Social Anxiety and CBD Oil: Research, Dosage and Warnings

What does the research say?

Most studies rely on a test in which participants give a short speech and their anxiety is measured. In two small studies of people with social anxiety who had never been treated (24 and 10 people), those who took a single dose of pure CBD reported less anxiety than those who took a dummy treatment (placebo); in one of them, the response of those taking CBD came close to that of people without social anxiety.

In a larger study, however, 80 people with social anxiety or panic disorder who had not responded to earlier treatments were randomly split into two groups; they took CBD or placebo before sessions of exposure therapy (facing the feared situation step by step). At the end of therapy, there was no difference between the two groups. A 4-week study of 37 young people in Japan reported a positive result, but the content of the oil used and how the groups were formed are unclear; some of the statistics in the paper also do not match each other.

In two small tests in healthy volunteers, a medium dose appeared effective while lower and higher doses did not work. This finding could not be repeated in other types of anxiety, so it would not be right to draw a 'best dose' from it. The authors of a 2025 review also stated that the evidence for social anxiety is of low quality and the effect is limited.

Not all similar laboratory experiments gave the same result. In a study of people with Parkinson's disease in which each participant received both CBD and placebo (24 people), a single dose of CBD reduced the anxiety and tremor caused by a speaking test. In 33 people at high risk of psychosis, however, there was no clear difference in anxiety during a speaking task in front of a panel between those who took CBD for a week and those who took placebo. In 38 healthy volunteers, CBD also did not change feelings during moments of rejection, such as being left out of a virtual ball game. All of the single-dose experiments with positive results were carried out with the involvement of the same Brazilian research group; these two studies from other centers found no difference. These experiments are short-term laboratory measurements; they do not show the effect on social anxiety in daily life.

The picture is different for THC-containing products. There is no treatment study of a THC-containing product in people with social anxiety disorder. In a study of 42 healthy volunteers, a low dose of THC (7.5 mg; study dose, not a personal recommendation) taken before a speaking task in front of a panel helped distress pass more quickly after the task; a slightly higher dose (12.5 mg), on the other hand, increased distress and anxiety even before the task began. These people did not have social anxiety disorder, and each took the drug only once; so the result cannot be generalized to the treatment of social anxiety. In a US national survey in which tens of thousands of people from the general population were interviewed twice about three years apart, regular (weekly) cannabis use predicted the later onset of social anxiety disorder; in an analysis pooling three follow-up studies, however, no clear link was seen. In these follow-up studies, cannabis was not given; people's own use was tracked; so they cannot show cause and effect.

Two systematic reviews specific to social anxiety found CBD promising; but one of them was done before the 80-person study that added CBD to therapy was published. A 2026 analysis pooling 54 randomized studies of cannabinoids in mental disorders found no clear difference from a dummy treatment (placebo) in anxiety-related outcomes; the authors judged the certainty of the evidence as low for most outcomes. As of October 2026, the results of three completed studies in social anxiety disorder have not been published; the largest of them included 239 people.

Strength of evidence: ●●○○ Weak evidence. Finding: Mixed results. What does this mean?

Ongoing research on this topic

Trials testing CBD for this topic on ClinicalTrials.gov: 1 under way (1 recruiting); results are awaited from 1 that ended in the last two years. A trial being under way does not show that CBD works.

NCT05649059: Phase 4, recruiting, target 50 participants
NCT05571592: Phase 2, completed, results awaited, 60 participants

All trials on this topic and their history

Possible side effects and drug interactions

The side effects most often reported in anxiety studies are drowsiness, tiredness and a slight decrease in attention. In a 28-day study, four liver test elevations and one severe drug rash were seen in people taking CBD; in a study of young people without a comparison group, 80.6% of participants reported side effects. In the study that added CBD to therapy, side effects were about as frequent as with placebo. In laboratory studies with a speaking test, a single dose of CBD did not clearly change blood pressure or pulse compared with a dummy treatment (placebo); THC, on the other hand, increased distress, anxiety and mental fogginess at 12.5 mg in healthy volunteers.

CBD can slow the breakdown of some medicines in the body. Interactions with citalopram and escitalopram have been shown; levels of the epilepsy medicine clobazam also rose markedly. There is no direct interaction study with sedatives such as alprazolam and clonazepam.

Interactions with medicines used for this condition

Interactions reported for these medicines in peer-reviewed publications and official prescribing information. A medicine that is not listed can still interact with CBD; tell your doctor about every medicine you take.

Social Anxiety: medicines used and their interactions with CBD
Medicine	Importance	Warning	Source
Citalopram (SSRI) (Cipram, Citol, Relaxol), Escitalopram (SSRI) (Cipralex, Citoles, Eslorex)	Caution	Citalopram, escitalopram: CBD raised citalopram blood levels: a significant rise in a series of 6 patients; in healthy volunteers, citalopram exposure (AUC) rose by 43% after 12 days of approved CBD (2.5 mg/kg twice a day). If you take these medicines, talk to your doctor.	PMID 34121064, PMID 41622700
Sertraline (SSRI) (Lustral, Selectra, Serdep)	Caution	Sertraline: In a 78-year-old patient who had taken sertraline for 20 years, blood sodium dropped and forgetfulness developed in the months after over-the-counter CBD was added; it resolved after CBD and then sertraline were stopped (a single case; CBD's role was rated "possible"). In two adverse event reports from Poland, people taking CBD oil together with sertraline had diarrhea, vomiting, fever and severe fatigue. Tell your doctor or pharmacist.	PMID 36627907, PMID 39502532, PMID 34121064
Fluoxetine (SSRI) (Prozac, Depreks, Fulsac)	Caution	SSRIs (fluoxetine, paroxetine): In a young person taking fluoxetine, worsening insomnia, restlessness and obsessive symptoms were reported after CBD oil was added (a single case). The reported case of a child taking paroxetine involved smoked marijuana, not CBD. Tell your doctor or pharmacist.	PMID 35652796, PMID 39719830
Alprazolam (Xanax, Ansiox, Stabina), Clonazepam (Rivotril, Rivoclon), Other benzodiazepines (lorazepam, etc.), Pregabalin (Lyrica), Hydroxyzine (Atarax)	Caution	Benzodiazepines, sleep medicines and sedatives: Drowsiness and sedation may increase together with CBD. Talk to your doctor before using them together.	DailyMed Epidiolex label 7.4, EMA Epidyolex SmPC 4.4
SNRIs (venlafaxine, duloxetine, etc.) (Efexor XR, Cymbalta)	Information	SNRIs and tricyclic antidepressants: There are no clinical data on interactions between CBD and SNRIs or tricyclics other than amitriptyline (see the separate warning for amitriptyline). Still tell your doctor about all the medicines you take.	PMID 38868665
Alprazolam (Xanax, Ansiox, Stabina), Buspirone (Buspon)	Information	Alprazolam, trazodone, buspirone: No study has looked at these medicines and CBD together. The data on the enzyme that breaks them all down (CYP3A4) conflict: approved CBD (750 mg twice a day) did not affect this enzyme, while a single dose of a CBD-dominant extract raised the blood level of midazolam, which is broken down the same way, by 56%. Drowsiness and sedation may increase when they are taken together. Tell your doctor.	FDA Epidiolex label §7.4 and §12.3 (05/2026), PMID 37313955, Alprazolam prescribing information §12.3, dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, Trazodone prescribing information §12.3, dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, Buspirone prescribing information (Drug Interactions), dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
Mirtazapine (Remeron, Zestat)	Information	Mirtazapine: In the lab, CBD had very little effect on the breakdown of mirtazapine; this has not been measured in patients. Still tell your doctor about the medicines you take.	PMID 34121064
Clonazepam (Rivotril, Rivoclon)	Information	Clonazepam: In 45 people with epilepsy taking approved CBD, clonazepam blood levels did not change as the CBD dose went up. Still, drowsiness may increase when they are taken together; tell your doctor.	PMID 37593907

