Food & Drink / Compounds / Cannabidiol (CBD)

Cannabidiol (CBD) in food: ingestion safety

Low risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Non-psychoactive. Well-tolerated at doses up to 20 mg/kg/day in clinical trials (Epidiolex). Dose-dependent hepatotoxicity: ALT elevations >3× ULN in 13% of patients at 20 mg/kg/day (vs 1% placebo). Major concern in unregulated products: mislabeling (only 31% of products tested contained CBD within 10% of label claim per Bonn-Miller 2017), THC contamination, heavy metals, pesticides.

What is cannabidiol (cbd)?

The IUPAC name is 2-[(1R,6R)-3-methyl-6-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol.

Also known as: Cannabidiol, Epidiolex, (−)-Cannabidiol, 2-[(1R,6R)-3-methyl-6-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol.

IUPAC name
2-[(1R,6R)-3-methyl-6-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol
CAS number
13956-29-1
Molecular formula
C21H30O2
Molecular weight
314.46 g/mol
SMILES
CCCCCC1=CC(=C(C(=C1)O)[C@@H]2C=C(CC[C@H]2C(=C)C)C)O
PubChem CID
644019

Risk for people

Low risk

Non-psychoactive. Well-tolerated at doses up to 20 mg/kg/day in clinical trials (Epidiolex). Dose-dependent hepatotoxicity: ALT elevations >3× ULN in 13% of patients at 20 mg/kg/day (vs 1% placebo). Major concern in unregulated products: mislabeling (only 31% of products tested contained CBD within 10% of label claim per Bonn-Miller 2017), THC contamination, heavy metals, pesticides.

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Cannabidiol (CBD). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
FDA—Approved as Epidiolex (prescription) for Lennox-Gastaut, Dravet syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex. Unapproved CBD supplements subject to FDA enforcement discretion.
DEA—Epidiolex descheduled (removed from Controlled Substances Act 2020). Hemp-derived CBD (<0.3% THC) not scheduled per 2018 Farm Bill.
EU—Novel food (requires authorization). CBD not classified as narcotic per EU Court of Justice ruling (Kanavape case 2020).

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter cannabidiol (cbd)

  • Supplements — CBD oil tinctures, CBD gummies, CBD capsules, CBD beverages
  • Pharmaceuticals — Epidiolex (oral solution, 100 mg/mL)
  • Topicals — CBD creams, CBD balms, CBD transdermal patches
  • Cannabis Products — full-spectrum hemp extracts, CBD-dominant cannabis strains

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Cannabidiol (CBD):

  • Pharmaceutical-grade CBD (Epidiolex)
    Trade-offs: Prescription required. Higher cost. Only FDA-approved for specific seizure disorders.
  • Third-party tested CBD products
    Trade-offs: Voluntary testing — look for COA from ISO 17025 accredited labs. Still unregulated by FDA.

Frequently asked questions

What products contain cannabidiol (cbd)?

Cannabidiol (CBD) appears in: CBD oil tinctures (supplements); CBD gummies (supplements); Epidiolex (oral solution, 100 mg/mL) (pharmaceuticals); CBD creams (topicals); CBD balms (topicals).

Why do regulators disagree about cannabidiol (cbd)?

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been classified by 3 agencies including FDA, DEA, EU, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Cannabidiol (CBD) in the food app

Look up products containing cannabidiol (cbd), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. — expert_curation

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →