Cannabis & Cannabinoids · Cannabinoids · Acid form of CBD; research is mostly lab and animal work

CBDA (Cannabidiolic Acid)

2,4-dihydroxy-3-[(1R,6R)-3-methyl-6-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-6-pentylbenzoic acid (C22H30O4; PubChem CID 160570) · also called CBDA, cannabidiolic acid; the acid precursor of CBD and an isomer of THCA

CBDA is the raw acid form of CBD, made by the cannabis plant. Heat turns it into CBD. There is no approved CBDA medicine. Research is mostly in cells, mice and rats, with a few small human studies of mixed products, and shop products may not match their labels.

General information, not medical advice. Last substantive update October 25, 2026 · Not medically reviewed. A named clinician has not signed off on this page. How this page is made

About CBDA (Cannabidiolic Acid)

CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) is the acid form of CBD, made by the cannabis plant, and it turns into CBD with heat. There is no approved CBDA medicine. Human research is two small studies of mixed products; almost everything else is animal or lab work, and many shop products do not match their labels.

What CBDA is, and how it relates to CBD

CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) is a compound made by the cannabis plant. Its formula is C22H30O4. The plant first makes CBGA, then an enzyme called CBDA synthase turns CBGA into CBDA. Reviews call CBDA the main cannabinoid in fibre and seed-oil hemp. When CBDA loses a carbon dioxide unit with heat, light, air or time, it becomes CBD (cannabidiol).

CBDA is an isomer of THCA: it has the same atoms arranged differently. CBDA is not CBD, and results for CBD, including the approved prescription medicine, do not carry over to CBDA.

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What the human studies show

No trial has tested CBDA on its own in people. One double-blind study gave 15 healthy adults a hemp softgel with about equal CBD and CBDA plus a little THC and THCA. At the higher amounts people reported mild to moderate drug effects, the highest amount impaired working memory and caused several side effects, and CBDA reached far higher blood levels than CBD. That study cannot say what CBDA itself does.

A 12-week real-world study compared three cannabinoid capsules in people with chronic pain and found improvements in all groups, but it had no placebo group, so it does not show that any product worked. Blood measurements in patients and healthy adults show that CBDA is absorbed and varies widely between people.

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Animal and laboratory research is not human evidence

Most of what is known about CBDA comes from rats, mice and cells. Very small amounts reduced nausea-like behaviour in rats and vomiting in shrews. CBDA blocked the COX-2 enzyme in a test tube, protected mice in one ALS model, and raised a seizure threshold in a mouse model. Other animal results were mixed or showed no effect, and one group concluded CBDA has limited effects on mouse behaviour.

Animal results often do not hold up in people, many studies come from one research group, and several used a stabilised extract or a lab-made ester because CBDA is unstable. We label each result as animal or laboratory work for that reason.

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Heat, storage and the label

Cannabinoid acids break down with light, air and heat. Heat changes CBDA into CBD, and in lab tests the change was incomplete under some conditions; at very high heat, total CBD also fell. This is chemistry, not a recipe: nothing here tells readers how to prepare a product.

Because CBDA is unstable, a product's CBDA and CBD content can shift as it ages or is heated. Labels may list only CBD, only CBDA, or the total.

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Shop products and the law

In 80 shop hemp oils, CBDA was found in about half (51%), at up to 12.258 mg/mL, but was mostly not on the label. Only 38% of 29 UK CBD oils were within 10% of their labelled CBD content, and many held THC or CBN.

The US FDA has approved no CBDA medicine and its cannabis Q&A page does not mention CBDA. It says the 2018 Farm Bill hemp definition covers cannabinoids and acids, with not more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis, and that THC and CBD products are excluded from the dietary supplement definition. Rules differ by state and country and were not reviewed here; this is not legal advice.

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What the lab numbers show

Our data holds 261 laboratory measurements of CBDA in cannabis flower for 212 differently named strains. They come from state testing datasets and published papers; we did not test anything ourselves. A strain name is only a label: the same name can have very different chemistry, and these are real results from specific samples.

The biggest group is 232 values from Maryland (144), Nevada (65) and Hawaii (23) flower testing data for 189 strain names, with test dates from 2017 to 2024. Each is the middle (median) result across many samples of that name, listed as percent by weight (the source does not label the unit column by column). They run from 0.0 to 17.92, and 161 of the 232 medians are 0.0 (the source does not say whether a zero means not detected or below the lab's reporting limit). Only five values, for four names, are above 0.09: ACDC (15.205 in Maryland from 154 samples, and 17.92 in Hawaii from only 3 samples), Harlequin (9.35 in Nevada, 3 samples), Cannatonic (9.22 in Hawaii, 6 samples) and Charlotte's Web (3.5 in Hawaii, a single sample). Gelato (362 samples) and Blue Dream (264 samples) have medians of 0.0 in Maryland.

So for most named strains in the state data, CBDA is at or near zero. High values appear for just four names, and for three of them the numbers rest on very few samples. ACDC in Maryland is the one high value backed by many samples.

Papers report CBDA in other ways, so do not compare them with the state medians. One greenhouse study gives 16 values as means of 1 to 8 plants, as percent w/w, from 0.03 to 9.48 (for example Pot of Gold at 9.48 from one plant, and C7 x Thai at 6.12 from one plant). Another source lists 13 names as percent with the weight basis not stated and the number of samples not reported, from 0.1 to 12.6 (for example Warlock CBD at 12.6 and Cannatonic at 7.6).

These numbers describe how much CBDA the flower held when it was tested. They say nothing about how a strain will feel, and nothing about CBDA oils or capsules. Because CBDA turns into CBD with heat, a flower's CBDA number is not the same as the CBD number on a lab report for a heated product.

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At a glance

Traditional uses history, not proof

Cannabis has a long history of use as a whole plant. No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; this page covers only the compound.

Studied for research

Nausea and vomiting (animal research): very low
Anxiety and mood (animal research): insufficient
Seizures (animal and lab research): insufficient
Nerve-cell protection in ALS mice: insufficient
Chronic pain in a no-placebo human study of mixed capsules: insufficient
Inflammation and COX-2 (test-tube and cell work): insufficient
Cancer cells, SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture, fatty liver in rats: insufficient

Main compounds

CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) itself
CBD, formed when CBDA loses carbon dioxide
THCA, its isomer
CBGA, the precursor
CBDA methyl ester (HU-580), a lab-made stable version

Common forms

Hemp oils and extracts that list CBDA (not approved medicines)
Mixed softgels or capsules with CBD, CBDA, THC and THCA (used in trials)
Hemp or cannabis flower, where CBDA is the main cannabinoid in some hemp types
CBDA methyl ester (laboratory-made; research only)

Research links: FDA: cannabis and CBD questions and answers (does not mention CBDA) · PubMed: CBDA, a still overlooked bioactive compound (review, 2020) · PubMed: CBDA prevents vomiting in shrews and nausea in rats (2013) · PubMed: human study of a CBD and CBDA hemp product (2025) · PubMed: Therapeutic potential of acidic cannabinoids (review, 2026) · PubChem: cannabidiolic acid · Research Library · Genes & Biomarkers Library

What it is and its history

Name: Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA)
Chemical name: 2,4-dihydroxy-3-[(1R,6R)-3-methyl-6-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-6-pentylbenzoic acid
Other names: Cannabidiolic acid; CBDA; Cannabidiol Acid; CBDA-C5; Cannabinoid CBDA; 3-p-Mentha-1,8-dien-3-yl-6-pentyl-beta-resorcylic acid; CAS 1244-58-2; PubChem CID 160570
Common names: CBDA (English); Cannabidiolic acid (English)
Formula: C22H30O4
Molecular weight: 358.5
CAS number: 1244-58-2
PubChem ID: 160570
Chemical class: Phytocannabinoid acid (a 22-carbon terpenophenolic carboxylic acid made by the cannabis plant)
How the plant makes it: The plant first makes cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). The enzyme CBDA synthase, a covalently flavinylated oxidase similar to THCA synthase, then turns CBGA into CBDA. CBDA loses a carbon dioxide unit (decarboxylation) with heat, light, air and time, and becomes CBD.
Where it is found: A review calls CBDA the main phytocannabinoid in fibre and seed-oil hemp plants, and another says it is a common constituent of hemp seed oil but is mainly abundant in the aerial parts of the plant. In a Kentucky survey, CBDA was found in 51% of 80 shop hemp oils at up to 12.258 mg/mL. In our flower-testing data most named strains have very little CBDA (see the overview).
Related or similar compounds: Name: CBD (cannabidiol); Note: The neutral form that CBDA becomes when it loses carbon dioxide. A different molecule with its own research; the prescription medicine Epidiolex contains purified CBD, not CBDA.; Name: THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid); Note: A constitutional isomer of CBDA: the same atoms (C22H30O4) arranged differently. It becomes THC, which causes a high, when heated; CBDA becomes CBD, which does not.; Name: CBDA methyl ester (HU-580); Note: A stable laboratory-made version used in animal studies. It is not CBDA and is not sold as CBDA.; Name: CBGA (cannabigerolic acid); Note: The precursor from which the plant makes CBDA, THCA and other acids.

Traditional use and history history, not clinical proof

Tradition or era	Documented use	Source
2007	Researchers cloned CBDA synthase, the enzyme that makes CBDA from CBGA in fibre-type cannabis.	p17544411
2008	A laboratory study reported that CBDA selectively inhibits the COX-2 enzyme in a test tube.	p18556441
2013	A research team reported that CBDA reduced vomiting in shrews and nausea-like behaviour in rats.	p23121618
2018	A stable synthetic methyl ester of CBDA (HU-580) was reported to be more potent than CBDA in rat nausea and anxiety tests.	p29057454
2020	A review described CBDA as "still overlooked", masked for years by interest in CBD.	p32517131
2025	A double-blind human laboratory study measured blood levels and effects of a mixed hemp product with about equal CBD and CBDA.	p40040421
Traditional use	No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read. Claims about the date CBDA was first isolated were not verified here and are not made.

History shows how a substance was used or discovered. It does not show that a product works or is safe today.

What is inside, and how it may work

What it contains and how those compounds act in cells and animals. Laboratory and animal mechanisms are not proven effects in people.