To check interactions with the medicines you take: CBD drug interaction checker.

How was CBD used in studies?

In the studies, CBD was taken by mouth. In speaking and social stress tests, single doses of 100–900 mg (study dose; not a personal recommendation) were tested before the test; the doses found effective were between 300 and 600 mg. The study in Japan used 300 mg a day for 4 weeks (study dose; not a personal recommendation), and the therapy study used 300 mg before each session (study dose; not a personal recommendation). The study in people at high risk of psychosis used 600 mg a day for one week, and the study in young people without a control group used 200–800 mg a day for 12 weeks (study dose; not a personal recommendation). THC was tested only in healthy volunteers, as single doses of 7.5 and 12.5 mg (study dose; not a personal recommendation); the higher dose increased anxiety. There is no reliable finding showing that any one dose is the 'best'.

Study details (for health professionals)

In untreated patients with social anxiety, a single 600 mg dose reduced public speaking anxiety (n=24); a single 400 mg dose reduced subjective anxiety (n=10). In 37 young people aged 18–19, 300 mg/day for 4 weeks was found positive; but the randomization method was not described, 3 people who dropped out were left out of the analysis, side effects were not systematically monitored, and another CBD study by the author (2025, in cats) was retracted for lack of ethics approval (the journal's retraction notice dated June 2026). In treatment-resistant patients, adding 300 mg to exposure therapy gave no benefit (n=80). In healthy volunteers, only the medium dose (300 mg) appeared effective in the speaking test ('inverted U'); this finding could not be repeated in other anxiety models. Other controlled laboratory studies are not consistent either: in patients with Parkinson's disease, a single 300 mg dose reduced anxiety in the speaking test (n=24, crossover; de Faria 2020); in people at high risk of psychosis, 600 mg/day for one week made no significant difference from placebo in anxiety and cortisol response during a social stress test (n=33; Appiah-Kusi 2020); in healthy volunteers, 300–900 mg did not change responses to social exclusion and negative stimuli (n=38; Arndt 2017). All six single-dose laboratory studies with positive results were carried out with the involvement of the same Brazilian research group (Ribeirão Preto); in Zuardi 2017 and Linares 2019, 4 of the 7 authors are inventors on a patent for a CBD derivative. Two studies from other centers (London, Chicago) found no difference between CBD and placebo. These experiments lasted a single session or one week; they do not show the effect on social anxiety in daily life. In a 12-week study in young people without a control group, anxiety scores fell, but no separate result was given for social anxiety (n=31; Berger 2022). Two systematic reviews specific to social anxiety found CBD promising (Fliegel 2022, 7 studies up to June 2021; Andreoli 2026); a meta-analysis pooling 54 RCTs in mental disorders, however, found no significant difference from placebo in anxiety outcomes (Wilson 2026; certainty of evidence low for most outcomes). There is no treatment study of THC-containing products in social anxiety disorder; in healthy volunteers, 12.5 mg of THC increased distress and anxiety in a social stress test, and 7.5 mg slightly reduced distress after the test (n=42; Childs 2017). The link between cannabis use and later development of social anxiety disorder is inconsistent in follow-up studies: in a US national follow-up, regular use predicted new social phobia (Cougle 2015), while in an analysis pooling three follow-up studies the link was not significant (OR 1.12; 95% CI 0.61–2.05; Xue 2021; observational). As of October 2026, the results of three completed social anxiety studies have not been published (the largest with 239 people; NCT05600114). October 2026 search (PubMed, Cochrane, ClinicalTrials.gov): 11 controlled studies with cannabinoids were found on this topic; 4 were in patients with social anxiety disorder (one in a group mixed with panic disorder), 2 in other patient groups (people with Parkinson's disease and people at high risk of psychosis), and 5 in healthy volunteers; the only controlled study with a THC-containing product was also in healthy volunteers. No Cochrane review and no clinical guideline assessing cannabinoids were found. Alongside these, the table includes 1 study without a control group, 1 case report, 4 systematic reviews (2 of them meta-analyses), 1 meta-analysis looking at cannabis use and social anxiety risk, and 1 follow-up study; all are in the table below.

Evidence assessment: Weak: a short-term positive signal, but laboratory results are inconsistent and the only large study (Kwee) was negative

CBD alone

Single-dose pure CBD reduced speaking anxiety in some small studies, but was no different from placebo in similar experiments at other centers; in the largest and longest study, it gave no extra benefit on top of therapy.

Products containing THC

There is no treatment study in social anxiety disorder with THC-containing products (cannabis, THC or dronabinol, a mouth spray containing THC and CBD) or with the THC-like synthetic drug nabilone. In a single-session study of 42 healthy volunteers, 12.5 mg of THC taken before a social stress test increased distress and anxiety; 7.5 mg helped distress after the test pass more quickly (Childs 2017). The link between cannabis use and later development of social anxiety disorder is inconsistent in follow-up studies (Cougle 2015; Xue 2021). That the cannabis oil in Masataka 2019 contained no THC rests only on the product's own claim; there is no independent analysis. There is no controlled treatment study showing that THC-containing products ease social anxiety.

