CBD (cannabidiol) & Depression

Written based on 7 research studies on PubMed, searched on 2026. nov. 11..

The claim

Posts online say that CBD (cannabidiol) helps with depression.

Where research stands

We found 7 published papers on CBD (cannabidiol) and depression. They were published between 2020 and 2025. None of them is a study in people. 2 were studies in animals, and 2 were only in cells in the lab. 1 paper is a review that sums up other studies. 1 new study in people is running or will start soon, say the trial registers. 9 research projects on CBD (cannabidiol) for depression are funded and still running.

• 0In people
• 2In animals
• 2Only in the lab

What the studies found

We have not summed up these studies in words yet. The most important papers are listed under Sources.

Verdict

Unproven means: it was only tested in animals or cells, or there is too little or mixed data from people. How we rate claims

Sources

1. Therapeutic potential of cannabidiol in depression.2024 · Int Rev Neurobiol · Review
2. Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Blockade Prevents Anti-Depressive-like Effect of Cannabidiol Acid Methyl Ester in Female WKY Rats.2023 · Int J Mol Sci · In animals
3. Cannabidiol prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced sickness behavior and alters cytokine and neurotrophic factor levels in the brain.2021 · Pharmacol Rep · In animals
4. Immune cell exhaustion and apoptotic markers in major depressive disorder: Effects of in vitro cannabidiol administration.2025 · Brain Behav Immun Health · In the lab
5. In Vitro Effects of Cannabidiol on Activated Immune-Inflammatory Pathways in Major Depressive Patients and Healthy Controls.2022 · Pharmaceuticals (Basel) · In the lab
6. Cannabidiol for Mood Disorders: A Call for More Research.2021 · Can J Psychiatry · Other paper
7. Treatment of social anxiety disorder and attenuated psychotic symptoms with cannabidiol.2020 · BMJ Case Rep · Other paper