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CBD for Tourette syndrome and tics

No trial has tested CBD on its own for tics. The promising Australian trial used an oil containing THC as well as CBD, and pure high-CBD cannabis did not help.

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

No trial has tested CBD alone for tics; the positive trials used THC with CBD (20 mg of each a day at most), and a single inhaled high-CBD dose did not reduce tics.

How we grade evidence

There is no good evidence that CBD on its own reduces tics. The trials that reported fewer tics used products containing THC as well as CBD, and in the one trial that tested a high-CBD product, it did no better than placebo. Nobody has yet run a trial of CBD alone in Tourette syndrome.

Tourette syndrome is a condition, usually starting in childhood, that causes repeated movements and sounds called tics. “Tics” on this page includes Tourette syndrome and other long-term tic disorders.

What the research shows

Trials of products containing THC and CBD

Trial Who Product Result
Mosley 2023, Australia 22 adults with severe Tourette syndrome Oral oil with 5 mg/mL THC and 5 mg/mL CBD, six weeks, then placebo (or the reverse) Tic score fell 8.9 points with the oil and 2.5 with placebo (scale of 0 to 50). Cognitive side effects in 8 people1
Müller-Vahl 2023, Germany 97 adults with chronic tic disorders Nabiximols (THC and CBD mouth spray), 13 weeks 21.9% responded on nabiximols against 9.1% on placebo, but the trial could not formally show it was better2
Efron 2025, Australia 10 adolescents aged 12 to 18 Oral oil with THC 10 mg/mL and CBD 15 mg/mL, 10 weeks each arm Pilot only. Three rated much improved on the oil against one on placebo. Dizziness in 67%3

The Australian adult trial is the strongest result. The authors wrote that THC and CBD reduced tics “although in some participants this was associated with slowed mentation, memory lapses, and poor concentration”.1 It was funded by the Wesley Medical Research Institute in Brisbane and the Lambert Initiative at the University of Sydney.1 Some participants also had fewer obsessive-compulsive and anxiety symptoms.4

None of these trials can tell us what CBD does on its own, because every active product contained THC.

The only trial that included a high-CBD product

In a Canadian crossover trial, 12 adults with Tourette syndrome each received single inhaled doses of three cannabis products (high THC, mixed THC and CBD, and high CBD) and a placebo, two weeks apart. Nine completed it.5

  • None of the products, including the high-CBD one, beat placebo on the main video-based tic rating.
  • The high-THC product, and to a lesser extent the mixed product, did better than placebo on some secondary measures such as the urge to tic.
  • Improvement was linked to blood levels of THC and its breakdown products, but not CBD.5

Pooled evidence

A 2024 meta-analysis found nine studies of cannabis-based medicine in 401 adults with Tourette syndrome. It reported lower tic scores after treatment, but most of the studies compared people with themselves before and after, and the authors called for larger placebo-controlled trials.6 A 2025 meta-analysis of placebo-controlled cannabinoid trials included seven in Tourette syndrome. It found the evidence limited and the studies small and varied.7

See CBD vs THC for why the two must be kept apart.

What doses were tested

The Australian adult trial raised the dose gradually during the six-week treatment period. Reports of the trial give a target of 20 mg of THC and 20 mg of CBD a day.8 The adolescent pilot capped THC at 10 or 20 mg a day depending on body weight.3 The single-dose Canadian trial used 0.25 g of vaporised cannabis.5

No dose of CBD alone has been tested for tics, so there is no evidence-based dose to quote. A prescriber sets the dose for any medicinal cannabis product.

What Australian medical bodies say

We found no Australian clinical body with a specific position on CBD for tics.