Evidence: Insufficient (for treatment): there is no controlled treatment study of THC-containing products in social anxiety disorder. Findings pointing to increased anxiety are separate: in the only controlled social stress study in healthy volunteers, 12.5 mg of THC increased distress and anxiety, and 7.5 mg slightly reduced distress after the test (42 people, single session); follow-up studies looking at cannabis use and later development of social anxiety disorder are inconsistent, and in an analysis pooling three studies the link was not significant (observational; does not show cause and effect)

Dose range in studies

Single dose 100–900 mg (those found effective 300–600 mg); 300 mg/day for 4 weeks; 300 mg before therapy sessions; 600 mg/day for 1 week (people at high risk of psychosis); 200–800 mg/day for 12 weeks (no control group, young people)

Starting dose and titration

Single dose in laboratory studies, no titration; in the 12-week study in young people, treatment started at 200 mg/day and was increased in 200 mg steps according to response, up to 800 mg/day (study dose; not a personal recommendation)

These are doses researchers gave under medical supervision; they are not a recommended dose for you. "mg/kg/day" means milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.

Social Anxiety and CBD: studies reviewed
Study	Participants	Product	Dose and titration	Duration	Result	Source
Bergamaschi 2011 Double-blind RCT (allocation in matched pairs) + healthy control group without the drug	24 untreated SAD (12 CBD, 12 placebo) + 12 healthy Untreated social anxiety disorder; SPST	Oral CBD, powder (~99.9% pure; STI-Pharm/THC-Pharm), in corn oil in gelatin capsules; corn oil placebo	600 mg single dose (1.5 hours before the test) None	Single session	During the speech, anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort were lower than with placebo; cognitive impairment, discomfort and negative self-evaluation were similar to healthy people, but the anxiety score during the speech was still different from healthy people (p=0.007); no group difference in blood pressure or skin conductance. The conflict-of-interest statement lists no CBD-related patent or company tie (one of the 14 authors reported ties to non-CBD drug companies); funding from a Brazilian public fund (FAPESP). The international application for the CBD derivative patent reported by its authors in later publications was published in 2014, that is, after this study Side effects: No side-effect report in the full text	PMID 21307846, doi:10.1038/npp.2011.6
Crippa 2011 Double-blind, crossover, SPECT	10 Untreated social anxiety disorder	Oral CBD	400 mg single dose None	2 sessions	Subjective anxiety decreased compared with placebo (p<0.001); the anxiety was caused not by a speaking test but by the brain imaging (SPECT) procedure itself. Blood flow changed in anxiety-related brain regions (left parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus) (uncorrected p<0.001). The conflict-of-interest statement could not be read (the publisher's page blocks automated access); the study was published before the CBD derivative patent its authors reported in later publications (international application published in 2014) Side effects: Not reported (in the abstract)	PMID 20829306, doi:10.1177/0269881110379283
Masataka 2019 Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot; allocation done by an independent statistician, sequence method not described; single author	40 randomized (20/20); 3 people from the CBD group dropped out because of smell/taste, 37 analyzed (17 CBD, 20 placebo) Japanese young people aged 18–19 with SAD + avoidant personality disorder	RSHO-X cannabis oil (HempMeds, US; from stalks), 21.4 mg/mL CBD; according to the paper, no THC or other cannabinoids (no independent analysis done); olive oil placebo	300 mg/day, single dose in the afternoon None (300 mg from the first day)	4 weeks; weekly home visits for up to 6 months	Fear of negative evaluation (FNE) 24.4 → 19.1 (placebo 23.5 → 23.3); Liebowitz (LSAS) 74.2 → 62.1 (placebo 69.9 → 66.8); analysis of completers only; the paper gives exactly the same statistic for the time effect of two scales (F1,35 = 10.35; p = 0.003), and the effect sizes reported for this effect (ηp² 0.0228 and 0.023) do not match the F value (should be about 0.23); the values given for the group × time interaction are internally consistent Side effects: Side effects were not systematically assessed; no 'significant health complaint' was reported during follow-up	PMID 31787910, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02466
Kwee 2022 (RCT) Double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel RCT, 3 centers	80 (39 CBD, 41 placebo); SAD subgroup 37 (18 CBD, 19 placebo); 78 analyzed Treatment-resistant panic disorder + agoraphobia or social anxiety disorder	Synthetic CBD (purity >99.9%; STI/THC Pharm), capsule; lactose placebo	300 mg, about 2 hours before each exposure session (8 doses in total) None	8 weekly sessions (once a week); follow-up at 3 and 6 months	On the primary outcome (Fear Questionnaire, FQ), there was no difference over time between CBD and placebo in the outcome of exposure therapy (all patients β = 0.32; 95% CI −0.60 to 1.25; looking separately by diagnosis group β = −0.11; −1.62 to 1.40); CBD also did not increase early response or within-session fear extinction; the placebo group improved numerically more Side effects: No serious side effects; similar side-effect frequency (CBD 4/39, 10.3%; placebo 6/39, 15.4%); treatment discontinuation CBD 17.9%, placebo 29.3%	PMID 35561538, doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.04.003, Protocol: van der Flier 2019, PMID 30760241, fear conditioning substudy: Kwee 2024, PMID 38044339, CBD reduced threat expectancy, did not enhance fear re-extinction)
Zuardi 1993 Double-blind, 4 parallel groups (placebo, CBD, diazepam, ipsapirone)	40 (10/group) Healthy volunteers; simulated public speaking test (SPST)	Oral CBD	300 mg single dose None	Single session	CBD reduced anxiety after the speech; diazepam caused sedation, CBD did not Side effects: No separate side-effect report; marked drowsiness was seen only with diazepam; only ipsapirone reduced the systolic blood pressure raised by the test, CBD did not change it (abstract)	PMID 22290374, doi:10.1177/026988119300700112
Zuardi 2017 Randomized, 5 groups (placebo, clonazepam 1 mg, CBD 100/300/900 mg)	60 (12/group); 1 person from the CBD 300 mg group did not attend the session, 59 analyzed Healthy, ages 18–35, both sexes; real public speaking	Oral CBD, powder (99.6% pure, no other cannabinoids; BSPG-Pharm), in corn oil in gelatin capsules	100 / 300 / 900 mg single dose None	Single session	Only 300 mg reduced anxiety after the speech; 100 and 900 mg were ineffective (inverted U). 4 of the 7 authors are inventors on a patent for a CBD derivative (fluorinated CBD); the university has an agreement with a drug company (Prati-Donaduzzi) to develop a synthetic CBD product, including for anxiety disorders; the supplier company (BSPG-Pharm) provided the CBD free of charge, and 2 authors received travel support from this company Side effects: Clonazepam was more sedating than all other groups (including the CBD doses); no separate side-effect report; no main effect of group on blood pressure and pulse; during the speech, clonazepam lowered blood pressure while 300 mg CBD did not (the 300 mg group's systolic and diastolic blood pressure differed from the clonazepam group's, and its diastolic blood pressure from the 100 mg group's)	PMID 28553229, doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00259
