Increased Liver Enzyme Levels Seen With Use of Cannabidiol in Adults
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, July 10, 2025 -- Use of cannabidiol (CBD) within the range consumers are taking with unregulated CBD products is associated with increased liver enzyme levels, according to a study published online July 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Jeffry Florian, Ph.D., from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Silver Spring, Maryland, and colleagues examined the effects of four weeks of twice-daily CBD use on the liver and endocrine hormones using a dose within the range consumers are taking with unregulated CBD products in a trial involving 201 healthy adults. The participants were randomly assigned to receive CBD (5 mg/kg/day) or placebo for 28 days.
The researchers found that 5.6 and 0 percent of participants in the CBD and placebo groups, respectively, had elevation of liver enzyme (aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase) levels greater than three times the upper limit of normal. Seven participants met the withdrawal criteria for potential drug-induced liver injury, which was detected at day 21 and day 28 in two and five participants, respectively. Between the CBD and placebo groups, no differences were seen in change from baseline for total testosterone and inhibin B in male participants or thyrotropin, total triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine in all participants.
"As CBD users may not notice these changes on their own, this study highlights the need for caution and potentially routine monitoring in CBD users," the authors write.
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
Read this next
ENDO: Sweeteners, Genetic Predisposition Independently Linked to Early Puberty
TUESDAY, July 15, 2025 -- Sweetener consumption and genetic predisposition are independently associated with the risk for central precocious puberty (CPP), according to a study...
Diagnostic Model Based on Delayed Post-Gadolinium Enhancement MRI Accurate for Meniere Disease
TUESDAY, July 15, 2025 -- A diagnostic model based on delayed post-gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DEMRI) improves the accuracy of Meniere disease (MD)...
Atopic Dermatitis May Be Linked to Increased Risk for CKD
TUESDAY, July 15, 2025 -- Atopic dermatitis (AD) was associated with an increased risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in an Asian population, according to a study published...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.