  • 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.9
  • RACGP. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says medicinal cannabis should only be considered after first-line, evidence-based treatments have been exhausted.10
  • TGA. Its guidance says treatment should be stopped if benefit has not been shown.11

Risks to know about

  • THC and thinking. In the Australian trial, slowed thinking, memory lapses and poor concentration were the most common side effects on the active oil.1 In the Canadian trial, the high-THC product caused the most side effects, particularly effects on thinking and movement.5
  • Young people. Tics usually start in childhood. Australian pharmacist-only CBD is for adults only,12 and the only proven use of CBD in children is prescription CBD for rare severe epilepsies.13 See CBD for children and teenagers.
  • Driving. The TGA says patients should be advised they are not able to drive while being treated with medicinal cannabis.11 See CBD and driving.
  • Other medicines. CBD affects liver enzymes that break down many drugs, and adds to drowsiness from sedating medicines.14 Some medicines used for tics are sedating, so ask a pharmacist. See CBD drug interactions.

If you are considering it

  • See your GP or specialist about the established treatments for tics, including behavioural therapy, and whether you have tried them.
  • If medicinal cannabis is raised, ask whether the product contains THC, what the trial evidence shows for that exact product, and what the plan is for side effects on thinking, school, work and driving.
  • Ask how you will measure tics before and after, and when you would stop if there is no clear benefit.

See talking to your GP about CBD.

Footnotes

  1. Mosley PE, et al. Tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in Tourette syndrome. NEJM Evidence, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38320199/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. Müller-Vahl KR, et al. CANNA-TICS: efficacy and safety of oral treatment with nabiximols in adults with chronic tic disorders. Psychiatry Research, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36878177/ ↩

  3. Efron D, et al. A pilot randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial of medicinal cannabis in adolescents with Tourette syndrome. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40082070/ ↩ ↩2

  4. University of Sydney. Medicinal cannabis a life-changing treatment for Tourette syndrome, 9 June 2023. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2023/06/09/medicinal-cannabis-a-life-changing-treatment-for-tourette-syndrome.html ↩

  5. Abi-Jaoude E, et al. A double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover trial of cannabis in adults with Tourette syndrome. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36040329/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  6. Serag I, et al. Efficacy of cannabis-based medicine in the treatment of Tourette syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38985199/ ↩

  7. Raminelli AO, et al. Effects of different cannabinoid formulations on anxiety-related disorders and Tourette syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40956670/ ↩

  8. MDedge. Novel cannabis oil curbs tics in severe Tourette’s (report of Mosley et al., NEJM Evidence, 2023). https://mdedge.com/content/novel-cannabis-oil-curbs-tics-severe-tourettes ↩

  9. 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 ↩

  10. 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 ↩

  11. 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 ↩ ↩2

  12. Retail Pharmacy Magazine. TGA announces over-the-counter access for low-dose CBD, 2020. https://retailpharmacymagazine.com.au/tga-announces-otc-access-for-low-dose-cbd/ ↩

  13. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Epidyolex Australian public assessment information. https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/auspmd/epidyolex ↩

  14. 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 ↩

Common questions

Does CBD help with tics?

There is no trial evidence that CBD on its own reduces tics. The trials that found fewer tics used products containing THC. A Canadian trial that included a high-CBD cannabis product found it did no better than placebo, and in that trial improvement was linked to blood levels of THC, not CBD.

What did the Australian Tourette trial find?

In a 2023 trial of 22 adults with severe Tourette syndrome, an oral oil containing THC and CBD reduced tic scores by 8.9 points over six weeks, compared with 2.5 points on placebo. The most common side effects on the active oil were slowed thinking, memory lapses and poor concentration.

Is medicinal cannabis used for children with Tourette syndrome?

Only in research so far. An Australian pilot trial in 10 adolescents found the study design workable, but it was too small to show whether the THC and CBD oil worked, and dizziness was common. The authors said a fully powered trial is needed.

Can I drive if I take cannabis oil for tics?

Not if it contains THC. The TGA's guidance says patients should be advised they cannot drive while being treated with medicinal cannabis, and THC can be detected in roadside drug tests. Pure CBD is a different matter, but check with your prescriber.

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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