Linares 2019 (SPST) Double-blind, 4 parallel groups	57 (150 mg: 15, 300 mg: 15, 600 mg: 12, placebo: 15) Healthy men; SPST	Oral CBD, powder (99.9% pure; STI-Pharm), in corn oil in gelatin capsules	150 / 300 / 600 mg single dose (1.5 hours before the test) None	Single session	Only 300 mg kept anxiety during the speech lower than placebo (post hoc p=0.042; group×phase interaction not significant, p=0.1); 150 and 600 mg were similar to placebo (inverted U). 4 of the 7 authors are inventors on a patent for a CBD derivative (fluorinated CBD); the university has an agreement with a drug company to develop a synthetic CBD product, including for anxiety disorders; the manufacturer (STI-Pharm) supplied the CBD free of charge; the disclosure states that one author is a consultant to another CBD supplier (BSPG-Pharm) Side effects: No separate side-effect report; no group difference on sedation and cognitive impairment scales; no difference between groups in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (pulse was measured, result not reported)	PMID 30328956, doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2017-0015
Arndt 2017 Double-blind, placebo-controlled laboratory study with 4 sessions in the same people (crossover)	39 started (1 person was excluded after a positive cannabis test); 38 completed (19 women, 19 men) Healthy volunteers (people with anxiety disorders were not included; no social anxiety diagnosis); exclusion in a virtual ball game (Cyberball) and emotional stimulus tasks, no speaking test	Oral CBD solution (300 mg/mL; Insys Therapeutics), with sugar-free syrup; purity not stated in the paper	300 / 600 / 900 mg single dose (2.5 hours before the tasks) None	4 single-dose sessions (at least 1 week apart)	At no dose did CBD change responses to negative emotional stimuli or the drop in mood and self-esteem during exclusion in the game (all p > 0.05); no difference from placebo in subjective anxiety and mood. 900 mg only borderline-reduced attentional bias toward emotional facial expressions. The study was supported by the drug company that supplied the CBD (Insys Therapeutics) and the US National Institute on Drug Abuse; a review specific to social anxiety (Fliegel 2022) judged the risk of bias high because of the short time between sessions Side effects: Well tolerated; slight rise in pulse at the end of the session with 900 mg (p = 0.036); no difference in blood pressure	PMID 28861510, doi:10.1089/can.2017.0014
Childs 2017 Double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT (3 parallel dose groups; each participant had 2 sessions, with a stressful and a non-stressful task)	42 (placebo 13, 7.5 mg 14, 12.5 mg 15) Healthy young adults (ages 18–40; no mental disorder, using cannabis at most once a week; people who had experienced anxiety with cannabis were not included); Trier Social Stress Test (speech in front of a panel and mental arithmetic)	Oral dronabinol (synthetic THC; Marinol) capsule; dextrose placebo	7.5 or 12.5 mg single dose (2.5 hours before the tasks) None	2 sessions (5 days apart)	7.5 mg of THC helped subjective distress pass more quickly after the stress test (total distress over time lower than placebo, p < 0.05; no difference at peak, p = 0.18), and led participants to rate the test afterward as less "stressful" and "challenging". 12.5 mg of THC, by contrast, increased negative mood and anxiety even before the tasks began, raised distress in both the stressful and non-stressful tasks, and borderline-increased pauses in speech (p = 0.052). Not tested in people with social anxiety disorder; single session Side effects: 12.5 mg: negative mood, anxiety and mental fogginess increased; the blood pressure rise during the stress test was blunted. 7.5 mg: slight rise in pulse	PMID 28599212, doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.03.030
Appiah-Kusi 2020 Social stress substudy of a double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel RCT (+ a healthy comparison group not taking the drug)	32 patients in the abstract, 33 in the table (16 CBD, 17 placebo) + 25 healthy people; 7 patients and 4 healthy participants were left out of the anxiety analysis because of missing data People at clinical high risk of psychosis who had not used antipsychotics (a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder was not required; London) + healthy volunteers not taking the drug; Trier Social Stress Test (speech in front of a two-person panel)	Oral CBD capsule (STI Pharmaceuticals, UK); identical placebo capsule	600 mg/day, 7 days None	7 days of treatment; stress test on day 8	In direct comparison, there was no significant difference between CBD and placebo in anxiety during the stress test (STAI, area under the curve; p = 0.36), negative self-statements (p = 0.088) or cortisol response (p = 0.70). When the three groups were ranked together, the CBD group fell between placebo and healthy people (linear trend, p = 0.012 for anxiety); the authors state that this trend mainly reflects the difference between the placebo group and the healthy group Side effects: Not reported in this publication	PMID 31915861, doi:10.1007/s00213-019-05442-6, Main trial: Bhattacharyya 2018, PMID 30167644, relationship between cortisol and brain function from the same trial: Davies 2022, PMID 34480630
de Faria 2020 Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover RCT (2 sessions, 15 days apart)	24 (22 men, 2 women; sex breakdown per a review's table) Patients with Parkinson's disease (a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder was not required; Brazil); simulated public speaking test	Oral CBD capsule (powder, 99.9% pure, in corn oil; product information per a review's table, the full text could not be read); identical placebo capsule	300 mg single dose None	Single dose, 2 sessions	A drug effect favoring CBD on the anxiety dimension of the Visual Analogue Mood Scale: the anxiety caused by the speaking test was reduced; tremor amplitude measured with an accelerometer also decreased. Effect sizes and p values are not in the abstract. The conflict-of-interest statement could not be read (the publisher's page blocks automated access; per a review's table, funding came from the Brazilian public funds FAPESP and CNPq); of the 9 authors, Zuardi, Hallak and Crippa state in their other publications (e.g., Zuardi 2017, Bolsoni 2022b) that they are inventors on a patent for a CBD derivative, and that their university has an agreement with a drug company to develop a synthetic CBD product, including for anxiety disorders Side effects: No side effects reported during or after the sessions (per the review's table; the full text could not be read); pulse and blood pressure were measured, results not in the abstract	PMID 31909680, doi:10.1177/0269881119895536