Main compounds

Compound	Family	Where it is concentrated	Activity studied	Level of evidence
Cannabidiol (CBD) PubChem 644019	Phytocannabinoid	Not read in the sources Not read	The neutral form made when CBDA loses carbon dioxide. A heating study found conversion from CBDA was rapid at vaping-range heat yet total CBD still fell, and in forensic-lab heating conversion was incomplete under some conditions (up to 71% with an added chemical). ^{52 8 9 54}	Laboratory research
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) PubChem 3082459	Phytocannabinoid acid	Not read in the sources Not read	A constitutional isomer of CBDA. THCA was a far weaker COX-2 inhibitor than CBDA (IC50 above 100 micromolar). In rat nausea tests, combined very low amounts of CBDA and THCA suppressed gaping through 5-HT1A and PPAR-alpha. ^{49 41 55 14}	Animal research
Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) PubChem 6449999	Phytocannabinoid acid	Not read in the sources Not read	The precursor from which CBDA synthase makes CBDA. ^{51 55}	Laboratory
CBDA methyl ester (HU-580) PubChem 11132454	Synthetic derivative	Not applicable	A stable laboratory-made analogue. It was more potent than CBDA in rat nausea and anxiety tests and more active and stable than CBDA against SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture. The CID was matched by name through PubChem on 2026-10-25. ^{33 50 42}	Animal research
Other cannabinoid acids in hemp products (THCA, CBGA, CBCA)	Phytocannabinoid acids	Not read Not read	A review groups THCA, CBDA, CBGA and CBCA as the acid precursors of the neutral cannabinoids and says acid cannabinoids show distinct activities, mostly in animals and cells. ^{46 36}	Review

Mechanisms, receptors and pathways

Target or pathway	Gene or receptor	What was found	Level
Serotonin 1A receptor	5-HT1A (HTR1A)	In rat brainstem tissue and human receptors in cell membranes, CBDA increased the maximal response to a 5-HT1A activator. In rats, the anti-nausea effect was blocked by a 5-HT1A blocker (WAY100635) but not by a CB1 blocker. The effect was kept with repeated doses. ^{6 33 40}	Animal research
Cyclooxygenase-2 (inflammation enzyme)	COX-2 (PTGS2)	CBDA selectively inhibited COX-2 (IC50 about 2 micromolar; about 9-fold more selective than for COX-1) in a test tube, and the carboxylic acid group was key. In breast-cancer cells it lowered COX-2 expression via PPAR beta/delta signalling. ^{49 20}	Laboratory research
PPAR receptors	PPAR beta/delta (PPARD), PPAR gamma (PPARG)	CBDA inhibited PPAR beta/delta-driven transcription in breast-cancer cells. In mice, repeated CBDA lowered PPAR gamma and raised IL-6 in the prefrontal cortex. A review lists PPAR gamma among targets of acid cannabinoids. ^{20 2 46}	Laboratory research
TRPV1 channel	TRPV1	In rats, the pain-reducing effect of oral CBDA was blocked by a TRPV1 antagonist (AMG9810). ³⁹	Animal research
Voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.2	NaV1.2 (SCN2A)	CBDA reduced currents in human NaV1.2 channels in cells (IC50 1.4 micromolar) and stabilised the inactivated state; a CBDA-rich extract inhibited more strongly. ³⁰	Laboratory research
Endocannabinoid enzymes and uptake	DAGL-alpha, FAAH, anandamide uptake	All cannabinoid acids tested inhibited DAGL-alpha; a CBDA-rich extract inhibited anandamide uptake in cells; pure CBD, not CBDA, inhibited FAAH. ¹²	Laboratory research
Cannabinoid receptor CB1	CB1 (CNR1)	The anti-nausea effect of CBDA in rats was not blocked by a CB1 blocker, which suggests it does not work mainly through CB1. CBDA did not impair movement in rats. ^{6 7}	Animal research

Absorption, metabolism and elimination

Absorption: In 15 healthy adults taking a mixed softgel, peak blood CBDA (Cmax) was 19 to 25 times higher than for CBD, and appeared up to 2 times sooner, at all three amounts. In mice, plasma CBDA was about two orders of magnitude higher than CBD after the same dosing; in macaques it was 28.6 to 36.2 times higher. Absorption differed by preparation: CBDA absorption was higher after a cannabis decoction than an oil in 13 healthy adults, with large differences between people.
Distribution: In mice injected with CBDA, brain-to-plasma ratios were 0.04 or less in a first vehicle but 1.9 when CBDA was given in a Tween 80-based vehicle, so how it is delivered changes how much reaches the brain. A review says brain penetration is a challenge for this class.
Metabolism: In dog liver preparations, CBDA was cleared mainly by UGT enzymes (not CYP enzymes); human metabolism was not described in the abstracts read. In the human mixed-product study, metabolites of CBD and THC were also measured.
Elimination: In mice, cannabinoid acids had short half-lives (under 4 hours) after injection. In the human study, CBD, CBDA, THC and THCA and some metabolites were often still detectable 48 hours after dosing.
Bioavailability: No percentage was reported in the abstracts read. In patients using medical cannabis, women had higher plasma CBDA and CBD than men. A review says pharmacokinetic parameters of CBDA and the other non-psychotropic cannabinoids are highly variable and that clinical studies are the biggest gap.

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Isolated compounds versus whole extracts

"CBDA" on a shop label can mean a CBDA-rich hemp extract (usually with CBD and other cannabinoids), a mixed full-spectrum product with THC and THCA, or a stabilised preparation. The human studies used a mixed softgel with about equal CBD and CBDA, and capsules mixing CBDA with other cannabinoids. In cell and rat work, CBDA-rich extracts sometimes did better than purified CBDA (stronger NaV1.2 block; better protection than Mg-CBDA in a rat seizure test; better growth inhibition in one colorectal cell line), and CBD sometimes did better than CBDA (cell killing in colorectal cell lines; fear memory and methamphetamine sensitisation). Results from a pure compound therefore do not carry over to an extract, or the other way round.

Nutritional composition

CBDA is not a nutrient and has no nutritional claim. It is present in hemp seed oil and hemp leaves (13 commercial hemp seed oils were measured in one study, in which CBDA was the most abundant cannabinoid acid), but that does not make hemp products a source of benefit.

12benefits and uses looked at

58studies and sources checked

Very low certaintybest evidence rating found

18lab markers tracked in trials

2 very low certainty10 not enough evidence

What was looked at

The 12 benefits and uses checked for CBDA (Cannabidiolic Acid), each with how strong the evidence is. Tap one to open it.

Nausea and vomiting (animal research)Very low certainty
Anxiety and low mood (animal research)Not enough evidence
Seizures (animal and laboratory research)Not enough evidence
Nerve-cell protection in an ALS mouse model (animal research)Not enough evidence
Methamphetamine and cocaine models (animal research, no effect found)Not enough evidence
How a CBD and CBDA product feels in healthy adults (human laboratory study)Very low certainty
Chronic pain: a real-world study of capsules containing CBDA (human, no placebo)Not enough evidence
Pain sensitivity and inflammatory pain (animal research)Not enough evidence
COX-2 and inflammatory signals (test tube and cells)Not enough evidence
Cancer cell lines (laboratory research)Not enough evidence
Activity against SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture (laboratory research)Not enough evidence
Fatty liver in rats (animal research)Not enough evidence

Lab markers tracked in the studies

Nausea-like gaping (rats)Vomiting episodes (house musk shrews)5-HT1A receptor activationTime in the light compartment (anxiety-like test, rats)Seizure temperature threshold (mice)NaV1.2 sodium channel current (cells)Seizure frequency (dogs)Motor performance and motor neuron survival (ALS mice)Methamphetamine-driven hyperactivity (rats)Subjective drug effects and working memory (healthy adults)Peak blood level (Cmax) of CBDA versus CBDSelf-rated pain and function questionnairesPaw pain sensitivity and swelling (rats)COX-2 enzyme activityInflammatory mediators released by skin cellsColorectal cancer cell viability and gene expressionNeutralisation of SARS-CoV-2 in cellsLiver fat-transporter expression (rats)

What is CBDA (Cannabidiolic Acid) good for?

The uses people ask about and how strong the evidence is for each. None is an approved use. Most rows are animal or lab research and say so.

Benefits, one by one

Each card is a research question, not a promise. Tap a goal to filter. Open a card to see the studies, doses and limits.

Nausea and vomiting (animal research)

Very low certainty

In rats and shrews, very small amounts of CBDA reduced nausea-like behaviour and vomiting, mostly through the serotonin 1A receptor. The work comes mainly from one research group and has not been tested in people.

8 studiesCBDA by injection (most studies) or by stomach tube (one study); CBDA…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found. A review of the laboratory work calls for clinical trials.

Results

In shrews, CBDA 0.1 and/or 0.5 mg/kg by injection reduced vomiting caused by toxins and motion. In rats, 0.01 to 0.1 mg/kg reduced nausea-like gaping, and a repeat-dose study (7 days, and 4 weekly trials) found the effect was kept. By mouth, CBDA worked in rats at low amounts but less well than by injection. Very small amounts of CBDA with THC or THCA were also effective.

Effect sizes as reported

No human effect sizes. The authors say CBDA was more potent than CBD in these models.

Why this rating

Several consistent animal studies, mostly from one group, using injected amounts in rats and shrews. No human trial. Animal results often do not carry over to people.

Form and dose studied

CBDA by injection (most studies) or by stomach tube (one study); CBDA methyl ester used as a more stable test version. Animal amounts only; no amounts are advised here.

Who was studied

Male rats and house musk shrews (a female-and-male comparison was made only for CBD).

Limits

Animals, injected amounts, short follow-up, no human data. CBDA is chemically unstable, and the stable methyl ester is not CBDA.

Why researchers looked

Chemotherapy nausea, especially nausea that starts before treatment, is hard to treat. CBD helped in animal models, so researchers tested its acid form, CBDA.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Preliminary mechanism

In rats, the nausea-like effect was blocked by a 5-HT1A receptor blocker but not a CB1 blocker. In cell membranes CBDA increased the maximal response of the 5-HT1A receptor. This has not been shown in people.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

There is no human safety data for CBDA on its own. Products that contain CBDA usually also contain CBD and sometimes THC, and their risks apply. See the Safety tab. Shop products may not match their labels.

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Anxiety and low mood (animal research)

Not enough evidence

In mice and rats, CBDA changed anxiety-like behaviour in some tests and not others, and one mouse study concluded that its effects were limited. No human study tested it for anxiety or mood.

5 studiesCBDA by injection or by mouth in animals; animal amounts only; none a…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found.

Results

In mice after a trauma-like fear conditioning, CBDA (not CBD) normalised generalised anxiety-like behaviour, while CBD (not CBDA) reduced cued fear expression. In rats, CBDA 5 mg/kg by mouth reversed a feeding delay caused by a 5-HT1A blocker but had no effect in the light/dark box or novel open field. In one rat model CBDA did not reduce anxiety-like behaviour, though its ester did. In male mice, 10 days of CBDA reduced despair-like behaviour in the tail suspension test but not other behaviour tests; the authors conclude CBDA has limited effects on behaviour.

Effect sizes as reported

No effect sizes in the abstracts.

Why this rating

Mixed animal results across different tests, no human study.

Form and dose studied

CBDA by injection or by mouth in animals; animal amounts only; none advised here.

Who was studied

Male mice and rats.

Limits

Mixed and partly negative animal results, short studies, no human data.

Why researchers looked

CBD has anti-anxiety effects in animals and 5-HT1A receptors are involved in anxiety, so CBDA was tested in anxiety models.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Preliminary mechanism

CBDA enhanced 5-HT1A receptor activation in cell and rat work, but in one rat study the anxiety-like benefit was seen with its stable ester and not with CBDA itself.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

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Seizures (animal and laboratory research)

Not enough evidence

In a mouse model of Dravet syndrome and in rats, CBDA reduced seizure measures, and in cells it blocked a sodium channel linked to epilepsy. A small dog trial of a mixed CBD and CBDA extract lowered seizure counts. There is no human trial of CBDA for seizures; the only approved cannabis seizure medicine contains purified CBD.

5 studiesCBDA by injection (mouse, rat); mixed CBD and CBDA hemp extract by mo…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found. The approved medicine Epidiolex contains purified CBD, not CBDA, so its results do not apply to CBDA.

Results

CBDA raised the temperature at which Dravet-model mice had a generalised seizure, but only when given in a Tween 80-based vehicle (brain-to-plasma ratio 1.9 versus 0.04 or less in the first vehicle). In rats in an electroshock test, CBDA-rich extracts protected dose-dependently, no better than CBD. In 14 dogs with refractory epilepsy taking other drugs, a CBD and CBDA-rich hemp extract cut mean seizures from 8.0 to 5.0 over 12 weeks versus placebo, and 6 of 14 dogs had at least a 50% drop versus 0 on placebo; the study was funded by a hemp-product company and cannot be credited to CBDA alone.

Effect sizes as reported

No human effect sizes.

Why this rating

Mouse, rat, cell and dog results only; one animal result depended on the vehicle used; the dog trial used a mixed product and is company-linked.

Form and dose studied

CBDA by injection (mouse, rat); mixed CBD and CBDA hemp extract by mouth (dogs); cell concentrations. Animal amounts only; none advised here.

Who was studied

Mice, rats, dogs and human cells.

Limits

No human data; high injected amounts in the rat test; CBDA is chemically unstable.

