Cannabidiol

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid, one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. Medically, it is an anticonvulsant used to treat multiple forms of epilepsy. It was discovered in 1940 and, as of 2024 clinical research on CBD included studies related to the treatment of anxiety, addiction, psychosis, movement disorders, and pain, but there is insufficient high-quality evidence that CBD is effective for these conditions. CBD is sold as an herbal dietary supplement and promoted with yet unproven claims of particular therapeutic effects.

Cannabidiol

Clinical data
Pronunciation	/kæ.nə.bə.ˈdaɪ.əl/
Trade names	Epidiolex, Epidyolex
Other names	CBD, cannabidiolum, (−)-cannabidiol
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
MedlinePlus	a618051
License data	US DailyMed: Cannabidiol
Pregnancy category	AU: B2
Addiction liability	None
Routes of administration	By mouth, sublingual, buccal,inhalation
Drug class	Cannabinoid
ATC code	N03AX24 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only) BR: Synthetic: C3; Oil with <0,2% THC: B1; Oil <30mg/ml THC and <30mg/ml CBD: A3. CA: Unscheduled DE: Anlage III (Special prescription form required) NZ: Unscheduled UK: General sales list (GSL, OTC) US: ℞-only as Epidiolex. Unscheduled if derived from hemp with less than 0.3% Δ9-THC, otherwise Schedule I. UN: Unscheduled [citation needed] EU: Rx-only and OTC in some member states Rx-only[citation needed]
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	Oral: 6% (fasted); 36–57% (fed-state) Inhalation: 31% (range 11–45%) Sublingual: 12–35%
Elimination half-life	18–32 hours
Identifiers
IUPAC name 2-[(1R,6R)-6-Isopropenyl-3-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol
CAS Number	13956-29-1 Y
PubChem CID	644019
IUPHAR/BPS	4150
DrugBank	DB09061 Y
ChemSpider	559095 Y
UNII	19GBJ60SN5
KEGG	D10915
ChEBI	CHEBI:69478 Y
PDB ligand	P0T (PDBe, RCSB PDB)
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID00871959
ECHA InfoCard	100.215.986
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C21H30O2
Molar mass	314.469 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
Melting point	66 °C (151 °F)
Boiling point	160–180 °C (320–356 °F) [unreliable medical source?]
Solubility in water	Insoluble
SMILES Oc1c(c(O)cc(c1)CCCCC)[C@@H]2\C=C(/CC[C@H]2\C(=C)C)C
InChI InChI=1S/C21H30O2/c1-5-6-7-8-16-12-19(22)21(20(23)13-16)18-11-15(4)9-10-17(18)14(2)3/h11-13,17-18,22-23H,2,5-10H2,1,3-4H3/t17-,18+/m0/s1{PubChem} Key:QHMBSVQNZZTUGM-ZWKOTPCHSA-N{PubChem}
(verify)

Cannabidiol can be taken internally in multiple ways, including by inhaling cannabis smoke or vapor, swallowing it by mouth, and through use of an aerosol spray into the cheek. It may be supplied as CBD oil containing only CBD as the active ingredient (excluding THC or terpenes), CBD-dominant hemp extract oil, capsules, dried cannabis, or prescription liquid solution. CBD does not have the same psychoactivity as THC, and can modulate the psychoactive effects of THC on the body if both are present. Conversion of CBD to THC can occur when CBD is heated to temperatures between 250–300 °C, potentially leading to its partial transformation into THC.

In the United States, the cannabidiol drug Epidiolex was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018 for the treatment of two seizure disorders. While the 2018 United States Farm Bill removed hemp and hemp extracts (including CBD) from the Controlled Substances Act, the marketing and sale of CBD formulations for medical use or as an ingredient in dietary supplements or manufactured foods remains illegal under FDA regulation, as of 2024^[update].