Berger 2022 Open-label, single-arm phase 2 study (no control group)	31 (efficacy analysis 30) Young people aged 12–25 with an anxiety disorder who had not responded to cognitive behavioral therapy and/or an antidepressant (Australia); diagnoses included social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and specific phobia; the number with social anxiety disorder and a separate result for them are not in the authors' manuscript	Pure CBD capsule (200 mg, purity >99.9%), in addition to usual treatment (CBT every two weeks, antidepressants)	200–800 mg/day (at week 12: 19 people on 800, 9 on 600, 1 on 400 mg/day) Started at 200 mg/day; if improvement was not enough, increased in 200 mg steps (at most 400 mg/day at week 1, 600 at week 4, 800 at week 8)	12 weeks (+1 week of tapering off; follow-up at week 26)	Anxiety severity (OASIS) fell from 10.8 to 6.3 (−42.6%; p < 0.0001); at least a 50% reduction in 12 of 30 people. Depression, clinical global impression and functioning also improved; at week 26, after treatment ended, the improvements did not last. Because there was no control group and usual treatment continued, the effect cannot be attributed to CBD alone. Funding: Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics (University of Sydney); the authors reported no conflicts of interest Side effects: Side effects in 25 of 31 people (80.6%), drug-related or possibly related in 19 (61.3%): tiredness, low mood, appetite change, drowsiness, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, insomnia, hot flashes/chills; all mild–moderate, no serious side effects; 1 person stopped because of a rash possibly related to CBD. In 5 of the 6 people taking citalopram or escitalopram, blood levels of these drugs rose	PMID 35921510, doi:10.4088/JCP.21m14130, ANZCTR ACTRN12617000825358
Berger 2020 Single case	1 20-year-old man; severe SAD + depression + insomnia + attenuated psychotic symptoms (in addition to mirtazapine + CBT)	CBD (product name and purity not stated in the full text; prescribed in Australia through the Clinical Trial Notification Scheme and the Special Access Scheme; the dose-escalation schedule is exactly the same as in the same team's open-label trial with >99.9% pure CBD capsules, Berger 2022)	200–800 mg/day Started at 200 mg/day; 400 at week 1, 600 at week 4, 800 mg/day at week 8; increases based on absence of side effects and on response; tapered off over 1 week at the end of 6 months	6 months	Marked improvement was reported after week 8 (800 mg/day); because mirtazapine and CBT continued, the authors cannot attribute the effect to CBD alone Side effects: No side effects observed (liver and routine blood tests taken at baseline and at months 1, 2 and 3)	PMID 33028567, doi:10.1136/bcr-2020-235307
Raminelli 2025 Systematic review and meta-analysis (21 placebo-controlled RCTs; SAD 5, GAD 1, PTSD 7, OCD 1, Tourette 7)	Anxiety-related disorders and Tourette	Pure or CBD-rich products			Pooled effect not significant (SMD −0.40; −0.84/0.03); only in the pure CBD subgroup SMD −0.61 (−1.15/−0.07). Authors: for SAD and GAD, 'low-quality evidence, limited efficacy'	PMID 40956670, doi:10.1177/25785125251378242
Fliegel 2022 Systematic review (Medline, Embase, PsycInfo; up to June 25, 2021; risk of bias with RoB 2)	7 studies; 278 participants (71 patients with social anxiety disorder, 207 healthy volunteers) Patients with social anxiety disorder and healthy volunteers taking part in an experimental social anxiety task	Pure CBD and CBD-rich cannabis oil	100–900 mg single dose; 300 mg/day for 4 weeks		CBD reduced anxiety in 3 of 4 studies in healthy volunteers and in all 3 studies in patients; no effect in the study measuring social exclusion. The authors find CBD promising, but note that the studies were small and mostly single-dose, women were underrepresented, and side effects were not systematically measured; risk of bias was "some concerns" in 5 studies and high in 2 (Masataka 2019, Arndt 2017). The search was done before the publication of the 80-person study that added CBD to therapy (Kwee 2022)	PMID 36875967, doi:10.1016/j.psycom.2022.100074
Andreoli 2026 Systematic review of RCTs (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO; publications after 2015; Cochrane risk-of-bias tool)	18 RCTs (all drug treatments) Adults with social anxiety disorder	Drug treatments; CBD among them			When cognitive behavioral therapy is not available, the first-line drug treatment is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs); the authors list CBD and d-cycloserine among "promising" new options. Which CBD studies were included, the effect size for CBD and the bias assessment are not in the abstract (the full text could not be read); of the two RCTs of CBD in social anxiety published after 2015, one (Kwee 2022) was negative	PMID 41388755, doi:10.1080/14737175.2025.2604303
Wilson 2026 Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs (1980 to May 13, 2025; PROSPERO CRD42023392718; GRADE)	54 RCTs; 2477 participants (all mental disorders and substance use disorders) People whose primary diagnosis is a mental disorder or a substance use disorder; anxiety was examined under a separate heading; no separate result for social anxiety disorder in the abstract	CBD, THC, THC and CBD combinations and other cannabinoids			No significant difference was found between cannabinoids and placebo in anxiety-related outcomes (of the anxiety disorder studies, 5 used CBD alone and 1 used THC alone); no result specific to social anxiety disorder in the abstract. Significant benefit was seen only in cannabis use disorder, insomnia, tics and Tourette syndrome, and autism; certainty of evidence was low for most outcomes, and risk of bias was high in 44% of studies. The correction published in the journal (June 16, 2026) corrected the axis of a figure and the study counts in the table; the results did not change Side effects: Any side effect more frequent with cannabinoids (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.25–2.46; number needed to harm 7); no difference in serious side effects or study discontinuation	PMID 41856154, doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(26)00015-5, Correction: Lancet Psychiatry 2026, 13(8):e11, PMID 42302809, 2026, the axis of a figure and the study counts in the table were corrected, results unchanged)
Xue 2021 Systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal (prospective) studies (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO; up to May 31, 2020)	24 cohort studies; 10 in the quantitative analysis; 3 studies for social anxiety disorder General population and adolescent cohorts (8 countries)	Recreational cannabis use (contains THC; not given in the studies)	Not administered (observational; frequency of use self-reported)	Follow-up of up to 20 years in the studies	Cannabis use was weakly but significantly linked with later development of any anxiety condition (OR 1.25; 95% CI 1.01–1.54; 7 studies); when only high-quality studies were included, the link lost significance (OR 1.10; 0.82–1.47). For social anxiety disorder, the pooled link was not significant (OR 1.12; 95% CI 0.61–2.05; I² 38%; 3 studies: van Laar 2007, Fröjd 2011 and Feingold 2016). Observational data: does not show cause and effect	PMID 32909828, doi:10.1177/0706743720952251
Cougle 2015 Prospective nationally representative follow-up (US NESARC waves 1 and 2, 3 years apart)	43,093 (wave 1); 34,653 (wave 2) US general adult population	Regular recreational cannabis use (weekly in the past year) (not given in the study)	Not administered (observational)	About 3 years	Weekly cannabis use in the past year predicted new onset of social phobia (social anxiety disorder) over about 3 years of follow-up (also for panic disorder with agoraphobia and bipolar disorder); the size of the risk and the factors accounted for in the analysis are not in the abstract, and the full text could not be read. In another analysis of the same national data (Feingold 2016, PMID 26775742; one of the three studies pooled by Xue 2021), the link with heavy use did not remain significant in the final adjusted model; the two analyses defined cannabis use differently. Observational data: does not show cause and effect	PMID 26022838, doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.05.004