Why researchers looked

CBD is an approved treatment for some childhood epilepsies, so its acid form was tested in seizure models.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Laboratory research

CBDA reduced currents in human NaV1.2 sodium channels in cells (IC50 about 1.4 micromolar); a CBDA-rich extract did so more strongly. This is a cell result.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

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Nerve-cell protection in an ALS mouse model (animal research)

Not enough evidence

In mice bred to develop an ALS-like disease, CBDA gave better movement and fewer lost nerve cells than the other cannabinoids tested. Higher amounts were toxic. There is no human study.

2 studiesCBDA by injection in mice; animal amounts only.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found.

Results

At 10 mg/kg, CBDA improved motor coordination (rotarod test) and preserved motor neurons; lower amounts were less effective and higher amounts caused toxicity. It was better than riluzole on some measures but not on rotarod performance. Mixing CBD with riluzole did not help.

Effect sizes as reported

No effect sizes in the abstract.

Why this rating

One mouse study from one group; one author works for and owns shares in a pharmaceutical company; no human data.

Form and dose studied

CBDA by injection in mice; animal amounts only.

Who was studied

Male transgenic mice.

Limits

Mice only, injected amounts, toxicity at higher amounts, no human data.

Why researchers looked

Several cannabinoids protected nerve cells in ALS models, but CBDA had not been tested.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Animal research

CBDA reduced spinal cord inflammation and shifted microglia (immune cells) from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory type in the mice and in lab-grown cells.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

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Methamphetamine and cocaine models (animal research, no effect found)

Not enough evidence

CBDA did not reduce methamphetamine-driven hyperactivity in rats, where CBD did, and did not change cocaine reward in mice. These are negative results.

2 studiesCBDA by injection in animals; animal amounts only.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found.

Results

In 86 rats, CBD (40 and 80 mg/kg) reduced methamphetamine sensitisation, but no CBDA amount (0.1 to 1000 microgram/kg) had any effect. In mice, CBDA did not change cocaine-induced reward in a place-preference test.

Effect sizes as reported

No effect.

Why this rating

Two animal studies with no effect; says nothing about people.

Form and dose studied

CBDA by injection in animals; animal amounts only.

Who was studied

Male rats and mice.

Limits

Animals only; one model each.

Why researchers looked

CBD reduced drug-seeking in animals, so CBDA was tried in the same models.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Preliminary mechanism

No effect was found, so no mechanism was shown.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

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How a CBD and CBDA product feels in healthy adults (human laboratory study)

Very low certainty

One small controlled study gave healthy adults a hemp softgel with about equal amounts of CBD and CBDA, plus a little THC and THCA. The higher amounts produced mild to moderate drug effects, worse working memory and some side effects. CBDA blood levels were much higher than CBD levels. The effects cannot be credited to CBDA alone.

1 studiesOral hemp-derived softgels with about 1:1 CBD to CBDA and THC to THCA…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

One double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject study in 15 healthy adults (four sessions, a week or more apart).

Results

Little difference from placebo at the lowest amount. At the two higher amounts (2 and 4 mg/kg total cannabinoids) people reported small to moderate increases in drug effects, including items such as "like" (a sign of possible abuse liability), and the highest amount impaired working memory and caused several adverse events despite a mean THC amount of only 7.2 mg. Effects peaked 3 to 5 hours after dosing and had gone by 8 hours.

Effect sizes as reported

No numbers in the abstract for adverse events; blood levels (Cmax) of CBDA were 19 to 25 times those of CBD.

Why this rating

A single small study of a mixed, patented product; the CBDA contribution is unknown and the abstract gives no numbers for side effects.

Form and dose studied

Oral hemp-derived softgels with about 1:1 CBD to CBDA and THC to THCA (study amounts, not advice).

Who was studied

15 healthy adults.

Limits

Mixed product, healthy adults, one day of testing per amount, no long-term data, no separate CBDA arm.

Why researchers looked

Hemp products with both CBD and CBDA are sold, so researchers measured what a typical mixed product does in people.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Pharmacological theory

Not studied in this trial; the study measured blood levels and effects, not a mechanism.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

The highest amount caused several adverse events and impaired working memory, even with little THC. See the Safety tab.

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Chronic pain: a real-world study of capsules containing CBDA (human, no placebo)

Not enough evidence

In a 12-week study of people with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis or knee/hip arthritis, capsules that included CBDA were followed by lower self-rated pain and better function. Because there was no placebo group, this does not show that CBDA helped.

1 studiesOral capsules of cannabinoid mixtures (study amounts, not advice).

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

One 12-week study of 276 people recruited (168 finished all questionnaires), randomly assigned to one of three oral products. There was no placebo group.

Results

The three products were: 12.5 mg CBD plus 12.5 mg THC; 10 mg THCA, 10 mg CBDA, 5 mg CBG and 3 mg CBC; and 10 mg CBD plus 10 mg CBDA. In per-protocol analyses, all symptoms except cognitive function improved, and most improvements did not differ between products. Those taking the THCA/CBDA/CBG/CBC product reported reductions in neuropathic pain intensity, and products differed for sleep disturbance.

Effect sizes as reported

Small to large improvements over time; no numbers in the abstract; no comparison with placebo.

Why this rating

Self-reported, no placebo group, 39% did not finish all questionnaires, and the products were mixtures, so the effect of CBDA cannot be isolated. Improvement over 12 weeks happens without any active treatment.

Form and dose studied

Oral capsules of cannabinoid mixtures (study amounts, not advice).

Who was studied

Adults in California with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis or knee/hip osteoarthritis.

Limits

No placebo, self-report, drop-outs, mixtures.

Why researchers looked

People use CBDA-containing products for pain; researchers compared three cannabinoid mixtures in the real world.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Pharmacological theory

Not tested in this study.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

²⁵

Pain sensitivity and inflammatory pain (animal research)

Not enough evidence

In rats and mice, CBDA lowered heat-pain sensitivity and, when given before the trigger, reduced pain and swelling from an inflamed paw. In another mouse study the effects were limited.

3 studiesCBDA by injection or by mouth in animals; animal amounts only; none a…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal or laboratory research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found.

Results

In rats with carrageenan paw inflammation, CBDA given 60 minutes before (not after) the trigger gave dose-dependent reductions in pain sensitivity and swelling, and an equal low amount of CBD did not. In male mice, chronic low-amount CBDA reduced thermal pain sensitivity, including in a Rett syndrome model; acute CBDA gave antinociceptive responses in a hot-plate test, but the other behaviour tests were unchanged and the authors call its effects limited.

Effect sizes as reported

No effect sizes in the abstracts.

Why this rating

Three animal studies from three groups with partly mixed results; the rat effect needed pre-treatment.

Form and dose studied

CBDA by injection or by mouth in animals; animal amounts only; none advised here.

Who was studied

Rats and male mice (one Rett model).

Limits

Animals only; a short-term inflammation model; no human data.

Why researchers looked

Cannabinoid acids may inhibit inflammation, so CBDA was tested in pain models.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Animal research

In the rat paw model, the pain effect of CBDA was blocked by a TRPV1 antagonist. Separately, CBDA selectively inhibits COX-2 in a test tube (see the next entry).

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

^{39 58 2}

COX-2 and inflammatory signals (test tube and cells)

Not enough evidence

In test-tube and cell experiments, CBDA blocked the COX-2 enzyme more than COX-1 and lowered several inflammatory signals in skin and cancer-cell lines. These are lab findings and do not show an anti-inflammatory effect in people.

4 studiesPure CBDA and CBDA-rich extracts in cell and enzyme assays.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal or laboratory research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found.

Results

In enzyme tests, a CBDA-rich cannabis extract also selectively inhibited COX-2. In HaCaT skin cells, up to 10 micromolar CBDA did not reduce viability and lowered IFN-gamma, CXCL8, CXCL10, CCL2, CCL4 and CCL5; it also showed antibacterial and anti-biofilm effects in the lab. In a panel of cell and enzyme tests, all the cannabinoid acids inhibited the enzyme DAGL-alpha, and an extract rich in CBDA inhibited anandamide uptake in cells.

Effect sizes as reported

IC50 about 2 micromolar for COX-2; no human data.

Why this rating

Cell and enzyme studies only; test-tube concentrations may not be reached in the body.

Form and dose studied

Pure CBDA and CBDA-rich extracts in cell and enzyme assays.

Who was studied

Human cell lines, enzymes and bacteria.

Limits

Laboratory work; CBDA is chemically unstable; no animals or people in these studies.

Why researchers looked

COX-2 is the target of many anti-inflammatory drugs. CBDA has a salicylic-acid-like part, so scientists checked whether it blocks COX enzymes.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Laboratory research

CBDA inhibited COX-2 with an IC50 of about 2 micromolar, about 9 times more selective than for COX-1; THCA was far weaker. In breast-cancer cells it lowered COX-2 expression through PPAR beta/delta signalling. In skin cells it lowered release of several inflammatory mediators. CBDA also acts on a few endocannabinoid-system targets in vitro.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

^{49 20 32 12}

Cancer cell lines (laboratory research)

Not enough evidence

In dishes of colorectal and breast cancer cells, CBDA had weak effects, weaker than CBD. This is not a cancer treatment result.

2 studiesCBDA, CBD and a CBDA-rich extract applied to cultured cells.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal or laboratory research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found.

Results

In two colorectal cell lines (HCT116, DLD1), CBD had the strongest cell-killing effect and CBDA minimal toxicity; a CBDA-rich extract inhibited HCT116 growth more than a CBDA/CBD mixture. RNA sequencing showed CBDA had the least effect on gene expression.

Effect sizes as reported

No human data.

Why this rating

Cell lines only; not an indication of any effect in people; one study includes an author who is CEO of a plant R&D company.

Form and dose studied

CBDA, CBD and a CBDA-rich extract applied to cultured cells.

Who was studied

Human cancer cell lines.

Limits

Laboratory work only.

Why researchers looked

Cannabinoids are often tested on cancer cell lines, and COX-2 plays a role in some cancers.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Laboratory research

In breast cancer cells CBDA lowered COX-2 signalling via PPAR beta/delta. In colorectal lines it changed gene expression only slightly.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

^{19 20}

Activity against SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture (laboratory research)

Not enough evidence

In cell culture, CBDA was the most active of the plant cannabinoids tested against several SARS-CoV-2 variants, and its more stable synthetic ester was more active still. This is not evidence that CBDA prevents or treats COVID-19.

1 studiesPurified CBDA and its methyl ester in cell culture.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal or laboratory research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found.

Results

CBDA neutralised the tested variants in cell culture; the methyl ester was more active and more stable in the lab.

Effect sizes as reported

No numbers in the abstract.

Why this rating

A single cell-culture study; no animals or people.

Form and dose studied

Purified CBDA and its methyl ester in cell culture.

Who was studied

Virus and cell cultures.

Limits

Laboratory only; CBDA is unstable.

Why researchers looked

CBDA was screened with other hemp cannabinoids for antiviral action.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Laboratory research

Computer docking suggested CBDA and its ester can interact with the virus spike protein; this was not tested in animals or people.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

⁵⁰

Fatty liver in rats (animal research)

Not enough evidence

In rats fed a high-fat diet, two weeks of CBDA lowered markers of fat uptake in the liver. This is early animal work.

1 studiesCBDA by stomach tube in rats; animal amount only.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Animal or laboratory research only; no human trial of CBDA alone was found.

Results

At 0.1 mg/kg by stomach tube for the last 14 days of an 8-week high-fat diet, CBDA lowered the three transporters and some liver fat fractions, and changed the fatty acid mix toward more omega-3 in some fractions.

Effect sizes as reported

No numbers in the abstract.

Why this rating

One short rat study; the authors' conclusion about MASLD therapy is a suggestion for rats.

Form and dose studied

CBDA by stomach tube in rats; animal amount only.

