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CBD for ADHD

No controlled trial has tested CBD on its own for ADHD. The one small trial of a cannabis medicine used a THC product and did not meet its main goal.

Facts checked 13 November 20264 min readHow we research
Not enough evidence

No randomised trial of CBD alone for ADHD exists, so no dose has been tested. The only controlled trial used nabiximols, which contains THC, and its main result was not significant.

How we grade evidence

There is no good evidence that CBD helps ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), because it has not been properly tested. No randomised controlled trial has studied CBD on its own for ADHD. The only controlled trial of a cannabis medicine used a product containing THC, and its main result was no better than placebo.1

What the research shows

A randomised controlled trial is the fairest test of a treatment: people are randomly given the treatment or a dummy version (placebo) and the results are compared. For CBD alone in ADHD, no such trial was found in our research.

The one controlled trial in this area is known as EMA-C (Cooper and colleagues, 2017). It tested nabiximols, a mouth spray that contains both THC and CBD, against placebo in 30 adults with ADHD. The main outcome was not significantly different from placebo (P=0.16).1 Because nabiximols contains THC, the compound in cannabis that causes a high, this trial cannot tell us anything about CBD by itself.

Everything else is surveys and personal reports. These cannot separate a real effect from the placebo effect. Our page on how we grade evidence explains why.

Australian researchers have pointed out the gap. The Lambert Initiative at the University of Sydney reported in 2023 that medicinal cannabis prescribing for ADHD and autism was rising even though the evidence was lacking.2

What doses were tested

None. With no trial of CBD alone for ADHD, there is no tested dose to report.

For comparison, the conditions where CBD has shown an effect in trials have generally needed large doses. A review by Australian researchers found benefits of oral CBD “became more clearly evident” at 300 mg a day or more.3 The limit for pharmacist-only (Schedule 3) CBD in Australia is 150 mg a day, and that category is for adults only.45 See does low-dose CBD work? for more.

What Australian medical bodies say

  • RANZCP (the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists) says there is insufficient evidence to support medicinal cannabis as a treatment for mental disorders, and has raised concern about overprescribing.6
  • RACGP (the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) describes the overall evidence for medicinal cannabis as “limited and inconclusive” and says it should only be considered after standard evidence-based treatments have been tried.7
  • The TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) has not registered any cannabis medicine for ADHD. As of November 2026, only two cannabis medicines are registered in Australia, for other conditions. Everything else is an “unapproved” product that a doctor must apply to prescribe.8

A 2026 review in The Lancet Psychiatry pooled 54 trials of cannabinoids for mental disorders and concluded that routine use “is currently rarely justified”.9

More detail is on what Australian medical bodies say about CBD.

Risks to know about

  • Interactions with other medicines. CBD blocks several liver enzymes that break down other drugs, so it can change their blood levels.10 No trial has studied CBD taken with ADHD medicines, so the effect of combining them is unknown. See CBD drug interactions.
  • Sleepiness. Drowsiness is one of the most common side effects of CBD in trials.10 See CBD side effects.
  • THC in the product. Many “medicinal cannabis” products prescribed in Australia contain THC. RANZCP warns of a psychosis risk with high-potency THC products.6 THC can also show up on a roadside drug test. See CBD and driving.
  • Young people. A review of cannabinoids for mental disorders in young people found the evidence insufficient to broadly recommend them.11 See CBD for children and teenagers.

If you are considering it

  • Talk to the doctor who manages your ADHD before changing anything. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.
  • Ask what the evidence is for the specific product being suggested, and whether it contains THC.
  • Give your prescriber and pharmacist a full list of your medicines and supplements.
  • Ask how you would both judge whether it is working, and when you would stop if it is not. TGA guidance says treatment should stop if benefit has not been shown.12

Our guide to talking to your GP about CBD has a list of questions to take with you.

Footnotes

  1. Cooper RE et al. Cannabinoids in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomised-controlled trial (EMA-C), 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28576350/ ↩ ↩2

  2. University of Sydney. Patients with unmet mental health needs turning to medicinal cannabis, 2023. https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2023/06/06/patients-with-unmet-mental-health-needs-turning-to-medicinal-cannabis.html ↩

  3. Arnold JC, McCartney D, Suraev A, McGregor IS. The safety and efficacy of low oral doses of cannabidiol. Clinical and Translational Science, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36259271/ ↩

  4. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Final decision on the scheduling of low-dose cannabidiol, 2020. https://tga.gov.au/node/284859 ↩

  5. Retail Pharmacy Magazine. TGA announces OTC access for low-dose CBD (secondary report). https://retailpharmacymagazine.com.au/tga-announces-otc-access-for-low-dose-cbd/ ↩

  6. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Updated clinical memorandum: therapeutic use of medicinal cannabis, 2024. https://ranzcp.org/news-analysis/updated-clinical-memorandum-therapeutic-use-of-medicinal-cannabis ↩ ↩2

  7. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Medical cannabis position statement (2019 update). https://www.racgp.org.au/advocacy/position-statements/view-all-position-statements/clinical-and-practice-management/medical-cannabis ↩

  8. NPS MedicineWise. Medicinal cannabis: what you need to know. https://www.nps.org.au/professionals/medicinal-cannabis-what-you-need-to-know ↩

  9. Wilson et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of cannabinoids for mental disorders. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41856154/ ↩

  10. Epidiolex (cannabidiol) US prescribing information, DailyMed, revised 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=8bf27097-4870-43fb-94f0-f3d0871d1eec ↩ ↩2

  11. Review of cannabinoids for mental disorders in young people. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11657296/ ↩

  12. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Guidance for the use of medicinal cannabis in Australia: overview. https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/resource/guidance/guidance-use-medicinal-cannabis-australia-overview ↩

Common questions

Does CBD help ADHD?

Nobody knows, because it has not been properly tested. No randomised controlled trial has given CBD on its own to people with ADHD and compared it with placebo. The grade on this page is "not enough evidence", which means the question is open, not that CBD has been shown to fail.

Has any cannabis medicine been tested for ADHD?

One small trial tested nabiximols, a mouth spray containing both THC and CBD, in 30 adults with ADHD. Its main outcome was not significantly different from placebo. Because the product contained THC, the trial says nothing about CBD alone.

Can children with ADHD be given CBD?

There are no trials of CBD for ADHD in children. The only use of CBD in children backed by strong evidence is prescription CBD for certain rare, severe epilepsies under specialist care. A review of cannabinoids for mental disorders in young people found the evidence insufficient to broadly recommend them.

Can I take CBD with my ADHD medicine?

That is a question for your prescriber or pharmacist. CBD slows several of the liver enzymes that break down other medicines, which can raise or lower their levels. No trial has tested CBD together with ADHD medicines.

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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