Reported side effects

Sedation/'mental sedation' (Crippa 2004, PMID 14583744); slight impairment of alertness, longer attention lapses (Rudisill 2023, PMID 36625844)
Berger 2022 (12 weeks, 200–800 mg/day): side effects in 80.6% (drug-related or possibly related in 61.3%), all mild–moderate — tiredness, low mood, hot flashes/chills
Crippa 2021 (PMID 34387679; 300 mg/day, 28 days): 5 serious side effects, all in the CBD group (4 liver enzyme elevations, 1 of them critical; 1 severe drug rash)
Bogenschutz 2026 (PMID 41312717; 600–1200 mg/day): 22.6% of those taking CBD reduced the dose or stopped because of side effects; nausea (20% vs 0%) and diarrhea (27% vs 12%) more frequent
Kwee 2022 (300 mg, 8 doses): no serious side effects; side-effect frequency similar to placebo (10.3% vs 15.4%)
Single-dose CBD laboratory studies (100–900 mg): in the speaking test, blood pressure, and in the studies where they were measured, pulse and skin conductance did not change differently from placebo (Bergamaschi 2011, Zuardi 1993, Zuardi 2017, Linares 2019); slight rise in pulse at the end of the session with 900 mg (Arndt 2017)
THC (dronabinol) 12.5 mg single dose: in healthy volunteers, negative mood, anxiety and mental fogginess increased, and the blood pressure rise during the stress test was blunted; slight rise in pulse at 7.5 mg (Childs 2017)

Monitoring done in studies

Monitoring liver tests with long-term use is a doctor's decision

Who should be careful

Bipolar disorder: 600–1200 mg/day CBD was ineffective in 2 patients with mania (Zuardi 2010, PMID 18801823); in bipolar depression, 150–300 mg/day was no better than placebo, and no increase in mania was seen (Pinto 2024, PMID 37920963); there is no evidence that CBD works for treating mania
History of psychosis: no controlled data were found showing that CBD alone triggers psychosis, but in people with a high tendency to paranoia, 600 mg showed a trend toward increased anxiety (Hundal 2018, PMID 29086614); the main risk is THC-containing products. A person with a history of psychosis should not use CBD without consulting a doctor (this is a precautionary recommendation, not a direct study result)
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: no human studies show it is safe; signals of harm to prenatal development in animals (Sarrafpour 2020, PMID 32524214; Argueta 2020, PMID 32425793)
Driving: 13.75 mg of vaporized CBD-dominant marijuana did not impair driving, but clinically important impairment could not be fully ruled out; CBD did not prevent THC's driving-impairing effect; after 300 mg oral CBD, attention lapse duration increased (Arkell 2020, PMID 33258890; Rudisill 2023, PMID 36625844)
Liver: in healthy adults, 5 mg/kg/day led to ALT/AST >3× ULN in 5.6% (Florian 2025, PMID 40622698); 300 mg/day led to 4 liver enzyme elevations, 1 of them critical (Crippa 2021, PMID 34387679)
Young people (ages 12–25): the only data are open-label, with side effects in 80.6% of participants (Berger 2022); an interaction has been shown with citalopram/escitalopram, which are often used at this age
Allergic skin reaction: 1 severe drug rash with 300 mg/day (Crippa 2021, PMID 34387679)
Athletes: in healthy volunteers who used 150 mg a day of broad-spectrum CBD oil for 10 weeks, CBG and CBDV, which are prohibited under WADA's 2026 list, were detected in urine (42% and 68% of pre-exercise samples, 74% and 84% of post-exercise samples); THC was not detected. CBDV was not listed on the product's certificate of analysis (Gillham 2026, PMID 40920736)
No study has shown that CBD is a first-line treatment for anxiety disorder
It cannot be said that 300 mg is the best dose: the medium dose was found more effective only in two small studies in healthy volunteers (single dose, public speaking); this could not be repeated in other conditions
THC-containing products: in healthy volunteers, 12.5 mg THC (dronabinol) increased distress and anxiety starting before a social stress test and tended to increase pauses in speech; 7.5 mg helped distress after the test pass more quickly (Childs 2017, 42 people). THC has not been tested in people with social anxiety disorder; 'full-spectrum' products may contain THC

Drug interactions

Citalopram/escitalopram: when CBD (200–800 mg/day) was added, citalopram blood levels rose significantly in 6 patients; in the laboratory, breakdown via CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 was inhibited (Anderson 2021, PMID 34121064)
Sertraline, fluoxetine, mirtazapine: in the laboratory, CBD had very little effect on their breakdown; not measured in patients (Anderson 2021, PMID 34121064)
In people taking serotonergic antidepressants, CBD affected the re-extinction of subjective fear worse than placebo (Kwee 2024, exploratory subgroup)
Clobazam: in 13 children with epilepsy, the active metabolite N-desmethylclobazam rose by an average of 500%; the rise in clobazam itself (average 60%) was uncertain (confidence interval −2 to 91). In healthy volunteers, clobazam did not change and the metabolite rose ~3-fold (FDA/EMA). Side effects in 10 of the 13 patients resolved when the clobazam dose was reduced (Geffrey 2015, PMID 26114620)
Other benzodiazepines (alprazolam, clonazepam, etc.): no direct interaction study in an anxiety population was found
THC-containing products: CBD does not consistently reduce THC's effects; full-spectrum products may contain THC (e.g., 0.23 mg/mL)
Antipsychotic + 1000 mg/day CBD (schizophrenia) was well tolerated (McGuire 2017, PMID 29241357)
No direct interaction studies were found with venlafaxine, duloxetine, pregabalin, buspirone or hydroxyzine

Abbreviations: RCT, randomized controlled trial (a study in which participants are assigned to groups by chance); placebo, an inactive substance; SMD, OR and RR, effect measures used in analyses that pool studies; CYP, liver enzymes that break down medicines.

If you are considering CBD

No study has shown that CBD is a first-choice treatment for social anxiety; do not stop your therapy or medicine on your own.
If you take an antidepressant, a sedative or an epilepsy medicine, review CBD together with your doctor or pharmacist.
You can ask your doctor whether liver tests are needed with long-term use.
Check the label and the certificate of analysis (COA); 'full-spectrum' products may contain THC.
If you have a history of bipolar disorder or psychosis, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor about it.

Choose your age group, medicines and situation to prepare a short summary you can take to your doctor. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere.

