cause euphoria, a feeling of being stoned or the kind of impairment THC does.
Can CBD make you feel anything?
Yes. The most common effect people notice is sleepiness.
In the epilepsy trials, which used high doses, sleepiness or sedation affected 32% of people taking CBD against 11% on placebo. Among those who were also taking the sedating epilepsy medicine clobazam, the figure was 46%.2 Alcohol and other sedating medicines add to the effect.2
At lower doses the picture is milder. In an Australian trial of 150 mg nightly, CBD did not impair thinking the next day.4
Sleepiness is not a high, but it still matters for driving and operating machinery. See CBD side effects and CBD and driving in Australia.
Why do some people say CBD made them feel high?
The usual explanation is that the product contained THC.
Full-spectrum products contain THC by design. A full-spectrum extract keeps the plant’s other compounds, including a small amount of THC. See full spectrum vs broad spectrum vs isolate.
Unregulated products are often mislabelled. In a United States study of 84 CBD products bought online, only 31% contained the amount of CBD on the label, and some contained THC that was not declared.5 A 2017 Australian news investigation reported that of 14 unlicensed “cannabis oils” tested, 7 contained no CBD and one contained up to 47% THC. That report was not peer reviewed and did not name the laboratory.6
Prescription products tested closer to their labels. When the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s laboratory tested medicinal cannabis products supplied to Australian patients, the contents were mostly close to what the label stated.7 See Is what is on the label in the bottle?
Expectation can also play a part, which is one reason trials compare CBD with a placebo. See how we grade evidence.
Does CBD turn into THC in the body?
No, as far as the evidence in people shows. This claim comes from laboratory experiments in which CBD was mixed with acid and some of it converted to THC.1
Studies in living bodies have not found the same thing. People given 600 mg of CBD had no detectable THC in their blood, and only traces of its breakdown products. Patients who took about 700 mg a day for six weeks had no detectable THC either.1 The World Health Organization’s review concluded there is no evidence that oral CBD produces THC-like effects or appreciable blood levels of THC in humans.1
Can CBD make you fail a drug test?
Pure CBD does not. After 100 mg of pure CBD, none of 218 urine samples was confirmed positive for THC.8 But products that contain even a little THC can produce a positive result, and the person may feel nothing at all. In one study, CBD-dominant cannabis containing 3.7 mg of THC led to confirmed positive tests in 2 of 6 people.8
If you are tested at work or drive regularly, Will CBD show up on a drug test? explains the risks in detail.
The short version
- CBD on its own: no high, at any dose that has been tested.
- CBD can still cause drowsiness.
- A product labelled CBD is only as THC-free as its testing shows. A certificate of analysis is how that is checked.
Footnotes
-
World Health Organization, Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. Cannabidiol (CBD) critical review report, 2018. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/controlled-substances/whocbdreportmay2018-2.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7
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Epidiolex (cannabidiol) oral solution, United States prescribing information. DailyMed, National Library of Medicine. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=8bf27097-4870-43fb-94f0-f3d0871d1eec ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
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McCartney D, et al. Effects of cannabidiol on simulated driving and cognitive performance: a dose-ranging randomised controlled trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35637624/ ↩
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Study of next-day cognition after nightly 150 mg cannabidiol in people with insomnia. PubMed Central, 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11063694/ ↩
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Bonn-Miller MO, et al. Labeling accuracy of cannabidiol extracts sold online. JAMA, 2017. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2661569 ↩
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The New Daily. News report on testing of unlicensed cannabis oils, 13 October 2017. https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2017/10/13/fake-cannabis-oil-dealers/ ↩
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Therapeutic Goods Administration. Testing of medicinal cannabis products being supplied under SAS in Australia. https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/publication/tga-laboratory-testing-reports/testing-medicinal-cannabis-products-being-supplied-sas-australia ↩
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Study of urine drug testing after pure CBD and CBD-dominant cannabis, 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31682266/ ↩ ↩2
Common questions
Will I feel anything when I take CBD?
Many people notice nothing. In controlled studies, volunteers given CBD rated their feelings of intoxication the same as those given placebo. The most common noticeable effect is sleepiness, which is more likely at high doses or alongside sedating medicines.
Why is CBD called non-psychoactive if it affects the brain?
The term is loose. CBD does act on the brain, which is how it reduces seizures and why it can cause drowsiness. The accurate description is non-intoxicating, meaning it does not cause a high or impair thinking the way THC does.
Can full-spectrum CBD oil get you high?
Full-spectrum products contain a small amount of THC. Whether that is enough to feel depends on the product and the amount taken. It can be enough to produce a positive drug test even when no effect is felt.
Does CBD turn into THC in the stomach?
This happens in test tubes containing acid, but studies in people have not found it. The World Health Organization's review found no evidence that oral CBD leads to THC-like effects or meaningful THC levels in the blood.
This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Laws and evidence change; we show the date we last checked the facts at the top of every page. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
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