Written based on 14 research studies on PubMed, searched on 2026. nov. 11..
The claim
Posts online say that CBD (cannabidiol) helps with obesity.
Where research stands
We found 28 published papers on CBD (cannabidiol) and obesity. They were published between 1994 and 2026. 1 of them is a study in people. 1 of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 20 were studies in animals, and none was only in cells in the lab. 3 papers are reviews that sum up other studies.
- 1In people1 with a comparison group
- 20In animals
- 0Only 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
CBD (cannabidiol) has been tested in randomised trials in people with obesity.
What this means for you: A study in people is not proof that it helps you. Do not stop or change your medicines because of it. Ask your doctor before you start taking it.
Sources
- Short-Term Low Dose Cannabidiol Does Not Influence Glucose Tolerance or the Gut Microbiome in Sedentary Adults with Overweight and Obesity: Pilot Study.2026 · Cannabis Cannabinoid Res · Randomised trial
- Is there a role for cannabidiol in obesity, metabolic syndrome and binge eating?2025 · Br J Pharmacol · Review
- Phytocannabinoids: Useful Drugs for the Treatment of Obesity? Special Focus on Cannabidiol.2020 · Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · Review
- [The potential use of cannabidiol in the therapy of metabolic syndrome].2012 · Orv Hetil · Review
- Visualizing glutathione levels in adipose tissue: a CBD aryl ether thiolysis-activated ESIPT probe for obesity research.2026 · Chem Commun (Camb) · In animals
- Effects of chronic swimming exercise and cannabidiol on metabolic and i̇nflammatory gene expression in obese rats.2026 · BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil · In animals
- Aerobic training and cannabidiol activate the PI3K/AKT/PDX1 axis to ameliorate beta-cell dysfunction in a rat model of diet-induced obesity.2026 · Mol Biol Rep · In animals
- Cannabidiol mitigates high-fat-diet-induced early-stage inflammation in two adipose tissue fat depots of Wistar rats.2026 · Sci Rep · In animals
- Cannabidiol attenuates diet-induced metabolic endotoxemia, neuroinflammation, and anxiety-like behaviors in male aged rats.2025 · Brain Behav Immun · In animals
- Cannabidiol regulates apoptosis and glial cells homeostasis in the prefrontal cortex of offspring from obese rat mothers.2025 · Metab Brain Dis · In animals
- Correction: Visualizing glutathione levels in adipose tissue: a CBD aryl ether thiolysis-activated ESIPT probe for obesity research.2026 · Chem Commun (Camb) · Other paper
- Cannabidiol improves metabolic profiles and alleviates liver inflammation and fibrosis in conditions of androgenic obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome.2025 · Diabetes Obes Metab · Other paper
- In Web We Trust: The Promised Cannabidiol Effects on Obesity as a Matter of Language and Marketing on Webpages.2025 · Curr Neuropharmacol · Other paper
- Non-operative management of a common bile duct injury sustained during cholecystectomy in a morbidly obese patient. (Non-operative repair of CBD injury).1994 · HPB Surg · Other paper
