Scientists publish new recommendations for CBD dosing

A new review has published recommendations for the maximum daily CBD intake, with up to 160mg found to be acceptable for ‘healthy’ adults. 

The scientific review was commissioned by cannabis companies, Canopy Growth and Charlotte’s Web, to develop recommendations for oral doses of CBD isolate. 

Researchers used publicly available data from human clinical trials and toxicity studies in animal models to set upper intake levels of CBD when taken as a dietary supplement.

A dose between 100-160 mg per day was determined to be generally safe for ‘healthy adults’ who are not trying to conceive, are pregnant or breastfeeding, in which case a maximum dose of 70 mg per day is recommended. 

For the purpose of the study, ‘healthy adults’ are classed as those who have not been diagnosed with any medical condition, or are currently taking any medications.

A total of 28 human clinical trials and additional animal studies were reviewed and analysed to examine the effects of CBD on the liver.

The paper says that while CBD may raise enzyme levels in the liver – a potential sign of damage – this was found to be in cases of very high dosage or when used in combination with certain medications. 

A previous study, supported by 12 major CBD brands, found ‘no evidence’ of liver toxicity in over 800 participants taking an average daily dose of 40-50 mg CBD.

Scientists also assessed other potential health risks, including its effect on DNA structure and tumour incidences. One animal study found no increase in tumours during a two year period and in fact, identified a decrease in rates of hormone-dependent tumours. 

Based on the liver effects in human studies, a Potential Acceptable Daily Intake value of 0.43 mg per kg of body weight per day, was derived for the general population. This includes children and other groups who may be particularly sensitive to CBD, and applies to all sources including food.

The authors also recommend that CBD dietary supplements  have ‘adequate’ and ‘specific labelling’ around dosage to allow for ‘consideration of special populations’.

The paper is clear that the recommendations are based ‘solely on the authors’ assessments’ and should not be taken as regulatory guidelines.

“Worldwide use of hemp-derived consumer products continues to rise, despite a lack of consistent safety-related guidance or regulatory oversight,” the authors state.

“This state-of-the-science assessment meets an urgent need to provide guidance to regulators and other entities seeking to provide recommendations for consumer use based on the currently available data.”

They add: “This assessment can be refined as additional data become available, in particular, human clinical trials with lower doses of CBD and pre-clinical study data on the potential developmental neurotoxicity of CBD.”

Access the full review here