Who was studied

Male Wistar rats.

Limits

Rats only, short study.

Why researchers looked

Fatty liver disease has few treatments, so the effect of CBDA on liver fat handling was tested in a rat model.

Traditional use

No traditional use of isolated CBDA is described in the sources read; cannabis has a long history as a whole plant, which this page does not cover.

Proposed mechanism Animal research

CBDA lowered the fatty-acid transporters CD36, FABPpm and FATP5 in the liver.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

²⁶

Connections to the rest of health

How CBDA (Cannabidiolic Acid) connects to the rest of our health knowledge graph. Every link says what kind of connection it is. A safety link (for example to the liver) is a warning, not a benefit. A study that merely mentions a topic never creates a benefit link.

Explore every connection: goals, body systems, organs, symptoms, genes

Kind of connection Connected to Search

A. Wellness goals

Connected to	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Gut And Digestive Health	Very low certainty	Nausea and vomiting (animal research): In rats and shrews, very small amounts of CBDA reduced nausea-like behaviour and vomiting, mostly through the serotonin 1A receptor. The work comes mainly from one research group and has not been tested in people.	^{6 40 33 7 37 38 41 42}
Anxiety	Not enough evidence	Anxiety and low mood (animal research): In mice and rats, CBDA changed anxiety-like behaviour in some tests and not others, and one mouse study concluded that its effects were limited. No human study tested it for anxiety or mood.	^{4 33 7 2 36}
Mental Wellbeing	Not enough evidence	Anxiety and low mood (animal research): In mice and rats, CBDA changed anxiety-like behaviour in some tests and not others, and one mouse study concluded that its effects were limited. No human study tested it for anxiety or mood.	^{4 33 7 2 36}
Brain Health	Not enough evidence	Seizures (animal and laboratory research): In a mouse model of Dravet syndrome and in rats, CBDA reduced seizure measures, and in cells it blocked a sodium channel linked to epilepsy. A small dog trial of a mixed CBD and CBDA extract lowered seizure counts. There is no human trial of CBDA for seizures; the only approved cannabis seizure medicine contains purified CBD. Nerve-cell protection in an ALS mouse model (animal research): In mice bred to develop an ALS-like disease, CBDA gave better movement and fewer lost nerve cells than the other cannabinoids tested. Higher amounts were toxic. There is no human study.	^{3 17 30 15 36 16}
Mental Wellbeing	Not enough evidence	Methamphetamine and cocaine models (animal research, no effect found): CBDA did not reduce methamphetamine-driven hyperactivity in rats, where CBD did, and did not change cocaine reward in mice. These are negative results.	^{57 2}
Focus And Memory	Very low certainty	How a CBD and CBDA product feels in healthy adults (human laboratory study): One small controlled study gave healthy adults a hemp softgel with about equal amounts of CBD and CBDA, plus a little THC and THCA. The higher amounts produced mild to moderate drug effects, worse working memory and some side effects. CBDA blood levels were much higher than CBD levels. The effects cannot be credited to CBDA alone.	¹³
Pain Relief	Not enough evidence	Chronic pain: a real-world study of capsules containing CBDA (human, no placebo): In a 12-week study of people with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis or knee/hip arthritis, capsules that included CBDA were followed by lower self-rated pain and better function. Because there was no placebo group, this does not show that CBDA helped.	²⁵
Joint Health	Not enough evidence	Chronic pain: a real-world study of capsules containing CBDA (human, no placebo): In a 12-week study of people with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis or knee/hip arthritis, capsules that included CBDA were followed by lower self-rated pain and better function. Because there was no placebo group, this does not show that CBDA helped.	²⁵
Pain Relief	Not enough evidence	Pain sensitivity and inflammatory pain (animal research): In rats and mice, CBDA lowered heat-pain sensitivity and, when given before the trigger, reduced pain and swelling from an inflamed paw. In another mouse study the effects were limited.	^{39 58 2}
Joint Health	Not enough evidence	COX-2 and inflammatory signals (test tube and cells): In test-tube and cell experiments, CBDA blocked the COX-2 enzyme more than COX-1 and lowered several inflammatory signals in skin and cancer-cell lines. These are lab findings and do not show an anti-inflammatory effect in people.	^{49 20 32 12}
Immune Wellness	Not enough evidence	Cancer cell lines (laboratory research): In dishes of colorectal and breast cancer cells, CBDA had weak effects, weaker than CBD. This is not a cancer treatment result. Activity against SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture (laboratory research): In cell culture, CBDA was the most active of the plant cannabinoids tested against several SARS-CoV-2 variants, and its more stable synthetic ester was more active still. This is not evidence that CBDA prevents or treats COVID-19.	^{19 20 50}
Metabolic Health	Not enough evidence	Fatty liver in rats (animal research): In rats fed a high-fat diet, two weeks of CBDA lowered markers of fat uptake in the liver. This is early animal work.	²⁶

B. Body systems

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Digestive System	Biological association	Very low certainty	Studied for: Nausea and vomiting (animal research) Studied for: Fatty liver in rats (animal research)	^{6 40 33 7 37 38 41 42 26}
Nervous System	Biological association	Very low certainty	Studied for: Nausea and vomiting (animal research) Studied for: Anxiety and low mood (animal research)	^{6 40 33 7 37 38 41 42 4 2 36 3 17 30 15 16 57 13 25 39 58}
Stress Mood	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Studied for: Anxiety and low mood (animal research)	^{4 33 7 2 36}
Musculoskeletal System	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Studied for: Chronic pain: a real-world study of capsules containing CBDA (human, no placebo) Studied for: Pain sensitivity and inflammatory pain (animal research)	^{25 39 58 2}
Immune System	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Studied for: COX-2 and inflammatory signals (test tube and cells) Studied for: Cancer cell lines (laboratory research)	^{49 20 32 12 19 50}
Metabolism Weight	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Studied for: Fatty liver in rats (animal research)	²⁶

C. Body parts and organs

Connected to	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Liver	Very low certainty	No human liver data for CBDA. Purified CBD raises liver enzymes in some patients; CBDA/CBD hemp extract caused only a mild alkaline phosphatase rise in dogs. Preparation or compound: CBD-containing products (label data); CBDA in dogs and rats	^{21 15}
Nervous system	Very low certainty	Moderate cognitive impairment and subjective intoxication in healthy adults at the highest amount; effects gone by 8 hours. Preparation or compound: Mixed CBD, CBDA, THC and THCA softgel at the highest amount	¹³
Digestive system	Very low certainty	Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is described in daily long-term cannabis smokers; it is unrelated to CBDA findings in rats and shrews. Preparation or compound: THC-containing cannabis used daily over years	⁴³

I. Biomarkers

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Nausea-like gaping (rats)	Biological association	Very low certainty	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{6 40 38}
Vomiting episodes (house musk shrews)	Biological association	Very low certainty	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	⁶
5-HT1A receptor activation	Biological association	Very low certainty	Measured in trials: increased. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{6 33}
Time in the light compartment (anxiety-like test, rats)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: unchanged. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{33 7}
Seizure temperature threshold (mice)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: increased. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	³
NaV1.2 sodium channel current (cells)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	³⁰
Seizure frequency (dogs)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	¹⁵
Motor performance and motor neuron survival (ALS mice)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: increased. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	¹⁶
Methamphetamine-driven hyperactivity (rats)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: unchanged. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	⁵⁷
Subjective drug effects and working memory (healthy adults)	Biological association	Very low certainty	Measured in trials: increased. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	¹³
Peak blood level (Cmax) of CBDA versus CBD	Biological association	Low certainty	Measured in trials: increased. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{13 22}
Self-rated pain and function questionnaires	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	²⁵
Paw pain sensitivity and swelling (rats)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{39 58}
COX-2 enzyme activity	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	⁴⁹
Inflammatory mediators released by skin cells	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	³²
Colorectal cancer cell viability and gene expression	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: unchanged. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	¹⁹
Neutralisation of SARS-CoV-2 in cells	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: increased. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	⁵⁰
Liver fat-transporter expression (rats)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	²⁶

J. Genes, receptors and enzymes

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
CYP2B11, CYP2D15, UGT enzymes (dog)		In vitro	CBDA inhibited two CYP enzymes and was cleared by UGT enzymes in dog liver preparations; human data are missing. Preparation or compound: CBDA in dog liver tissue	¹¹
HTR1A (5-HT1A receptor)	Preliminary mechanism	Animal	CBDA enhanced 5-HT1A activation in rat and human-receptor assays and the anti-nausea effect depended on it in rats.	^{6 33}
PTGS2 (COX-2)	Preliminary mechanism	In vitro	CBDA selectively inhibited COX-2 in a test tube and lowered its expression in breast-cancer cells.	^{49 20}
SCN2A (NaV1.2 sodium channel)	Preliminary mechanism	In vitro	CBDA reduced NaV1.2 currents in cells; this channel is a target in some epilepsies.	³⁰
TRPV1	Preliminary mechanism	Animal	The oral anti-hyperalgesic effect of CBDA in rats was blocked by a TRPV1 antagonist.	³⁹
PPARD and PPARG	Preliminary mechanism	In vitro	CBDA lowered PPAR beta/delta signalling in cancer cells and lowered PPAR gamma in mouse cortex.	^{20 2}

L. Active compounds

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Cannabidiol (CBD)	Biological association	In vitro	The neutral form made when CBDA loses carbon dioxide. A heating study found conversion from CBDA was rapid at vaping-range heat yet total CBD still fell, and in forensic-lab heating conversion was incomplete under some conditions (up to 71% with an added chemical). Preparation or compound: Not read in the sources	^{52 8 9 54}
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA)	Biological association	Animal	A constitutional isomer of CBDA. THCA was a far weaker COX-2 inhibitor than CBDA (IC50 above 100 micromolar). In rat nausea tests, combined very low amounts of CBDA and THCA suppressed gaping through 5-HT1A and PPAR-alpha. Preparation or compound: Not read in the sources	^{49 41 55 14}
Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA)	Biological association	Laboratory	The precursor from which CBDA synthase makes CBDA. Preparation or compound: Not read in the sources	^{51 55}
CBDA methyl ester (HU-580)	Biological association	Animal	A stable laboratory-made analogue. It was more potent than CBDA in rat nausea and anxiety tests and more active and stable than CBDA against SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture. The CID was matched by name through PubChem on 2026-10-25.	^{33 50 42}
Other cannabinoid acids in hemp products (THCA, CBGA, CBCA)	Biological association	Review	A review groups THCA, CBDA, CBGA and CBCA as the acid precursors of the neutral cannabinoids and says acid cannabinoids show distinct activities, mostly in animals and cells. Preparation or compound: Not read	^{46 36}

Each connection is stored with the ingredient, the connected record, the kind of connection, the evidence status, the supporting studies, the preparation or compound involved, and a review date (last reviewed October 25, 2026).

Evidence at a glance: what changed in 9 lab markers

Tap a number to show only those markers. Counts are markers, not people.

Other9

The evidence

The research centre for CBDA (Cannabidiolic Acid). Every record here was checked against PubMed or the publisher's page; we never list a study we have not verified.

Evidence by outcome

Bars show how many studies we found for each outcome, not how well it works. People are added up across trials only (reviews are not added, to avoid double counting).

How we rate evidence

High certainty

Several well-run trials or reviews agree; further research is unlikely to change the picture much.

Moderate certainty

Good trials point the same way, but some doubt remains.

Low certainty

Small, short or inconsistent trials. The finding could change with better research.

Very low certainty

Very little or very weak human data. Treat as a possibility only.

Mixed findings

Trials or reviews disagree with each other.

Not enough evidence

Not enough human research to say either way.

Evidence against

Good research found no benefit, or found harm.

