CBD did not produce any signs of abuse potential in regular marijuana smokers | Research

The takeaway

In a controlled study, oral CBD at doses up to 800mg produced no abuse-related effects (no "high," no drug liking) in frequent marijuana users, while smoked marijuana reliably did.

Read this if you want to know whether CBD itself has any potential for abuse or getting high.

CBD up to 800mg produced zero abuse signals in experienced cannabis users

What the researchers found

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, 31 healthy frequent marijuana users received oral CBD at 0, 200, 400, and 800mg. Unlike smoked marijuana (5.3-5.8% THC), which reliably produced abuse-related subjective effects like feeling "high," none of the CBD doses produced any signal for abuse liability.

Participants showed no difference from placebo on measures of drug liking, desire to take the drug again, or subjective "high" at any CBD dose tested. The results were consistent across the full dose range.

Why it matters

At the time of this study, CBD remained a Schedule I controlled substance in the US. This controlled human data demonstrating no abuse liability provided important evidence for regulatory decisions about CBD scheduling. The study addressed a significant gap, as no well-controlled abuse liability data had been available for CBD.

The numbers in context

CBD doses: 200, 400, and 800mg oral. Active marijuana control: 5.3-5.8% THC smoked. 31 participants. 8 sessions per participant. Smoked marijuana produced significant abuse-related effects (p<0.05); CBD did not at any dose (p>0.05).

How the study worked

Within-subject, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multi-site study. Participants received one dose combination per session across 8 once-weekly outpatient sessions (7.5 hours each). This was a secondary analysis specifically examining CBD's abuse liability profile, separate from the previously reported drug interaction findings.

What this study cannot tell us

The study tested only oral CBD, not other routes like inhalation or sublingual. Participants were experienced marijuana users, who might respond differently than cannabis-naive individuals. The study measured acute effects in a clinical setting, not real-world use patterns. The dose ceiling of 800mg may not capture effects at higher doses.

How to read the evidence

Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with active comparator (smoked marijuana). Strong design for abuse liability assessment.

When this study was published

Published in 2017. CBD was subsequently removed from Schedule I in 2018 with the passage of the Farm Bill and FDA approval of Epidiolex.

The bigger picture

The absence of abuse liability is foundational for CBD's therapeutic development. If CBD produced a "high" or other abuse signals, its clinical use would face much greater regulatory barriers. This study helped establish that CBD is pharmacologically distinct from THC in its effects on reward and reinforcement, supporting the scientific basis for eventually removing CBD from Schedule I.

Questions still open

Would CBD show abuse liability in cannabis-naive populations? Are there any reinforcing effects of CBD at doses above 800mg? Does the route of administration (oral vs inhaled) matter for CBD's abuse potential?

Common questions

Can you get high from CBD?

This controlled study found no "high" or other abuse-related effects from CBD at doses up to 800mg in experienced marijuana users. By contrast, smoked marijuana with THC reliably produced these effects. CBD does not appear to produce intoxication.

Why was CBD a Schedule I drug?

CBD was classified as Schedule I because it comes from the cannabis plant, which was broadly scheduled. However, scientific evidence like this study demonstrated that CBD does not have the abuse potential that Schedule I classification implies. CBD was partially descheduled in 2018.

Read the original research

Oral cannabidiol does not produce a signal for abuse liability in frequent marijuana smokers.

Drug and alcohol dependence, 172, 9-13

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Babalonis, Shanna; Haney, Margaret; Malcolm, Robert J; Lofwall, Michelle R; Votaw, Victoria R; Sparenborg, Steven; Walsh, Sharon L. (2017). Oral cannabidiol does not produce a signal for abuse liability in frequent marijuana smokers.. Drug and alcohol dependence, 172, 9-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.030