Can CBD Oil Hurt Your Liver?
The use of cannabidiol (CBD) may be the target of controversy, but that hasn’t stopped this industry from flourishing over the last few years. In fact, 64% of Americans know about CBD products and 33% have used it once or more.
CBD sales have skyrocketed in California, New York and Florida, and more states are starting to legalize the use of CBD oil and other products in their own territories.
Note: Cannabis is an unregistered medicine that is only available vai the TGA’s Special Access Scheme. Only a doctor can decide if you will be eligible for medical cannabis therapy.
But one of the lingering questions about the use of CBD oil is: does it hurt your liver? Here’s everything you need to know:
Is CBD oil safe?
CBD oil is just like any other legal drug out there where you can’t always guarantee that there are no risks, adverse effects and other dangers when consuming it. But the World Health Organization recognizes that CBD is safe and well tolerated by humans.
Dosage is the primary factor that determines if you will experience any side effects or complications from using CBD oil. In most cases, patients who follow the prescribed dosage don’t report any side effects at all. But those who took higher doses experienced mild side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, appetite changes and fatigue.
How does CBD oil affect the liver?
You won’t find a lot of studies about the effects of CBD oil to the liver. However, studies that have been conducted showed a link between CBD oil use and liver damage. One study suggested that 10% of the subjects who used CBD oil have manifested high liver enzymes, which prompted them to stop using CBD.
A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Arkansas on a group of eight-week old mice also suggested that higher doses could result to liver toxicity as well as repeated small doses.
The authors explained, “Although (a dose of) 200mg is not applicable to most real-life scenarios, it does provide critical information regarding the potential consequences of CBD overdose as well as for doses need for further sub-chronic and chronic toxicity studies.”
How much CBD oil is too much for the liver?
Both studies suggested that CBD oil only showed effects to the liver when used in higher doses. The problem is, most of these products don’t show specific CBD content on the package, which means that you could be taking more or less than what’s normal.
The FDA has already responded to this problem by sending warning letters to manufacturers that sell products with inaccurate CBD compounds or those with components that don’t match what they describe in the packaging.
A study conducted by CannaSafe for the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) in California revealed that between 69% and 80% of CBD products on the market fail to make proper label claims. This means that patients using CBD oil and other products could be at risk for liver damage without even knowing it.
In the meantime, following proper dosage and sticking to the right regimen is the best solution for patients who enjoy the benefits of CBD oil but don’t want to suffer from long-term liver damage.
References:
- https://www.healthline.com/health-news/can-cbd-hurt-your-liver-what-to-know-about-a-new-study
- https://www.fattyliverfoundation.org/cbd_oil
- https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/cbd-statistics/
- https://canlivj.utpjournals.press/doi/pdf/10.3138/canlivj.2018-0023
- https://www.liver.org.au/
- https://www.fattyliverfoundation.org/cbd_oil
James King
James is an experienced writer and legal cannabis advocate in Australia. He answers all the questions about business, legalisation and medicinal cannabis.
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