We take the reviewers' own risk-of-bias and GRADE statements where they exist, and otherwise judge from study size, design, consistency, directness and whether a product matches what is sold. Many publications do not make evidence high. Method note: We searched PubMed and read the abstracts of the studies cited, read the FDA cannabis questions-and-answers page in full, and read the FDA label record for the prescription CBD medicine. Compound identity was checked in PubChem. Lab numbers come from a table of published and state testing data and are not our own testing.

Study library: every study we checked 58

Design Research type Year from Search

Study	Design	People	Product, dose, length	Result
Ajrawat 2024 Medical Cannabis Use and Inflammatory Cytokines and Chemokines Among Adult Chronic Pain Patients Cannabis Cannabinoid Res · PMID 36342776 · DOI	Observational	56 Adult chronic pain patients authorised to use medical cannabis (mostly THC-dominant products)	Their own medical cannabis (dried flower in 53%) Medical cannabis of patients' choice Their own use Single sampling visit	Women had higher plasma levels of CBD, CBDA and THC than men. CBDA was one of the measured compounds but the abstract reports no link between CBDA and any outcome. Higher cannabis doses were related to higher IL-12p40 and IL-6. No CBDA-specific effect reported Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood levels of cannabinoids, 29 cytokines and chemokines, cortisol; self-reported effectiveness Limitations: A small observational snapshot; cannot show cause; the abstract reports no CBDA effect. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare none. Read: abstract
Alegre-Zurano 2020 Behavioural and molecular effects of cannabidiolic acid in mice Life Sci · PMID 32798553 · DOI	Animal research mouse	Male CD1 mice	CBDA by injection 0.001 to 1 mg/kg i.p. (animal amounts) Acute and 10 days · vs Vehicle	Acute CBDA gave pain-blunting responses in the hot-plate test and 10 days of CBDA reduced despair-like behaviour in the tail suspension test. It did not change the other tests, including cocaine reward. Repeated CBDA lowered PPAR-gamma and raised IL-6 in the prefrontal cortex. The authors conclude CBDA has limited effects, supporting skepticism of its therapeutic potential. Limited behavioural effects in mice Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Memory, anxiety, activity, social, pain, depression-like and reward tests; brain inflammatory markers Limitations: Male mice; injections; no human data. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflicts. Read: abstract
Anderson 2019 Pharmacokinetics of Phytocannabinoid Acids and Anticonvulsant Effect of Cannabidiolic Acid in a Mouse Model of Dravet Syndrome J Nat Prod · PMID 31686510 · DOI	Animal research mouse	Mice (Scn1a Dravet syndrome model) and normal mice	CBDA by injection Animal amounts Single doses · vs Vehicle	Cannabinoid acids were rapidly absorbed (peak 15 to 45 min) and cleared quickly (half-lives under 4 h). Brain-to-plasma ratios were very low (0.04 or less) in the first vehicle but 1.9 for CBDA in a Tween 80-based vehicle. In that vehicle CBDA raised the temperature at which Dravet-model mice had a generalised seizure. Raised seizure threshold in a mouse model Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood and brain levels of acids; seizure temperature threshold Limitations: Mice; effect depended on the vehicle used; no human data. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Assareh 2020 Cannabidiol disrupts conditioned fear expression and cannabidiolic acid reduces trauma-induced anxiety-related behaviour in mice Behav Pharmacol · PMID 32483052 · DOI	Animal research mouse	Mice (fear conditioning model)	CBD and CBDA by injection Animal amounts Single doses · vs Vehicle	CBD, but not CBDA, disrupted cued fear memory expression; CBDA, but not CBD, normalised trauma-induced generalised anxiety-related behaviour. Neither affected contextual fear. Different effects of CBD and CBDA in mice Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Expression of conditioned fear and generalised anxiety-like behaviour Limitations: A short report in mice; no human data. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Binova 2025 Unlocking the resorption potential of cannabidiolic acid: A comprehensive in vitro and in vivo bioavailability study Int J Pharm · PMID 40858181 · DOI	Animal research cells and mouse	Caco-2 intestinal cell model and mice	10 cannabinoids including CBDA and CBD, some in nanomicelles Animal amounts Acute · vs CBD	CBDA was absorbed far better than CBD, especially in mice: plasma CBDA was about two orders of magnitude higher than CBD under the same dosing. Much higher plasma CBDA than CBD in mice Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Absorption (bioavailability) Limitations: Cell and mouse work; the abstract does not give human values. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no competing interests. Read: abstract
Bolognini 2013 Cannabidiolic acid prevents vomiting in Suncus murinus and nausea-induced behaviour in rats by enhancing 5-HT1A receptor activation Br J Pharmacol · PMID 23121618 · DOI	Animal research rat and shrew	Rats and house musk shrews (Suncus murinus); rat brainstem and mouse brain tissue	CBDA by injection (intraperitoneal) 0.01 to 0.5 mg/kg i.p. (animal amounts) Single doses · vs Vehicle; CBD comparison; receptor blockers	CBDA 0.1 and/or 0.5 mg/kg reduced toxin- and motion-induced vomiting in shrews. In rats 0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg suppressed gaping (a nausea-like behaviour), blocked by a 5-HT1A antagonist but not a CB1 antagonist. In tissue, CBDA increased the maximal 5-HT1A response. The authors say CBDA was more potent than CBD. Reduced vomiting and nausea-like behaviour in animals via 5-HT1A Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Vomiting in shrews; nausea-like conditioned gaping in rats; 5-HT1A receptor activation in tissue Limitations: Animal and tissue work; injection, not swallowed; no human data. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Brierley 2016 Neuromotor tolerability and behavioural characterisation of cannabidiolic acid, a phytocannabinoid with therapeutic potential for anticipatory nausea Psychopharmacology (Berl) · PMID 26439367 · DOI	Animal research rat	Male Lister Hooded rats	CBDA by mouth 0.05 to 5 mg/kg p.o. (animal amounts) Single doses · vs Vehicle; 5-HT1A antagonist	CBDA had no adverse effect on locomotor activity, motor coordination or muscle strength, and did not change normal feeding. It showed anxiety-like effects only in some tests (habituated open field; reversing a feeding delay caused by a 5-HT1A blocker) and none in the light/dark box or novel open field. The authors call it very well tolerated in these tests. Well tolerated in rats at these amounts Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Movement, balance, grip strength, feeding, anxiety-like behaviour Limitations: Rats, single doses, males only; no human data. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Carrera DÁ 2026 Thermal Conversion of Cannabinoids in Hemp Flower: Decarboxylation Kinetics and Potential Accumulation of Δ9‑Tetrahydrocannabinol ACS Omega · PMID 42923997 · DOI	Laboratory laboratory (hemp flower)	Five CBD-rich and THC-rich hemp flower types and isolates under controlled dry heat	Hemp flower; CBD and THC isolates Hemp flower Short dry-heat exposures at vaping-range heat · vs Different temperatures	At the highest vaping-range heat CBDA was almost completely converted within a minute, yet total CBD still fell (about 58% relative loss), and CBD isolate also broke down. No meaningful rise in THC was found. Some CBN formed from THC. Heat converts CBDA quickly but also destroys some CBD Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Conversion of CBDA and change in CBD and THC Limitations: Laboratory heating in a static chamber; does not describe real vaping or smoking. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Citti 2018 Analysis of cannabinoids in commercial hemp seed oil and decarboxylation kinetics studies of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) J Pharm Biomed Anal · PMID 29182999 · DOI	Laboratory laboratory (hemp seed oil)	13 commercial hemp seed oils; CBDA breakdown experiments	Hemp seed oil; purified CBDA	Developed a method that measures CBDA, THCA, CBD, THC, CBN, CBG and CBDV in 13 commercial hemp seed oils. Because acid cannabinoids break down with light, air and heat, it measured how quickly CBDA decarboxylates at different temperatures, in open and closed vessels, to judge storage stability. CBDA breakdown depends on heat and conditions Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Cannabinoid content of hemp seed oils; speed of CBDA decarboxylation Limitations: Laboratory study; the abstract gives no CBDA content numbers. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Compiled from state testing datasets and published papers (not our own testing) 2026 Lab measurements of CBDA in cannabis flower (regulator datasets and papers), compiled by AlternativeMed AlternativeMed data file docs/cannabis/labdata/cbda.json · Source	Database plant (flower)	n/a	n/a	261 measurements for 212 named strains. 232 are medians from Maryland, Hawaii and Nevada flower testing data, listed as percent by weight (unit not labelled column by column in the source); 29 come from papers in other units. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: CBDA content of named strains Limitations: The same strain name varies widely between samples; these are flower measurements and say nothing about effects. Read: API
Court 2024 Cannabidiol and cannabidiolic acid: Preliminary in vitro evaluation of metabolism and drug-drug interactions involving canine cytochrome P-450, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and P-glycoprotein J Vet Pharmacol Ther · PMID 37469115 · DOI	Laboratory research dog liver preparations	Dog liver microsomes and cloned dog enzymes	CBD and CBDA, pure and as hemp extracts Test-tube concentrations	In dog liver preparations CBD was broken down by CYP enzymes and CBDA mainly by UGT enzymes. Both inhibited CYP2B11 (tramadol breakdown, IC50 4.6 to 8.1 micromolar); CBDA only inhibited CYP2D15. Neither inhibited CYP3A12 or P-glycoprotein. Possible CYP interactions in dog liver tissue Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Metabolism and enzyme inhibition Limitations: Dog liver tissue only; human enzymes may differ; the authors call for confirming studies. Funding and conflicts: Funded by Ellevet (a hemp-product company) and Washington State University. Read: abstract
De Petrocellis 2011 Effects of cannabinoids and cannabinoid-enriched Cannabis extracts on TRP channels and endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes Br J Pharmacol · PMID 21175579 · DOI	Laboratory research cells and enzymes	Cells and enzymes (TRP channels, endocannabinoid enzymes); botanical extracts	11 pure cannabinoids including CBDA, and cannabinoid-enriched extracts · vs Other cannabinoids	CBDA and the other cannabinoid acids inhibited the enzyme DAGL-alpha. An extract rich in CBDA inhibited anandamide uptake in cells. Pure CBD, not CBDA, inhibited the enzyme FAAH. CBDA acted on a few endocannabinoid targets in vitro Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: TRP channel and endocannabinoid enzyme activity Limitations: Lab work only. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Elder 2025 The Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of a Hemp-Derived "Full-Spectrum" Oral Cannabinoid Product with a 1:1 Ratio of Cannabidiol to Cannabidiolic Acid and Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol to Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Within-Subjects Human Laboratory Study Cannabis Cannabinoid Res · PMID 40040421 · DOI	Controlled trial	15 Healthy adults (n=15 in the abstract)	Hemp-derived oral "full-spectrum" softgels with about 1:1 CBD to CBDA and THC to THCA Hemp extract softgels About 1, 2 and 4 mg/kg total cannabinoids (mean CBDA 43.7, 77.9 and 142.8 mg; study amounts, not advice) Four sessions at least a week apart; 8 h of testing, plasma to 48 h · vs Placebo (within-subject)	At 2 and 4 mg/kg there were small to moderate rises in subjective drug effects, including abuse-liability items such as "like"; the highest amount also impaired working memory and caused several adverse events. Effects peaked 3 to 5 h after dosing and were gone by 8 h. Peak blood levels (Cmax) of CBDA and THCA were 19 to 25 times higher than CBD and THC, and appeared up to 2 times sooner. Dose-ordered effects of the whole product; CBDA had far higher blood levels than CBD Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Subjective, cognitive and physiological effects; plasma levels of CBD, CBDA, THC, THCA and metabolites Limitations: Mixed product (CBD, CBDA, a little THC and THCA), so no effect can be credited to CBDA; 15 healthy adults; a patented product; the abstract gives no funder or numbers for the adverse events. Funding and conflicts: PubMed record lists no conflict statement; funder not stated in the abstract. A co-author (J Wakshlag) is listed as a paid consultant to ElleVet Sciences, a hemp-product company, in other papers read for this page; his link to this product is not stated in the abstract. Read: abstract
