CBD and alcohol: does it interact, and can it help with drinking?

Maybe you take CBD and wonder about a glass of wine, or hope CBD could help you cut back. Here is what human studies, clinical trials and the label of Epidiolex, the only FDA-approved CBD medicine (FDA 2024), say, and where the evidence is still thin. We don't recommend products or doses.

At a glance

Taking CBD and alcohol together

In a 1979 double-blind study, 10 healthy volunteers took a placebo, 200 mg of CBD, alcohol, or CBD plus alcohol on separate days. Alcohol impaired movement and thinking with or without CBD; CBD alone did not. Breathalyzer readings were lower when CBD was added, yet the effects of the two alcohol sessions differed little (Consroe 1979). In a second 1979 study of 15 volunteers, a much smaller CBD dose taken an hour before a drink had no measurable effect on performance, alone or with alcohol, and did not change blood alcohol (Belgrave 1979).

In a newer US study, 36 heavy drinkers (not all completed every session) took 30 mg of CBD, 200 mg or a placebo, in random order, before a standard dose of alcohol. Breath alcohol fell fastest after placebo, and some subjective effects faded a little more slowly after CBD, but the researchers described the differences as trivial (Karoly 2023).

Strength of evidence: low. Three small, single-dose lab studies, two of them from 1979; they did not test regular use or products that also contain THC.

Alcohol can also change CBD levels. In a trial sponsored by the company that developed Epidiolex, 14 healthy adults had higher CBD exposure when they took a single dose with alcohol than on an empty stomach (Crockett 2020). The Epidiolex label puts the increase at 93% for the peak level and 63% for total exposure (FDA label 2025).

Strength of evidence: low. One small, single-dose study in healthy adults; how much this matters for other CBD products is unknown.

In trials in two severe forms of epilepsy (Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes), 32% of people taking Epidiolex had sleepiness or sedation, compared with 11% on placebo. The label says other drugs that slow the brain, including alcohol, could add to this effect, and advises not driving or operating machinery until you know how the medicine affects you (FDA label 2025). See also CBD and driving.

Strength of evidence: FDA prescribing information based on epilepsy trials; for alcohol it is a precaution, not measured data on the combination.

CBD, alcohol and your liver

Your liver does most of the work of breaking down both substances (NIAAA, Hangovers; FDA label 2025). Epidiolex can cause dose-related rises in liver enzymes (ALT and AST, blood markers that go up when liver cells are stressed). In controlled trials, ALT rose above three times the upper limit of normal in 12–13% of people taking it versus 1% on placebo, more often with the seizure medicine valproate; the label asks doctors to check liver tests before and during treatment (FDA label 2025).

Liver enzyme rises are not limited to people with epilepsy. In a 2025 randomized trial run by FDA scientists, 201 healthy adults took CBD (5 mg per kilogram of body weight a day, a study dose) or a placebo for 4 weeks. Liver enzymes rose above three times normal in 5.6% of those on CBD and in no one on placebo (Florian 2025).

Strength of evidence: moderate that CBD can raise liver enzymes. FDA prescribing information from controlled epilepsy trials plus one well-designed randomized trial in healthy adults; both short-term, and neither tested alcohol.

In two small New York trials in alcohol use disorder (CBD up to 1,200 mg a day, study doses), raised liver enzymes or bilirubin (1.5 to 6.5 times normal) appeared in two people on CBD and one on placebo (Bogenschutz 2026). In an 8-week pilot trial of about 150 mg a day (a study dose), ALT and AST did not differ between the CBD and placebo groups (Mueller 2025).

Strength of evidence: low. About 100 people in total, treated for a few weeks; long-term effects in heavy drinkers are unknown.

What about claims that CBD protects the liver? In mice, CBD prevented fat buildup in the liver after binge alcohol (Yang 2014), and a 2026 review finds growing animal evidence but limited human evidence (Pince 2026).

Strength of evidence: animal studies only. They do not show that CBD protects the liver of people who drink.

Can CBD help you drink less?

Much of the hope comes from animal research. In mice, CBD reduced alcohol drinking, the motivation to get alcohol and relapse-like behavior (Viudez-Martínez 2018). In rats bred to prefer alcohol, it cut alcohol self-administration; in ordinary lab rats, the same doses did not reduce intake of a chocolate drink (Maccioni 2022). A 2026 meta-analysis that pooled the animal studies found that CBD reduced alcohol intake overall (Costa 2026).

