CBD Products: Oils, Topicals, Edibles and How to Read a Label
A plain guide to CBD oils, topicals and edibles: what the US regulator says, what lab studies found on labels, and what to check on a package before relying on it.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Start here: keep products away from children
If a child may have swallowed a cannabis or CBD product, do not wait for symptoms. The FDA advises taking the child to a physician or emergency department, especially if the child acts in an unusual way or feels sick. [1] In the US, call 911 for severe symptoms and Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. [2] See poisoning: what to do first.CBD Products
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound from the cannabis plant that is not intoxicating like THC. [2] NIDA also notes that CBD is marketed in many consumer products, including supplements, foods, oils and lotions. [2] In the US, one prescription CBD medicine is FDA-approved, and there are no other FDA-approved drug products that contain CBD. [3][1] See approved cannabinoid medicines.Evidence labels used here: approved medicine, promising but limited, insufficient evidence, evidence of harm and marketing claim. Claims on store products without trials behind them are marketing claims.
The FDA also says THC and CBD products are excluded from the dietary supplement definition, and that adding CBD to foods is not allowed in interstate commerce. [1][4] Seeing a CBD product for sale does not mean it was reviewed. The FDA says products outside the drug approval process have not been evaluated for whether they work or what a proper dosage would be. [1]
Oils
Oil-based products are often sold as tinctures; 100 of the 202 CBD products chosen for a 2024 US study were tinctures. [5] What the label says about strength may not match the bottle. In that study 74% of products deviated from their labeled CBD potency by at least 10%. [5] NCCIH likewise warns that over-the-counter CBD products may contain more or less CBD than stated on the label. [4]Do not confuse these with hemp seed oil, a food oil; see hemp foods and hemp seed oil.
Topicals
Topicals are creams, balms and similar products applied to the skin. A systematic review found only eight eligible human trials of skin-applied CBD (three placebo-controlled randomized trials and five single-arm trials). [6] Risk of bias was high and reporting problems limited reliability. [6] Label: insufficient evidence for any specific skin or pain claim.The FDA's position on rules is also worth knowing: a product intended to affect the structure or function of the body, or to treat disease, is a drug (or possibly both a cosmetic and a drug), even if it affects appearance. [1] So a lotion sold with a treatment claim is not simply a cosmetic.
Edibles
Gummies and other edibles are CBD products eaten like food. In a 2025 laboratory analysis of 56 CBD gummy products, 70% had a CBD concentration that differed by more than 10% from the labeled amount. [7] In the same study 39% contained THC, and gummies from the same bottle varied. [7] For a product marketed as CBD, NIDA says some have been found to contain THC. [2]Edibles also matter for children. NIDA calls children eating cannabis edibles, such as gummies, a growing health concern. [2]
Reading a label: what it can and cannot tell you
Labels can show a front-of-pack number, a "full spectrum", "broad spectrum" or "isolate" claim, and a batch code. Research suggests treating each as a claim to check, not a fact:| Label item | What the research found |
|---|---|
| CBD amount | 74% of 202 products deviated from labeled potency by at least 10% [5] |
| "Full spectrum", "broad spectrum", "isolate" | 26% did not meet the definition for the product type claimed [5] |
| "No THC" or "THC free" | Some products marketed as CBD have been found to contain THC [2] |
| Contaminants | Heavy metals, residual solvents and pesticides were found in some products [5] |
| Health claims | The FDA has warned a company about unsubstantiated claims for conditions such as autism, ADHD, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease [1] |
The study sampled products on sale in the US at one time. It does not describe every brand, and we name none. A batch lab report can help; see certificates of analysis.
Hemp-derived intoxicating products
Some "hemp" products are not CBD at all. The FDA says delta-8 THC products have not been evaluated or approved for safe use in any context, and delta-8 THC has psychoactive and intoxicating effects similar to delta-9 THC. [8] Of 2,362 poison center exposure cases between January 2021 and February 2022, 40% were unintentional, and 82% of those unintentional exposures affected children. [8]Safety to know before any CBD product
The FDA says CBD can cause liver injury and can affect how other drugs you take work. [3] Using CBD with alcohol or other drugs that slow brain activity raises the risk of sedation and drowsiness. [3] Side effects NIDA lists include drowsiness, decreased appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. [2] The effect of CBD on the developing brain and on a fetus or breastfed baby is unknown. [3]See CBD (cannabidiol), cannabis and CBD medicine interactions and how supplements are regulated. Laws differ by country and change; this is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does CBD oil have a standard strength?
There is no single standard we could verify. In a 2024 US sample, 74% of CBD products deviated from the labeled potency by at least 10%. [5]
Are CBD gummies safe for children?
We found no evidence on CBD gummies for children, and NIDA calls children eating cannabis edibles a growing health concern. [2] If a child may have eaten one, seek medical help at once. [1]
Can CBD products contain THC?
Yes, some have. NIDA reports products marketed as CBD found to contain THC. [2] In a gummy study, 39% contained THC. [7]
Do CBD creams work for pain?
Proper evidence is limited: a review found only eight small trials of skin-applied CBD, mostly at high risk of bias. [6]
Is delta-8 THC the same as CBD?
No. The FDA describes delta-8 THC as an intoxicating substance not evaluated or approved for safe use. [8]
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD) (page current as of 16 July 2024). Read 2026-10-22.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Cannabis (Marijuana) (page dated September 2024). Read 2026-10-22.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, What You Need to Know (And What We’re Working to Find Out) About Products Containing Cannabis or Cannabis-derived Compounds, Including CBD (consumer update, content current as of 5 March 2020). Read 2026-10-22.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know (last updated November 2019, so newer trials are not covered). Read 2026-10-22.
- Product labeling accuracy and contamination analysis of commercially available cannabidiol product samples. Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
- Systematic Review on Transdermal/Topical Cannabidiol Trials: A Reconsidered Way Forward. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 2023. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
- Cannabidiol Gummy Products: LC-MS/MS Assessment of Cannabinoid Concentrations. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 2025. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 5 Things to Know about Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-8 THC) (consumer update, content current as of 4 May 2022). Read 2026-10-22.