Formato 2020 (‒)-Cannabidiolic Acid, a Still Overlooked Bioactive Compound: An Introductory Review and Preliminary Research Molecules · PMID 32517131 · DOI	Review review of mostly lab and animal research	Review of laboratory and animal literature on CBDA, plus a lab method	CBDA (purified from industrial hemp pollen)	Calls CBDA the main phytocannabinoid in fibre and seed-oil hemp, whose possible health effects were masked for years by interest in CBD. Reviews its biosynthesis and reported anti-inflammatory, anti-emetic, anti-convulsant and anti-cancer activity, and proposes a method to purify it from hemp pollen. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Biosynthesis and reported bioactivities of CBDA Limitations: Mostly summarises laboratory and animal work; the abstract states no human trials. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Read: abstract
Garcia 2022 Safety and efficacy of cannabidiol-cannabidiolic acid rich hemp extract in the treatment of refractory epileptic seizures in dogs Front Vet Sci · PMID 35967998 · DOI	Controlled trial dog	14 14 dogs with refractory epilepsy taking anti-seizure drugs	CBD/CBDA-rich hemp extract by mouth Hemp extract (CBD and CBDA) 2 mg/kg every 12 h (dog amount) 12 weeks per arm, crossover · vs Placebo	Apart from a mild rise in alkaline phosphatase, blood tests were unchanged. Seizure frequency fell from a mean of 8.0 to 5.0 over 12 weeks; 6 of 14 dogs had a 50% or greater reduction versus 0 of 14 on placebo. Somnolence (3/14) and ataxia (4/14) occurred, not significantly different from placebo. Anti-seizure drug levels did not change. Fewer seizures in dogs; not a human result Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood tests and seizure frequency Limitations: A veterinary study in 14 dogs with a mixed CBD and CBDA extract; cannot be applied to people or credited to CBDA alone. Funding and conflicts: One author received a grant from Ellevet Sciences, a hemp-product company, for the trial; three authors are advisors or consultants to it. Read: abstract
García-Toscano 2025 Preclinical evaluation of cannabidiolic acid as a neuroprotective agent in TDP-43 transgenic mice, an experimental model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Biomed Pharmacother · PMID 40580876 · DOI	Animal research mouse	Male TDP-43 transgenic mice (an ALS model)	CBDA, CBD, CBDV, THC and THCV by injection; riluzole comparison 10 mg/kg CBDA gave benefit (animal amount) Day 65 to day 90 of age · vs Vehicle; riluzole	Among the five cannabinoids CBDA was the most effective, improving motor coordination and reducing neuron loss and inflammation in the spinal cord. Lower amounts were less effective and higher amounts caused toxicity. Better movement and fewer lost neurons in an ALS mouse model Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Movement (rotarod), motor neuron loss, gliosis, inflammatory markers Limitations: Mice only; higher amounts were toxic; no human data; one co-author is an employee and shareholder of a pharmaceutical company. Funding and conflicts: One co-author is an employee of Jazz Pharmaceuticals Research and holds shares; others declare none. Read: abstract
Goerl 2021 Cannabidiolic acid exhibits entourage-like improvements of anticonvulsant activity in an acute rat model of seizures Epilepsy Res · PMID 33310415 · DOI	Animal research rat	Sprague-Dawley rats (maximal electroshock seizure test)	Magnesium-stabilised CBDA-enriched hemp extracts (Mg-CBDa and Chylobinoid) versus CBD, by injection CBDA-enriched hemp extracts ED50 about 77 mg/kg (Chylobinoid), 115 mg/kg (Mg-CBDa) and 69 mg/kg (CBD), i.p. (animal amounts) Acute · vs CBD	The CBDA-enriched extracts gave dose-dependent protection at amounts comparable to, but not better than, CBD. The authors note CBDA's chemical instability and used magnesium ions to stabilise it. Protection in rats, no better than CBD Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Protection from seizure in the electroshock test Limitations: Acute rat test; high injected amounts; no human data. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Read: abstract
Hasan 2020 Cannabis use and psychosis: a review of reviews Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci · PMID 31563981 · DOI	Systematic review human (review of reviews)	26 systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cannabis use and psychosis	Cannabis use (THC-containing) · vs Non-users	Psychotic illness arises more often in cannabis users than non-users, with a dose-dependent risk and earlier onset; cannabis use is linked to more relapses, more hospitalisations and more pronounced positive symptoms in people with psychosis. Higher psychosis risk, dose-dependent Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Onset and course of psychotic illness Limitations: A review of reviews of observational work; the abstract does not give risk numbers; says nothing about CBDA alone. Funding and conflicts: No conflicts declared in the record. Read: abstract
Heinzle 2026 The differential effects of CBD and CBDA on viability and mRNA expression in colorectal cancer cells J Cannabis Res · PMID 41546069 · DOI	Laboratory research human cell lines	Human colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT116, DLD1)	CBD, CBDA and a CBDA-rich extract Cell concentrations Cell experiments · vs Untreated cells	CBD had the strongest cell-killing effect and CBDA minimal toxicity. A CBDA-rich extract inhibited growth of HCT116 cells more than a CBDA/CBD mixture. CBDA had the least effect on gene expression. Weak effect of CBDA on cancer cells Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Cell viability, colony growth and gene expression Limitations: Cell-line study; not evidence of any effect on cancer in people. Funding and conflicts: One author is CEO of a plant R&D company (Better Plants R&D GmbH); others declare none. Read: abstract
Hirao-Suzuki 2020 Cannabidiolic acid dampens the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells: Possible implication of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ abrogation J Toxicol Sci · PMID 32238697 · DOI	Laboratory research human cell line	MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line	CBDA Cell concentrations Cell experiments · vs Untreated / agonist-treated cells	CBDA reduced PPAR beta/delta-driven signalling and was described as a down-regulator of COX-2 in these cells, at least in part. Lowered COX-2 signalling in cultured cells Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: COX-2 expression and PPAR beta/delta signalling in cancer cells Limitations: Cell-line work in one breast cancer line; not an anti-cancer treatment result. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Jazz Pharmaceuticals 2026 EPIDIOLEX (cannabidiol) oral solution: prescribing information (FDA drug label record) openFDA drug label API (label effective 2026-05-29) · Source	Authoritative guidance human (label)	n/a	n/a	Read on 2026-10-25 through the openFDA label API. The warnings section says Epidiolex can cause dose-related rises in liver enzymes (ALT above 3 times the upper limit of normal in 13% and 12% of treated patients in controlled studies versus 1% on placebo), that valproate and clobazam raise the risk, that somnolence and sedation occur, and that patients should not drive or operate machinery until they know how it affects them. The interactions section says it raises levels of the active clobazam metabolite and of stiripentol, and raises everolimus about 2.5-fold. The pregnancy section says animal data show possible fetal harm. This is the label for purified CBD, not CBDA. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Prescription CBD label: hepatic injury, somnolence, drug interactions, pregnancy Limitations: A label for a pure-CBD prescription medicine at prescription amounts. It is used here only because many CBDA products also contain CBD. It says nothing about CBDA itself. Read: full-text
Johns 2023 Pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol-/cannabidiolic acid-rich hemp oil in juvenile cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) Front Vet Sci · PMID 38094499 · DOI	Pharmacokinetic study monkey	8 Juvenile cynomolgus macaques	CBD/CBDA-rich hemp oil by mouth Hemp oil (CBD and CBDA) 4 and 8 mg/kg once daily (animal amounts) 14 days	Peak blood CBDA was 28.6 to 36.2 times that of CBD. THC reached 4.8 ng/mL at the highest amount. Blood tests changed in no clinically significant way. Much higher CBDA than CBD levels in monkeys Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood levels, blood chemistry Limitations: A small primate study of a mixed product. Funding and conflicts: Product, analysis and publication costs supported by ElleVet Sciences; one author is a paid consultant. Read: abstract
Johnson 2025 Minor Cannabinoid Profile of Unregulated Cannabidiol Products Cannabis Cannabinoid Res · PMID 39478329 · DOI	Product analysis product analysis	80 80 hemp-derived oil products bought in central Kentucky plus Epidiolex as control	Hemp oils (unregulated CBD products) · vs Epidiolex	CBDA was found in 51% of the unregulated oils, in amounts from 0.006 to 12.258 mg/mL. CBDV was in all, CBG in 77%, CBC in 72%, CBN in 67%. The authors say these minor cannabinoids are largely absent from labels. CBDA in about half of the oils, mostly not on the label Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Concentrations of 15 minor cannabinoids Limitations: One US region; products bought at one time. Funding and conflicts: Public (NIDA) funding; no conflicts declared. Read: abstract
Karila 2014 Acute and long-term effects of cannabis use: a review Curr Pharm Des · PMID 24001294 · DOI	Review human (review)	Review of acute and long-term effects of cannabis use	Cannabis (THC-containing)	Acute adverse effects include hyperemesis syndrome, impaired coordination, anxiety, suicidal ideation and psychotic symptoms, plus higher crash risk. Chronic effects include mood disorders, exacerbation of psychotic disorders in vulnerable people, cannabis use disorders, withdrawal, neurocognitive impairment, and cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Use is concentrated among 15 to 34-year-olds. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Acute and chronic harms Limitations: A narrative review from 2014; says nothing about CBDA alone. Funding and conflicts: No conflicts declared in the record. Read: abstract
Kruger 2026 Assessing the Efficacy of Cannabinoid Compositions for Treating 3 Classes of Chronic Pain: A Real-World Evidence Study Clin Ther · PMID 42140793 · DOI	Controlled trial	168 Adults in California with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis or knee/hip osteoarthritis (276 recruited; 168 finished all questionnaires)	Oral capsules: product 2 = 10 mg THCA, 10 mg CBDA, 5 mg CBG, 3 mg CBC; product 3 = 10 mg CBD and 10 mg CBDA; product 1 = 12.5 mg CBD plus 12.5 mg THC Oral capsules of cannabinoid mixtures Study capsule amounts (not advice) 12 weeks · vs No placebo group; three products compared	Per-protocol analysis found improvements in all symptoms except cognitive function. Most improvements did not differ between the three products. Product 2 (with CBDA) had reductions in neuropathic pain intensity, and products differed for sleep disturbance. Because there was no placebo group, the improvements cannot be credited to any cannabinoid. Self-reported improvement over 12 weeks in all groups Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Self-reported pain, sleep, mood, cognition and function questionnaires at baseline and 12 weeks Limitations: No placebo arm despite the "randomized" label; self-reported outcomes; 39% did not finish all questionnaires; mixed products; the abstract gives no numbers. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no competing interests. Read: abstract
Kurzyna 2026 Cannabidiolic acid as a modulator of lipid metabolism in the liver of rats with metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease Sci Rep · PMID 41792203 · DOI	Animal research rat	Male Wistar rats fed a high-fat diet (fatty liver model)	CBDA by stomach tube 0.1 mg/kg (animal amount) Last 14 days of an 8-week diet · vs Untreated high-fat-diet rats	CBDA lowered the fatty-acid transporters CD36, FABPpm and FATP5 and some liver fat fractions in the rats and changed fatty acid composition. The authors call it a potential therapy for MASLD; that is a conclusion about rats. Lower liver fat markers in rats Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Liver fat transporters, liver fat composition Limitations: Rats only; short; no human data. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no competing interests. Read: abstract
Lacerda 2025 Pharmacokinetics of Non-Psychotropic Phytocannabinoids Pharmaceutics · PMID 40006604 · DOI	Review review (human and animal)	Review of pharmacokinetics of CBD, CBG, CBC and their acids (CBDA, CBGA, CBCA)	Non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids and their acids	Says pharmacokinetic values are highly variable (dose, formulation, route, diet), that brain penetration and first-pass metabolism are challenges, and that data on the acid forms are thinner than for CBD, with the biggest gap in clinical investigations. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination Limitations: A review; the abstract gives no CBDA-specific numbers. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflicts of interest. Read: abstract
