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Is CBD safe in pregnancy?

No. Regulators advise against CBD in pregnancy and breastfeeding. There are no adequate human studies, and animal studies found harm to development.

Facts checked 13 November 20262 min readHow we research

No. CBD has not been shown to be safe in pregnancy, and regulators in Australia and overseas advise against it. There are no adequate human studies, and animal studies found harm to the developing young.12

What do Australian authorities say?

The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s patient guidance says medicinal cannabis is not appropriate for women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding.3

The rule that would allow low-dose CBD to be sold by pharmacists requires these warnings on the label: “Do not use if pregnant or likely to become pregnant” and “Do not use if breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed”.4

What do other regulators say?

The United States Food and Drug Administration “strongly advises against the use of CBD, THC, and marijuana in any form during pregnancy or while breastfeeding”. It notes there is no comprehensive research on the effects of CBD on the developing fetus or the breastfed baby.2

The United Kingdom’s food regulator advises pregnant and breastfeeding women not to take CBD supplements.5

What does the evidence show?

Very little in people, which is the problem.

  • The prescribing information for the registered CBD medicine says there are no adequate human data in pregnancy.1
  • In animal studies, CBD caused developmental harm at exposures similar to or above those reached in people on treatment.1
  • There are no data on whether CBD passes into breast milk.1

“Natural” does not mean safe in pregnancy.

Does CBD help morning sickness?

We found no trial of CBD for nausea in pregnancy. Given the advice above, it is not something to try. A GP, midwife or obstetrician can recommend treatments that have been studied in pregnancy.

What about products that contain THC?

The advice is the same or stronger. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners lists pregnancy and breastfeeding among the situations where THC is not appropriate.6 Unregulated “CBD” products can contain THC that is not on the label.7

What if you are already taking CBD?

  • Prescribed for epilepsy: do not stop suddenly. Stopping suddenly carries a risk of seizures.1 Contact your specialist promptly.
  • Prescribed for something else: speak to your prescriber as soon as you can about whether to continue.
  • Planning a pregnancy: raise it before you conceive.

Read the full guide: CBD in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Footnotes

  1. Epidiolex (cannabidiol) prescribing information, United States. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=8bf27097-4870-43fb-94f0-f3d0871d1eec ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  2. US Food and Drug Administration. What you should know about using cannabis, including CBD, when pregnant or breastfeeding. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/what-you-should-know-about-using-cannabis-including-cbd-when-pregnant-or-breastfeeding ↩ ↩2

  3. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Guidance for the use of medicinal cannabis in Australia: patient information. https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/guidance-use-medicinal-cannabis-australia-patient-information.pdf ↩

  4. Australian Government. Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard, October 2026) Instrument 2026, Appendix F (warning statements 67 and 111 for cannabidiol in Schedule 3). https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01327/asmade/2026-09-30/text/original/pdf ↩

  5. UK Food Standards Agency. Provisional cannabidiol (CBD) acceptable daily intake: lay summary. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provisional-cannabidiol-cbd-acceptable-daily-intake-adi/lay-summary ↩

  6. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Position statement: medical cannabis. https://www.racgp.org.au/advocacy/position-statements/view-all-position-statements/clinical-and-practice-management/medical-cannabis ↩

  7. Bonn-Miller MO and others. Labeling accuracy of cannabidiol extracts sold online. JAMA, 2017. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2661569 ↩

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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