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CBD for depression

No completed placebo-controlled trial has tested CBD for major depression. A small trial in bipolar depression found no difference from placebo.

Facts checked 13 November 20265 min readHow we research
Not enough evidence

No completed placebo-controlled trial of CBD for major depression was found; a small trial in bipolar depression (150 to 300 mg a day) and a 20 to 30 mg a day arthritis trial showed no effect on depression scores.

How we grade evidence

There is not enough evidence to say whether CBD does anything for depression. No completed placebo-controlled trial has tested CBD in people with major depression. The small amount of related evidence, from bipolar depression and from trials that measured mood on the side, shows no effect.

What the research shows

Major depression

We found no completed placebo-controlled randomised trial of CBD for major depressive disorder. Claims that CBD lifts mood are not backed by a fair test in people. See how we grade the evidence.

One trial is on the way. The ANANDA trial is testing a full-spectrum CBD oil (an extract that includes other cannabis compounds) in treatment-resistant depression. It plans to enrol 120 people and lists an estimated completion date of 31 December 2026. No results were available as of November 2026.1

Bipolar depression

A pilot trial tested CBD at 150 to 300 mg a day against placebo, added to usual treatment, in people in the depressed phase of bipolar disorder. It was registered with 36 planned participants, and 35 were included in the published results.23

  • Depression scores fell in both groups by a similar amount by week 8: about 15.4 points with CBD and 14.6 points with placebo. The difference was not significant.3
  • No other significant effects were seen on the secondary measures, and side effects were no more common with CBD than placebo.3
  • An exploratory look at the period when people were taking 300 mg a day hinted at a difference. The authors called for larger trials at that dose or higher.3

A hint in an exploratory analysis of 35 people is a reason to run a proper trial. It is not evidence that CBD works.

Depression measured in other trials

  • Arthritis. A trial of 20 to 30 mg of CBD a day for 12 weeks in 129 people with hand osteoarthritis or psoriatic arthritis found no effect on depression scores.4
  • Advanced cancer. An Australian trial of CBD oil at 50 to 600 mg a day in people receiving palliative care reported no detectable effect on depression.5

These trials were not designed to test depression, and the participants were not chosen because they were depressed. They add a little weight, no more.

What doses were tested

Study Daily CBD dose Finding on depression
Bipolar depression pilot 150 to 300 mg No significant difference from placebo3
Arthritis trial 20 to 30 mg No effect4
Advanced cancer trial 50 to 600 mg (median 400 mg) No detectable effect5

No dose of CBD has been shown to improve depression. For comparison, the limit for pharmacist-only (Schedule 3) CBD in Australia is 150 mg a day.6

What Australian medical bodies say

  • RANZCP. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists updated its clinical memorandum in March 2024. It says there is insufficient evidence to support medicinal cannabis as a treatment for anxiety and other mental disorders, and raises concern about overprescribing.7
  • RACGP. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners does not recommend or encourage the use of medicinal cannabis, and says it should only be considered after first-line, evidence-based treatments have been exhausted.8
  • International review. A 2026 review in The Lancet Psychiatry of 54 trials of cannabinoids concluded that their routine use for mental disorders “is currently rarely justified”.9

See what Australian medical bodies say about CBD.

Risks to know about

  • Interactions with other medicines. CBD blocks several liver enzymes, including CYP2C19 and CYP3A4, that break down many medicines.10 This can change the blood levels of other medicines. In one small Australian study, citalopram blood levels rose in six young people taking citalopram or escitalopram after CBD was added. Whether that caused more side effects was not established.11 Ask your pharmacist to check any antidepressant or other medicine you take. See CBD drug interactions.
  • Sedation. CBD adds to the drowsiness caused by sedating medicines and alcohol.10 See CBD and alcohol.
  • Liver. In a study of healthy adults taking about 350 to 400 mg a day for four weeks, 5.6% had liver enzymes rise to more than three times the normal upper limit, with no symptoms.12 See CBD and the liver.
  • Products containing THC. Some prescribed cannabis products contain THC. Australian psychiatrists flag the risk of psychosis with high-potency THC products.7 See CBD vs THC.
  • Stopping treatment that works. Do not stop or reduce an antidepressant in favour of CBD without talking to your doctor.

If you are considering it

  • See your GP about the depression itself. Ask which treatments have good evidence and whether you have tried them properly.
  • Bring a full list of your medicines so interactions can be checked.
  • Questions worth asking: What trial evidence supports CBD for depression? Does this product contain THC? How will we judge whether it is working, and when would we stop?

If you are in distress now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 hours a day) or contact your GP. If your life is in danger, call 000.

Footnotes

  1. ClinicalTrials.gov. ANANDA trial of full-spectrum cannabidiol oil for treatment-resistant depression (NCT07696871). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07696871 ↩

  2. ClinicalTrials.gov. Cannabidiol as an adjunctive treatment for bipolar depression (NCT03310593). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03310593 ↩

  3. Pinto JV, et al. Cannabidiol as an adjunctive treatment for acute bipolar depression: a pilot study. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437231209650 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. Vela J, et al. Cannabidiol treatment in hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (conference abstract; published in Pain, 2022). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/cannabidiol-treatment-in-hand-osteoarthritis-and-psoriatic-arthritis-a-randomized-double-blind-placebo-controlled-trial/ ↩ ↩2

  5. The ASCO Post. Does CBD oil improve symptom distress in patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care? December 2022. https://ascopost.com/news/december-2022/does-cbd-oil-improve-symptom-distress-in-patients-with-advanced-cancer-receiving-palliative-care ↩ ↩2

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

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

  8. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Position statement: use of medicinal cannabis products in Australia (2019 update). https://www.racgp.org.au/advocacy/position-statements/view-all-position-statements/clinical-and-practice-management/medical-cannabis ↩

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

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

  11. Anderson LL and others. Citalopram and cannabidiol: in vitro and in vivo evidence of pharmacokinetic interactions relevant to the treatment of anxiety disorders in young people. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1097/JCP.0000000000001427 ↩

  12. EurekAlert. News release on Florian et al., cannabidiol and liver enzyme elevations in healthy adults, JAMA Internal Medicine, July 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1089832 ↩

Common questions

Does CBD help depression?

There is not enough evidence to say. No completed placebo-controlled trial of CBD for major depression has been found. Where trials in other conditions measured depression as a side question, CBD made no difference.

Can I take CBD with antidepressants?

Ask your doctor or pharmacist before combining them. CBD blocks liver enzymes that break down many medicines, which can change their blood levels. In one small study, citalopram blood levels rose after CBD was added. Do not stop or change an antidepressant without medical advice.

Is CBD a natural antidepressant?

No trial has shown that CBD works as an antidepressant in people. Being derived from a plant does not make a substance effective or free of side effects. CBD can cause sleepiness, diarrhoea and raised liver enzymes.

Are there any trials of CBD for depression under way?

Yes. A trial of a full-spectrum CBD oil in 120 people with treatment-resistant depression is registered, with an estimated completion date of 31 December 2026. No results have been published as of November 2026.

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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