Lejeune 2025 Safety, Efficacy and Doxorubicin Pharmacokinetics During Cannabidiol/Cannabidiolic Acid Rich Hemp Oil Use in Dogs With Lymphoma Undergoing CHOP Chemotherapy J Vet Intern Med · PMID 40622742 · DOI	Controlled trial dog	25 25 client-owned dogs with lymphoma on chemotherapy (19 completed)	CBD/CBDA-rich hemp oil capsules Hemp oil (CBD and CBDA) Veterinary study amounts One cycle of CHOP chemotherapy (5 weeks) · vs Placebo	No serious adverse events; no significant differences in blood tests or quality-of-life scores. CBD/CBDA did not significantly change doxorubicin exposure (AUC). Short-term tolerability in dogs Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Adverse events, quality of life, doxorubicin exposure Limitations: A small veterinary trial; applies to dogs only. Funding and conflicts: A hemp-product company consultant is an author; enrolment was blinded to him. Read: abstract
Liebling 2022 An Analysis of Over-the-Counter Cannabidiol Products in the United Kingdom Cannabis Cannabinoid Res · PMID 33998849 · DOI	Product analysis product analysis	29 29 over-the-counter CBD oils in the United Kingdom	CBD oils · vs Advertised content	Only 11 of 29 (38%) were within 10% of the advertised CBD content. 55% had measurable THC or CBN and most had other phytocannabinoids including CBDA. Solvents and metals found were within acceptable levels. Many products did not match the CBD on the label Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: CBD content versus label; other cannabinoids, solvents and metals Limitations: Small sample from one country; the abstract does not give CBDA numbers. Funding and conflicts: Two authors advise cannabinoid companies that were not involved in the study. Read: abstract
Manzur De Nardi 2026 Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and CBDA-rich extracts modulatory effects on voltage-dependent NaV1.2 sodium channels Phytomedicine · PMID 42419121 · DOI	Laboratory human channel in cells	Human NaV1.2 sodium channels in cells	Purified CBDA and a CBDA-rich ethanolic extract Low micromolar (IC50 1.4 micromolar) Cell electrophysiology · vs CBD, essential oil fraction	CBDA reduced NaV1.2 currents (IC50 1.4 micromolar) and stabilised the inactivated state. The CBDA-rich extract inhibited more strongly than purified CBDA. Blocked a sodium channel in cells Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Sodium channel currents Limitations: Cell work only; the channel is a target in epilepsy but this is not an epilepsy result. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Meng 2018 A reliable and validated LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of 4 cannabinoids in 40 consumer products PLoS One · PMID 29718956 · DOI	Product analysis product analysis	40 40 commercial hemp products (oils, plant material, creams) in Canada	Hemp products	Built and validated a method to measure CBD, CBDA, THC and THCA-A. Most products held low CBD and a CBD:CBDA ratio under 1.0; one oil held 8,410 microgram/g CBD with a ratio above 1,000. All but two met the Canadian THC limit. Wide range of CBD and CBDA content Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: CBD, CBDA, THC and THCA content Limitations: A method paper; no CBDA values reported in the abstract. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Nigro 2022 Cannabidiolic acid in Hemp Seed Oil Table Spoon and Beyond Molecules · PMID 35458762 · DOI	Laboratory research human cells and bacteria	HaCaT human skin cells; bacteria	CBDA purified from hemp leaves; CBDA measured in hemp seed oil Up to 10 micromolar (cells) Cell experiments · vs Untreated cells	CBDA did not reduce skin-cell viability up to 10 micromolar and lowered release of IFN-gamma, CXCL8, CXCL10, CCL2, CCL4 and CCL5, mostly dose-dependently. It also showed antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity in the lab. Reduced inflammatory signals in cultured skin cells Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Cell survival; release of inflammatory mediators; antibacterial and biofilm effects Limitations: Cell and bacteria work only; no animals or people. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Read: abstract
Pertwee 2018 Cannabidiolic acid methyl ester, a stable synthetic analogue of cannabidiolic acid, can produce 5-HT1A receptor-mediated suppression of nausea and anxiety in rats Br J Pharmacol · PMID 29057454 · DOI	Animal research rat and human cell membranes	Rats; human 5-HT1A receptors in cell membranes	CBDA and its stable synthetic methyl ester HU-580 CBDA 0.1 to 1 microgram/kg i.p. (animal amounts) Single doses · vs Vehicle; 5-HT1A antagonist	Both compounds increased 5-HT1A activation in cell membranes and reduced signs of acute and anticipatory nausea. HU-580, but not CBDA, increased time in the light compartment (an anxiety-like test). HU-580 was the more potent of the two. CBDA reduced nausea-like behaviour but did not reduce anxiety-like behaviour in this test Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: 5-HT1A activation in cells; nausea-like gaping; anxiety-like behaviour (light-dark box after foot-shock) Limitations: Animal and cell work; the study mainly promotes the synthetic ester. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Pires 2024 Characterisation of Cannabis-Based Products Marketed for Medical and Non-Medical Use Purchased in Portugal Molecules · PMID 38930803 · DOI	Product analysis product analysis	Cannabis-based products sold in Portugal (pharmacies and street shops: beverages, herbal samples, oils, cosmetics)	Cannabis products · vs Label claims	Found significant discrepancies between label claims and measured cannabinoids: none of the beverages held detectable cannabinoids, and some oils held significantly more CBD than labelled. Labels often did not match contents Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Cannabinoid content compared with labels (THC, CBD, CBG, CBDA, CBGA and others) Limitations: The abstract does not give CBDA-specific results. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflicts of interest. Read: abstract
Pérez-Acevedo 2021 Disposition of cannabinoids and their metabolites in serum, oral fluid, sweat patch and urine from healthy individuals treated with pharmaceutical preparations of medical cannabis Phytother Res · PMID 33155722 · DOI	Pharmacokinetic study	13 13 healthy adults	Medical cannabis flower preparations: a decoction (tea) and an oil, each with a standard amount of THC, CBD, THCA-A and CBDA Medical cannabis flower (decoction and oil) Single oral dose of each preparation (study amounts, not advice) Acute, with sampling in serum, saliva, sweat and urine · vs Oil versus decoction (crossover)	The oil held more CBD and less CBDA, but absorption was higher after the decoction. CBDA was found in oral fluid. Levels varied greatly between people. The decoction caused more hunger and drowsiness than the oil. Absorption differed by preparation and varied widely between people Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Levels of cannabinoids and metabolites in serum, oral fluid, sweat and urine; effects Limitations: 13 people, single doses, a medical product with THC; the abstract gives no CBDA numbers. Funding and conflicts: Public grant (ISCIII); no conflicts declared. Read: abstract
Rava 2026 Acidic cannabinoids in brain disorders: Neurobiological mechanisms, preclinical evidence, and translational challenges Neurosci Biobehav Rev · PMID 42826598 · DOI	Narrative review review of mostly lab and animal research	Review of acid cannabinoids in brain disorders	Acidic cannabinoids (THCA, CBDA, CBGA and related)	Describes acid cannabinoids as promising but underexplored multitarget compounds, with evidence that is preclinical, and lists methodological and translational challenges. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Mechanisms and preclinical evidence in epilepsy, anxiety, depression, psychosis-related conditions and neurodegeneration Limitations: A narrative review of preclinical work. Funding and conflicts: Two authors are employees of Essentia Scientific, a cannabinoid-science company; the paper says the company had no role beyond the authors' contributions. Read: abstract
Rock 2015 Effect of combined doses of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on acute and anticipatory nausea using rat (Sprague- Dawley) models of conditioned gaping Psychopharmacology (Berl) · PMID 26381155 · DOI	Animal research rat	Male Sprague-Dawley rats	CBDA alone and combined with THC, by injection CBDA 0.01 to 10 microgram/kg i.p. (animal amounts) Single doses · vs Vehicle; single-compound doses	Very low combined amounts of THC and CBDA reduced acute nausea-like gaping; higher amounts of either alone also did. CBDA did not impair locomotion at any amount; the highest THC amount did. Reduced nausea-like behaviour in rats Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Nausea-like conditioned gaping (acute and anticipatory); locomotion Limitations: Animal work; injections; no human data. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Rock 2016 Effect of combined oral doses of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on acute and anticipatory nausea in rat models Psychopharmacology (Berl) · PMID 27438607 · DOI	Animal research rat	Male rats	CBDA and THC given by stomach tube (oral) CBDA 0.1 to 10 microgram/kg i.g. (animal amounts) Single doses · vs Vehicle	Low oral amounts of CBDA suppressed nausea-like gaping; the abstract says CBDA alone was less effective by mouth than by injection and was effective for anticipatory nausea only at 10 microgram/kg. Oral CBDA worked in rats at low amounts, less well than injected Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Nausea-like conditioned gaping (acute and anticipatory) Limitations: Animal work; no human data. Funding and conflicts: Public grant; no conflicts declared in the record. Read: abstract
Rock 2018 Effect of cannabidiolic acid and ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol on carrageenan-induced hyperalgesia and edema in a rodent model of inflammatory pain Psychopharmacology (Berl) · PMID 30225659 · DOI	Animal research rat	Rats with carrageenan-induced paw inflammation	CBDA by injection or by mouth; THC Animal amounts Single doses before carrageenan · vs Vehicle; CBD; receptor blockers	CBDA given 60 min before (not after) carrageenan gave dose-dependent reductions in pain sensitivity and swelling. By mouth CBDA reduced pain sensitivity; its effect was blocked by a TRPV1 antagonist. An equal low amount of CBD did not, so the authors call CBDA more potent here. Very low CBDA plus THC amounts worked together. Reduced inflammatory pain signs in rats when given before the trigger Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Pain sensitivity (hyperalgesia) and paw swelling Limitations: Rat model of acute inflammation; no effect when given afterwards; no human data. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Rock 2020 Evaluation of repeated or acute treatment with cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) or CBDA methyl ester (HU-580) on nausea and/or vomiting in rats and shrews Psychopharmacology (Berl) · PMID 32488349 · DOI	Animal research rat and shrew	Male and female rats and shrews	CBD, CBDA and CBDA methyl ester (HU-580) by subcutaneous injection CBDA 1 microgram/kg s.c. (animal amount) Acute and repeated (7 days; 4 weekly trials) · vs Vehicle; 5-HT1A blocker	Acute and 7-day injections of CBD, CBDA and HU-580 similarly reduced gaping, blocked by 5-HT1A antagonism, and the effect was kept over 4 weekly trials. Repeated CBD also reduced vomiting in shrews (CBDA was not tested for vomiting here). Effect kept with repeated dosing in rats Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Nausea-like gaping in rats; vomiting in shrews (CBD only) Limitations: Animal work; injections; small effect amounts of CBDA used; no human data. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record; public grants. Read: abstract
Rock 2020 Effect of combined doses of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid and cannabidiolic acid on acute nausea in male Sprague-Dawley rats Psychopharmacology (Berl) · PMID 31897571 · DOI	Animal research rat	Male Sprague-Dawley rats	CBD, CBDA, THC and THCA, alone and combined, by injection CBDA 0.00001 mg/kg combined with THCA 0.001 mg/kg i.p. (animal amounts) Single doses · vs Vehicle; receptor blockers	Combined very low amounts of CBDA and THCA suppressed gaping, and the effect was blocked by a 5-HT1A antagonist and a PPAR-alpha antagonist. The authors say clinical trials are needed. Combination effect in rats Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Nausea-like conditioned gaping Limitations: Animal work; no human data. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Rock 2021 Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol, Cannabidiolic Acid, and Cannabidiolic Acid Methyl Ester as Treatments for Nausea and Vomiting Cannabis Cannabinoid Res · PMID 34115951 · DOI	Review review of lab and animal research	Review of lab and animal studies of CBD, CBDA and CBDA-ME for nausea and vomiting	CBD, CBDA, CBDA methyl ester (CBDA-ME)	Concludes CBD reduced nausea and vomiting in these models, with CBDA and CBDA-ME being more potent, and says these compounds need to be tested in clinical trials. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Anti-nausea and anti-vomiting effects Limitations: Review of in vitro and in vivo (animal) evidence only; the abstract reports no human trial. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no competing financial interests. Read: abstract