Open the personal warnings tool Convert drops ↔ mg

Bottom line

There are small signs that CBD may give one-time, short-lived relief in social anxiety; but a larger and longer study did not confirm this, and some similar experiments found no difference. No study shows that THC-containing products help social anxiety; in a small experiment in healthy volunteers, the higher of the two doses tested increased anxiety. Research is ongoing; for now, the soundest path is to move forward with treatments that have been shown to work.

Frequently asked questions

Does CBD oil work for social anxiety?

It is too early to say anything for sure. In small studies, a single dose of CBD taken before speaking reduced anxiety; in some other similar experiments, no difference was seen. However, in an 80-person, 8-week study, adding CBD to therapy made no extra difference compared with a dummy treatment (placebo). This is why the evidence is considered weak.

Can CBD replace my social anxiety treatment?

No. No study has shown that CBD is a first-choice treatment for anxiety disorders. Do not stop or reduce the medicine you take on your own; plan every change together with your doctor.

Can CBD be used together with antidepressants?

It calls for caution. Interactions with citalopram and escitalopram have been shown; citalopram levels rose in patients who added CBD. If you take an antidepressant, do not add CBD without talking to your doctor.

Does CBD have side effects?

Drowsiness, tiredness and a slight decrease in attention have been reported; in one study, a rise in liver test values and one severe rash were seen. Your doctor can decide whether liver tests are needed with long-term use.

Can CBD oil be obtained with a prescription in Turkey for social anxiety?

In Turkey, products derived from hemp are regulated by the Kenevirden Elde Edilen Ürünlere Dair Yönetmelik (Regulation on Products Derived from Hemp) dated January 31, 2026. These products, including CBD, may be sold only in pharmacies. Those classed as medicines and health products are dispensed with a prescription; for supplement products and cosmetics with a THC content of at most 0.3%, the regulation does not state a prescription requirement. As of October 2026, there is no approved (licensed) CBD medicine in Turkey. If you are thinking of using it, talk to your doctor first.

Do marijuana or THC-containing products help social anxiety?

No study shows this. No treatment studies with THC-containing products have been done in people with social anxiety disorder. In an experiment with healthy volunteers, a low dose of THC helped distress pass more quickly after a speaking task; but a slightly higher dose increased anxiety and distress. The results of follow-up studies looking at the link between cannabis use and later development of social anxiety also do not agree with each other. If you are considering a THC-containing product, talk to your doctor about it.

References

Show 19 references

Bergamaschi 2011. Double-blind RCT (allocation in matched pairs) + healthy control group without the drug. PMID 21307846, doi:10.1038/npp.2011.6
Crippa 2011. Double-blind, crossover, SPECT. PMID 20829306, doi:10.1177/0269881110379283
Masataka 2019. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot; allocation done by an independent statistician, sequence method not described; single author. PMID 31787910, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02466
Kwee 2022 (RCT). Double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel RCT, 3 centers. PMID 35561538, doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.04.003, Protocol: van der Flier 2019, PMID 30760241, fear conditioning substudy: Kwee 2024, PMID 38044339, CBD reduced threat expectancy, did not enhance fear re-extinction)
Zuardi 1993. Double-blind, 4 parallel groups (placebo, CBD, diazepam, ipsapirone). PMID 22290374, doi:10.1177/026988119300700112
Zuardi 2017. Randomized, 5 groups (placebo, clonazepam 1 mg, CBD 100/300/900 mg). PMID 28553229, doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00259
Linares 2019 (SPST). Double-blind, 4 parallel groups. PMID 30328956, doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2017-0015
Arndt 2017. Double-blind, placebo-controlled laboratory study with 4 sessions in the same people (crossover). PMID 28861510, doi:10.1089/can.2017.0014
Childs 2017. Double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT (3 parallel dose groups; each participant had 2 sessions, with a stressful and a non-stressful task). PMID 28599212, doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.03.030
Appiah-Kusi 2020. Social stress substudy of a double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel RCT (+ a healthy comparison group not taking the drug). PMID 31915861, doi:10.1007/s00213-019-05442-6, Main trial: Bhattacharyya 2018, PMID 30167644, relationship between cortisol and brain function from the same trial: Davies 2022, PMID 34480630
de Faria 2020. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover RCT (2 sessions, 15 days apart). PMID 31909680, doi:10.1177/0269881119895536
Berger 2022. Open-label, single-arm phase 2 study (no control group). PMID 35921510, doi:10.4088/JCP.21m14130, ANZCTR ACTRN12617000825358
Berger 2020. Single case. PMID 33028567, doi:10.1136/bcr-2020-235307
Raminelli 2025. Systematic review and meta-analysis (21 placebo-controlled RCTs; SAD 5, GAD 1, PTSD 7, OCD 1, Tourette 7). PMID 40956670, doi:10.1177/25785125251378242
Fliegel 2022. Systematic review (Medline, Embase, PsycInfo; up to June 25, 2021; risk of bias with RoB 2). PMID 36875967, doi:10.1016/j.psycom.2022.100074
Andreoli 2026. Systematic review of RCTs (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO; publications after 2015; Cochrane risk-of-bias tool). PMID 41388755, doi:10.1080/14737175.2025.2604303
Wilson 2026. Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs (1980 to May 13, 2025; PROSPERO CRD42023392718; GRADE). PMID 41856154, doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(26)00015-5, Correction: Lancet Psychiatry 2026, 13(8):e11, PMID 42302809, 2026, the axis of a figure and the study counts in the table were corrected, results unchanged)
Xue 2021. Systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal (prospective) studies (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO; up to May 31, 2020). PMID 32909828, doi:10.1177/0706743720952251
Cougle 2015. Prospective nationally representative follow-up (US NESARC waves 1 and 2, 3 years apart). PMID 26022838, doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.05.004