Strength of evidence: animal studies. The results are fairly consistent, but findings in rodents often do not carry over to people.

Short lab studies in people with alcohol use disorder are mixed. In Germany, a single 800 mg dose (a study dose) lowered alcohol craving after stress and alcohol cues in 28 people, compared with placebo (Zimmermann 2025). In Australia, CBD (800 mg a day for 3 days, a study dose) reduced craving after alcohol cues in 22 people (Hurzeler 2025). But in 36 young people aged 17 to 22, a single 600 mg dose had no effect on any measure, including craving and alcohol use (Kirkland 2025).

Strength of evidence: low. Small studies lasting one to three days, with craving measured in a lab rather than drinking in daily life.

Longer trials measured actual drinking. In a US pilot trial, 44 adults with alcohol use disorder took hemp-derived CBD capsules with a small amount of THC (about 4 mg a day at the study dose; "full-spectrum"), without THC ("broad-spectrum"), or a placebo for 8 weeks. Neither CBD product reduced drinks per drinking day; the full-spectrum group reported less craving (Mueller 2025). In two New York trials (27 and 30 adults, 6 to 8 weeks), CBD was no better than placebo for drinking, craving, mood or anxiety. Drinking fell sharply in both the CBD and placebo groups, which shows why a placebo comparison matters, and 7 of 31 people on CBD (22.6%) had side effects that limited their dose (Bogenschutz 2026).

Strength of evidence: low. Randomized and placebo-controlled, but about 100 participants in total, followed for a few weeks; larger trials could still find a small effect.

An umbrella review of 22 systematic reviews found that CBD on its own does not appear effective for substance use disorders, and that evidence for alcohol specifically is limited and inconclusive (Redonnet 2025). In the 2026 meta-analysis, human studies of drugs acting on the body's cannabinoid system, mostly CBD and rimonabant, gave "inconsistent and generally null" results (Costa 2026). As of November 2026, larger trials were recruiting, including a US trial planning to enroll 180 people and give CBD for 12 weeks (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05613608).

Strength of evidence: systematic reviews of small trials. The conclusion could change if larger trials report different results.

For CBD and other addictions, see our addiction and CBD guide.

Alcohol withdrawal: a job for medical care, not CBD

Deciding to stop after heavy drinking is a real step forward, and worth doing safely. Stopping suddenly after long, heavy drinking can trigger withdrawal that is painful and even potentially life-threatening, with symptoms such as nausea, a racing heart or seizures. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) advises getting medical help to plan a safe recovery; doctors can prescribe medicines that make withdrawal safer and less distressing (NIAAA, Treatment for Alcohol Problems).

As of November 2026, we found no published human study showing that CBD treats alcohol withdrawal. An Australian trial registered in 2019 has unknown status and no results (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04205682). A US trial that started in October 2026 (recruiting as of November 2026) is testing CBD alongside standard withdrawal care (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07148843). In rodents, CBD eased withdrawal signs (Dirik 2026).

Strength of evidence: animal studies only; as of November 2026, no human trial had reported results.

What does help with drinking

Three medicines are approved in the US for alcohol use disorder: naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram. According to NIAAA, they are nonaddictive and can be used alone or together with counseling (NIAAA, Treatment for Alcohol Problems). Two US government websites can help you find care: NIAAA's Alcohol Treatment Navigator, which also covers telehealth (NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator), and SAMHSA's confidential, anonymous FindTreatment.gov (FindTreatment.gov).

When to talk to a doctor or pharmacist

• You take prescription medicines. CBD and some medicines change each other's blood levels (FDA label 2025). See our interaction checker.
• You notice possible signs of liver trouble. The Epidiolex label lists unexplained nausea, vomiting, pain in the upper right belly, fatigue, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or dark urine (FDA label 2025).
• You want to cut back or stop after heavy drinking, especially if you have had shakiness, sweating, trouble sleeping or a racing heart as alcohol wore off (NIAAA, Treatment for Alcohol Problems).

Frequently asked questions

References