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CBD for tinnitus

No human trial has tested CBD for tinnitus. A rat study found a THC and CBD mix made tinnitus more likely, and cannabis users report tinnitus more often.

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

No human trial of CBD for tinnitus exists at any dose; the only animal study of a CBD-containing mix suggested it made tinnitus more likely.

How we grade evidence

There is no evidence that CBD helps tinnitus. No human trial has tested it, the only animal study of a CBD-containing mix found it made tinnitus more likely, and surveys link regular cannabis use with more tinnitus, not less.

Tinnitus is hearing a sound, such as ringing or buzzing, that has no outside source.

What the research shows

Human trials

We found no human trial of CBD for tinnitus. A 2020 review of all the research on cannabis and tinnitus found four animal studies, two large surveys, one clinical crossover study and one case report. Its authors concluded there is “no compelling data either from animal or human studies for the use of cannabinoids to alleviate tinnitus”.1

Animal studies

Study What was tested Result
Zheng 2015, New Zealand Daily THC and CBD in a 1:1 ratio in rats after loud-noise damage The cannabinoids increased the number of rats showing tinnitus in the noise-exposed group2
Zheng 2010 Two synthetic cannabinoids (not CBD) in rats given high-dose aspirin, which causes tinnitus Neither reduced tinnitus behaviour, and at some doses both increased it3

The 2015 authors concluded that cannabinoids “may promote the development of tinnitus, especially when there is pre-existing hearing damage”.2 Because the rats received THC and CBD together, the study cannot say what CBD does on its own. No animal study of CBD alone for tinnitus was found.

Animal studies are a weak guide to what happens in people. See how we grade the evidence.

Surveys of people

  • US national survey, 2011 to 2012. Among 2,705 adults, using cannabis at least once a month over the past year was linked to having tinnitus. The authors found no dose-response pattern and suggested the link is complex and may involve psychological and social factors.4
  • US national survey, 2011 to 2016. Bothersome tinnitus affected 20.5% of heavy cannabis users, 17.0% of lighter users and 12.0% of non-users. Heavy use was still linked to tinnitus after allowing for hearing loss, noise exposure and depression (odds ratio 2.05, meaning about twice the odds).5
  • Canadian tinnitus clinic survey. Of 45 patients, 96% said they would consider cannabis for tinnitus, and 80% of current users said it helped tinnitus-related symptoms such as anxiety and poor sleep.6

Surveys cannot show cause and effect. The US findings do not prove cannabis causes tinnitus, and the clinic survey does not prove it helps. Neither is about CBD alone.

What doses were tested

None. No dose of CBD has been tested for tinnitus in people. The Australian limit for pharmacist-only (Schedule 3) CBD is 150 mg a day,7 but that is a safety ceiling, not evidence that any dose works for tinnitus. See CBD dosage: what trials used.

What Australian medical bodies say

We found no Australian clinical body with a specific statement on CBD for tinnitus.

  • RACGP. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners calls the overall evidence for medicinal cannabis “limited and inconclusive” and says it should only be considered after first-line, evidence-based treatments have been exhausted.8
  • TGA. The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s guidance says medicinal cannabis should be considered only when registered medicines have been tried, and treatment stopped if benefit is not shown.9

Risks to know about

  • Possible worsening. The animal finding that a THC and CBD mix increased tinnitus after hearing damage has not been tested in people, but it is a reason for caution.2
  • Side effects. In trials, CBD is most often linked to diarrhoea and sleepiness.10 See CBD side effects.
  • Other medicines. CBD affects liver enzymes that break down many medicines and adds to drowsiness from sedatives and alcohol.11 This matters if you take medicines for sleep or anxiety linked to tinnitus. See CBD drug interactions.
  • Liver. At around 350 to 400 mg a day, 5.6% of healthy adults had large liver enzyme rises within four weeks.12 See CBD and the liver.

If you are considering it

  • See your GP about your tinnitus and ask whether a hearing test is needed.
  • Ask which tinnitus management options have evidence, and what support is available for related anxiety and sleep problems.
  • If you are thinking about CBD, ask what evidence supports it for tinnitus. As of November 2026, there is none.

See talking to your GP about CBD.

Footnotes

  1. Narwani V, et al. Does cannabis alleviate tinnitus? A review of the current literature. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33364406/ ↩

  2. Zheng Y, Reid P, Smith PF. Cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonists do not decrease, but may increase acoustic trauma-induced tinnitus in rats. Frontiers in Neurology, 2015. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2015.00060/full ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Zheng Y, et al. The effects of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists, WIN55,212-2 and CP55,940, on salicylate-induced tinnitus in rats. Hearing Research, 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20630477/ ↩

  4. Qian ZJ, Alyono JC. An association between marijuana use and tinnitus. American Journal of Otolaryngology, 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31732310/ ↩

  5. Reyes Orozco F, et al. Association between cannabis use and tinnitus in US adults. Otology and Neurotology, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37254263/ ↩

  6. Mavedatnia D, et al. Cannabis use amongst tinnitus patients: consumption patterns and attitudes. Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36823672/ ↩

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

  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. 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 ↩

  10. Chesney E, et al. Adverse effects of cannabidiol: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials, 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32268347/ ↩

  11. 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 ↩

  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 tinnitus?

There is no evidence that it does. No human trial has tested CBD for tinnitus. The one animal study that included CBD, combined with THC, found it made tinnitus more likely in rats with hearing damage.

Can cannabis cause tinnitus?

It has not been shown to cause it, but two analyses of a large US health survey found tinnitus was more common in regular cannabis users. In one, heavy users had about twice the odds of bothersome tinnitus after allowing for hearing loss, noise exposure and depression. Surveys like this cannot tell which came first.

Why do people say CBD helps their tinnitus?

Tinnitus is often linked with anxiety and poor sleep, and in one clinic survey many cannabis users said it helped those related symptoms. Tinnitus also varies from day to day. Without a placebo-controlled trial, there is no way to know whether CBD itself made a difference.

Is there an approved CBD medicine for tinnitus?

No. The only CBD medicine registered in Australia, Epidyolex, is approved for seizures in two rare forms of epilepsy. Any other CBD product is unapproved, and tinnitus is not a use with trial evidence.

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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