Points that could not be verified from the full text

Crippa 2011, Zuardi 1993 and Raminelli 2025 only from the PubMed abstract (full text not accessible); the other studies were checked against the full text (October 19, 2026). Of those added in the October 2026 search, de Faria 2020, Andreoli 2026, Wilson 2026 and Cougle 2015 were read only from the abstract (full text not open access); de Faria 2020's product purity, numbers of women and men and side-effect information were taken from the tables of a systematic review (Thanabalasingam 2021), and its conflict-of-interest statement could not be read. The correction to Wilson 2026 published in the journal (Lancet Psychiatry 2026;13(8):e11) was read on October 29, 2026: only the axis of one figure and the study counts in a table were corrected; the numbers in the row (54 RCTs, 2,477 participants, side-effect OR 1.75, high risk of bias in 44% of studies) did not change. According to the corrected table, 5 of the anxiety disorder studies were done with CBD alone and 1 with THC alone. Berger 2022 was read from the authors' accepted manuscript, and the manuscript does not say how many participants had social anxiety disorder
Masataka 2019: the randomization sequence method and the absence of THC in the product could not be independently verified (product claim only). There is no retraction, correction or expression of concern for the 2019 paper (PubMed, Crossref/Retraction Watch, October 19, 2026; rechecked on PubMed on October 28, 2026); the same author's 2025 cat study was retracted on June 12, 2026 (no valid ethics approval). The paper gives exactly the same statistic for the time effect of two scales (F1,35 = 10.35; p = 0.003), and the effect sizes reported for this effect do not match the F value; while the paper says participants could not tell the groups apart, it also states that 3 people from the CBD group dropped out because of the oil's smell and taste. The reason for these inconsistencies (a typo or something else) cannot be determined from the paper
Completed SAD studies with unpublished results: NCT05600114 (by the drug company EmpowerPharm; phase 2, 239 people, 300/600 mg/day, 10 weeks; the company's press release only mentions 'efficacy in a subgroup with moderate-to-severe SAD' and gives no numbers), NCT05823753 (Epidiolex 300/900 mg/day, 4 days, 63 people), NCT05571592 (400/800 mg/day, 3 weeks, 60 people, completed in December 2025). As of October 28, 2026, none of the three has results on ClinicalTrials.gov or a publication on PubMed. Ongoing or of unclear status: NCT05649059 (single dose 300 mg, 50 people, expected to finish in May 2027), NCT06123702 (fear extinction with 600 mg, 20 people; not updated since April 2024), ACTRN12623000872639 (speaking task in virtual reality in healthy volunteers, 150 mg; protocol published, no results found)
Clinical guidelines: the full texts of the Brazilian Psychiatric Association's social anxiety guideline (2025), Japan's social anxiety guideline (2021) and Germany's anxiety disorders guideline (2021) do not mention cannabinoids; the full text of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry guideline (2023) could not be read. The social anxiety subgroup result of the Han 2024 meta-analysis could not be read because the full text was not accessible

Research history

Here we record what changed on this page, when and why, with dates. The newest change is at the top.

October 31, 2026
The evidence level text now uses the same level name as the top of the page; the level and the result did not change.
October 31, 2026
The last sentence of the page's short summary was rewritten in a calmer, more guiding tone: instead of "Talk to your doctor before you start.", it now says whom you can talk with, and about what, if you are considering CBD. The conclusion and the strength of evidence did not change.
October 30, 2026
The correction to the Wilson 2026 meta-analysis published in the journal was read: the results did not change. According to the corrected table, 5 of the anxiety disorder studies were done with CBD alone and 1 with THC alone; this information was added to the page.
Related studies: Wilson 2026, published April 2026 (PMID 41856154, doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(26)00015-5, Correction: Lancet Psychiatry 2026, 13(8):e11, PMID 42302809, 2026, the axis of a figure and the study counts in the table were corrected, results unchanged))

Older changes (6)

October 28, 2026
October 2026 supplementary review: sources found for this page during the searches for other topics were read and worked into the page. In three studies by the same Brazilian research group (Bergamaschi 2011, Crippa 2011, de Faria 2020), the authors' patent and company ties were written consistently with the other rows: the conflict-of-interest statement where it could be read, an explicit note where it could not, and the date of the group's patent on a CBD derivative. No studies were added to the table. The conclusion and the strength of evidence did not change.
October 28, 2026
Display fix: internal working notes left over from the previous cleanup were removed; content and evidence did not change.
October 28, 2026
PubMed, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched again in October 2026 (1,185 records on PubMed, 85 on ClinicalTrials.gov; together with an independent second check). Added: 3 controlled studies comparing CBD with placebo in social stress, speaking or social exclusion tasks (in people with Parkinson's disease, people at high risk of psychosis and healthy volunteers; two found no difference), a social stress study with THC in healthy volunteers, a CBD study in young people without a control group, 2 systematic reviews specific to social anxiety, the most recent meta-analysis of cannabinoid trials in mental disorders, 1 meta-analysis looking at cannabis use and social anxiety risk, and 1 follow-up study. A review repeating the same question, a second analysis of the same national data and a virtual reality experiment that did not measure social anxiety were not added separately. Corrected: the primary outcome of the therapy study was written out with numbers and with its sub-study; the source of anxiety in the imaging study, the authors' patent and company ties in two laboratory studies, blood pressure and pulse measurements, the statistical inconsistency in the Japanese study and the basis for the product in a case report were added; the conclusion and strength of evidence for THC-containing products were written for the first time; the search numbers were added to the evidence summary. The conclusion and the strength of evidence did not change.
Related studies: Arndt 2017, published 2017 (PMID 28861510, doi:10.1089/can.2017.0014); Childs 2017, published August 1, 2017 (PMID 28599212, doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.03.030); Appiah-Kusi 2020, published April 2020 (PMID 31915861, doi:10.1007/s00213-019-05442-6, Main trial: Bhattacharyya 2018, PMID 30167644, relationship between cortisol and brain function from the same trial: Davies 2022, PMID 34480630); de Faria 2020, published February 2020 (PMID 31909680, doi:10.1177/0269881119895536); Berger 2022, published August 3, 2022 (PMID 35921510, doi:10.4088/JCP.21m14130, ANZCTR ACTRN12617000825358); Fliegel 2022, published December 2022 (PMID 36875967, doi:10.1016/j.psycom.2022.100074); Andreoli 2026, published February 2026 (PMID 41388755, doi:10.1080/14737175.2025.2604303); Wilson 2026, published April 2026 (PMID 41856154, doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(26)00015-5, Correction: Lancet Psychiatry 2026, 13(8):e11, PMID 42302809, 2026, the axis of a figure and the study counts in the table were corrected, results unchanged)); Xue 2021, published February 2021 (PMID 32909828, doi:10.1177/0706743720952251); Cougle 2015, published July–August 2015 (PMID 26022838, doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.05.004)
October 27, 2026
The reason for the retraction of another CBD study by the author, done in cats, was verified from the journal's retraction notice, and its source was given. The conclusion and the strength of evidence did not change.
October 21, 2026
The full texts of the studies were reread, and the information on the page was checked against its sources. Corrected: side effect, product, result and study design information in the study table; drug interaction notes; the "Who should be careful" list; reported side effects; evidence summary; the conclusion for THC-containing products. Points that could not be verified from the full text went down from 4 items to 3. The year of 8 publications named on the page was corrected to the journal's print year instead of the online publication year. The conclusion and the strength of evidence did not change.
October 19, 2026
Page published. This first review examined 9 studies.

Evidence changes across all topics