Los Angeles, CA: The repeated use of oral CBD products is not associated with liver abnormalities, including the elevated production of certain liver enzymes, according to observational data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
A team of researchers affiliated with the University of Buffalo and the University of California at Los Angeles assessed the effect of oral CBD products on liver function in a cohort of nearly 1,500 healthy volunteers. Subjects consumed the products for a minimum of 30 days.
Lab testing failed to identify any association between the use of CBD products and liver abnormalities. Specifically, authors identified “no relationship between continuing to take CBD, daily dose of CBD and ALT [alanine transaminase – an enzyme found mostly in the liver] levels or change in ALT elevation severity.” Elevated amounts of ALT in the blood can indicate liver disease.
Prior studies assessing the influence of CBD on the liver have yielded inconsistent results. While some studies have theorized that CBD products may adversely impact the liver’s ability to effectively metabolize certain prescription medications, others have reported few if any changes on liver function. Other studies have identified an inverse association between cannabis use and certain liver diseases, including cirrhosis and fibrosis.
Full text of the study, “Observed impact of long-term consumption of oral cannabidiol on liver function in healthy adults,” appears in the journal “Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.”