Schreck 2018 Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: Review of the literature and of cases reported to the French addictovigilance network Drug Alcohol Depend · PMID 29132050 · DOI	Review human (case reports)	113 reported cases from 55 articles plus 29 French cases of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome	Chronic cannabis use	The syndrome is a variant of cyclical vomiting in chronic cannabis users. It mainly affects young men who had smoked cannabis daily for several years; hot baths or showers were the most effective relief, and antiemetics and dopamine antagonists did not appear effective. The cause is unclear. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Clinical features and treatments Limitations: A case review; says nothing about CBDA specifically. Funding and conflicts: No conflicts declared in the record. Read: abstract
Schwark 2023 A One Health perspective on comparative cannabidiol and cannabidiolic acid pharmacokinetics and biotransformation in humans and domestic animals Am J Vet Res · PMID 36972696 · DOI	Review review (human and animal)	Review of CBD and CBDA pharmacokinetics in humans and domestic animals	CBD and CBDA, oral	A review of CBD and CBDA pharmacokinetics across humans and domestic animals, mostly oral. The abstract gives no CBDA values; it notes that CBD metabolism appears to differ between carnivorous and omnivorous or herbivorous species (including humans). Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Comparative pharmacokinetics and biotransformation Limitations: The abstract gives no numbers; written by veterinary researchers. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record (PubMed lists none). Read: abstract
Simmons 2022 The effects of cannabis and alcohol on driving performance and driver behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis Addiction · PMID 35083810 · DOI	Meta-analysis	1725 57 experimental studies of driving performance (1,725 participants)	Cannabis (THC-containing) with or without alcohol · vs Alcohol; placebo	Cannabis alone impaired lateral control (g = 0.331 for lateral position variability) and lowered speed; cannabis plus alcohol was worse than either alone. The authors conclude cannabis, like alcohol, impairs driving. Impaired driving performance Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Lane control, speed, reaction measures Limitations: Studies used THC-containing cannabis; says nothing about CBDA alone. Funding and conflicts: No conflicts declared in the record. Read: abstract
Singh 2026 Therapeutic potential of acidic cannabinoids: an update J Cannabis Res · PMID 41545891 · DOI	Narrative review review of mostly lab and animal research	Review of acid cannabinoids (THCA, CBDA, CBGA, CBCA)	Acidic cannabinoids	Says acid cannabinoids show neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant and anti-proliferative actions in studies, via 5-HT1A receptors, COX-2, TRP channels and PPAR-gamma. It lists chemical instability, low bioavailability and a dearth of controlled human trials as barriers, and notes that their non-intoxicating character applies mainly to non-heated use. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Biosynthesis, decarboxylation, pharmacology and therapeutic significance Limitations: A narrative review; authors say controlled human trials are lacking. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no competing interests. Read: abstract
Solmi 2023 Balancing risks and benefits of cannabis use: umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and observational studies BMJ · PMID 37648266 · DOI	Systematic review human (umbrella review)	101 meta-analyses (50 observational, 51 trials) of cannabis, cannabinoids and cannabis-based medicines	Cannabis, cannabinoids, cannabis-based medicines (including CBD)	From trials rated high to moderate certainty: cannabis-based medicines increased central nervous system, psychological and vision adverse events and, with moderate certainty, somnolence and other harms; cannabidiol reduced seizures (high certainty) but increased pneumonia, gastrointestinal events and somnolence (moderate). In the general population, cannabis worsened positive psychotic symptoms and total psychiatric symptoms (high certainty). A mix of benefits and harms depending on product and outcome Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Benefits and harms across health outcomes Limitations: An umbrella review; the abstract does not mention CBDA. Funding and conflicts: Several authors report industry ties to drug companies (listed in the record); no cannabis-company ties noted in the part read. Read: abstract
Sønderskov 2024 Medicinal cannabis tea contains variable doses of cannabinoids and no terpenes Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol · PMID 39044312 · DOI	Product analysis product analysis	Medicinal cannabis flower products and teas made from them in Denmark	Teas brewed from prescribed cannabis flower · vs Labelled content	Tea doses varied widely between repeat preparations of the same product, and adding creamer before boiling raised THC and CBD about 2 to 4-fold. Terpenes were found in the plant material but not in the tea. (CBDA is one of the measured compounds; the abstract reports totals as CBD plus CBDA.) Doses varied between preparations Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA and terpenes in tea Limitations: Laboratory preparation study; abstract gives no separate CBDA values. Funding and conflicts: Public and foundation funding; no conflicts declared. Read: abstract
Takeda 2008 Cannabidiolic acid as a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory component in cannabis Drug Metab Dispos · PMID 18556441 · DOI	Laboratory enzyme assay	Enzyme assays and cannabis extract	CBDA, THCA and a CBDA-rich cannabis extract · vs THCA	CBDA selectively inhibited COX-2 with an IC50 around 2 micromolar, about 9-fold more selective than for COX-1. THCA was a much weaker COX-2 inhibitor. A crude cannabis extract rich in CBDA also selectively inhibited COX-2. The carboxylic acid group was key. Selective COX-2 inhibition in a test tube Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes Limitations: Enzyme study only; no cells or animals, no people. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Tamburello 2023 Antiviral Activity of Cannabidiolic Acid and Its Methyl Ester against SARS-CoV-2 J Nat Prod · PMID 37402317 · DOI	Laboratory research cells and computer model	SARS-CoV-2 variants tested in cell culture; computer docking	CBDA and its synthetic methyl ester Cell concentrations Cell experiments · vs Other cannabinoids	CBDA was the most active of the plant cannabinoids tested against SARS-CoV-2 variants in the lab. Its methyl ester was more active and more stable. Antiviral activity in a dish Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Neutralising activity against virus variants Limitations: Laboratory work; not a treatment for COVID-19; no animals or people. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Taura 2007 Cannabidiolic-acid synthase, the chemotype-determining enzyme in the fiber-type Cannabis sativa FEBS Lett · PMID 17544411 · DOI	Laboratory plant enzyme	Recombinant plant enzyme	CBDA synthase (enzyme) from fibre-type Cannabis sativa Cannabis sativa (enzyme) · vs THCA synthase	CBDA synthase is the enzyme that turns cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) into CBDA, the dominant cannabinoid in fibre-type cannabis. It is a covalently flavinylated oxidase similar to THCA synthase. Identifies how the plant makes CBDA Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Enzyme function Limitations: Plant enzyme work only. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
Tsujikawa 2023 Evaluation of decarboxylation efficiency of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid and cannabidiolic acid by UNODC method Forensic Toxicol · PMID 36652066 · DOI	Laboratory laboratory	Laboratory heating tests of pure THCA and CBDA	Pure CBDA and THCA heated under four conditions Short heating in glass vials · vs Different conditions	Under most conditions only a small share of CBDA became CBD (11.7% or less); with an added chemical (the UNODC condition) 71.0% became CBD. Even then conversion was not complete. Conversion from CBDA to CBD can be incomplete Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: How much CBD or THC formed from the acid Limitations: Forensic-lab conditions, not cooking or product use; no temperatures are advised here. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract
US Food and Drug Administration 2024 FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD): Questions and Answers FDA website · Source	Authoritative guidance n/a	n/a	n/a	Page read in full on 2026-10-25 (it says content current as of 07/16/2024). It quotes the 2018 Farm Bill hemp definition, which names "cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts" with a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry-weight basis. It says the FDA has not approved a marketing application for cannabis for any disease or condition, names Epidiolex (purified CBD) as approved for certain seizure disorders, and says THC and CBD products are excluded from the dietary supplement definition. The word CBDA does not appear on the page. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: US regulator statements on approved products, hemp, supplements and pregnancy Limitations: A general regulator page about cannabis and CBD. It does not discuss CBDA specifically. Later changes were not checked. Read: full-text
US National Library of Medicine 2026 PubChem compound record: Cannabidiol (CID 644019) PubChem · Source	Reference database n/a	n/a	n/a	Retrieved through the PubChem REST API on 2026-10-25: CID 644019, formula C21H30O2, title Cannabidiol. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Chemical identity of CBD Limitations: A database record, not a study. Read: full-text
US National Library of Medicine 2026 PubChem compound records: Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (CID 3082459) and Cannabigerolic acid (CID 6449999) PubChem · Source	Reference database n/a	n/a	n/a	Retrieved through the PubChem REST API on 2026-10-25: THCA is CID 3082459 with formula C22H30O4 (the same formula as CBDA); CBGA is CID 6449999 with formula C22H32O4. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Chemical identity of related acids Limitations: Database records, not studies. Read: full-text
US National Library of Medicine 2026 PubChem compound record: Cannabidiolic acid (CID 160570) PubChem · Source	Reference database n/a	n/a	n/a	Retrieved through the PubChem REST API on 2026-10-25: formula C22H30O4, molecular weight 358.5, IUPAC name 2,4-dihydroxy-3-[(1R,6R)-3-methyl-6-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-6-pentylbenzoic acid, InChIKey WVOLTBSCXRRQFR-DLBZAZTESA-N, CAS 1244-58-2 listed among synonyms. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Chemical identity Limitations: A database record, not a study. Read: full-text
Umpierrez 2022 Cannabidiol but not cannabidiolic acid reduces behavioural sensitisation to methamphetamine in rats, at pharmacologically effective doses Psychopharmacology (Berl) · PMID 35435462 · DOI	Animal research rat	86 male rats (methamphetamine sensitisation)	CBD and CBDA by injection CBDA 0.1 to 1000 microgram/kg i.p. (animal amounts) After 21 days of withdrawal · vs Vehicle	CBD reduced methamphetamine sensitisation. No CBDA amount had any effect on sensitisation or acute methamphetamine hyperactivity. No effect of CBDA (null result) Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Methamphetamine-driven hyperactivity Limitations: Rats; one model of addiction and psychosis-like change. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no competing interests. Read: abstract
Vigli 2021 Chronic Treatment with Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA) Reduces Thermal Pain Sensitivity in Male Mice and Rescues the Hyperalgesia in a Mouse Model of Rett Syndrome Neuroscience · PMID 33010341 · DOI	Animal research mouse	Male mice; the MeCP2-308 mouse model of Rett syndrome	CBDA by injection 0.2, 2 and 20 mg/kg i.p. (animal amounts) 14 days · vs Vehicle	The low amount reduced thermal pain sensitivity in male mice and reduced thermal hyperalgesia in the Rett model; it did not change other behavioural or molecular measures. Lower heat-pain sensitivity in mice Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Pain sensitivity (thermal) and other behavioural and molecular measures Limitations: Mice only; effect seen at the low amount only; no human data. Funding and conflicts: No conflict statement in the record. Read: abstract

What we do not know yet

What the evidence supports: nothing at moderate or high certainty. The best evidence is a handful of consistent animal studies for nausea, rated very low.
No trial of CBDA alone in people, for any use.
Safety, liver effects of repeated use, medicine interactions, and effects in pregnancy, children and older adults are unstudied for CBDA.
Most animal work comes from a few research groups, and several studies used stabilised extracts or a lab-made ester rather than CBDA.
Whether CBDA products match their labels has been studied only in small regional surveys.

How new research is added

New studies are found by a saved PubMed search and are placed in a review queue. A person reads each one before it changes any evidence rating or safety wording.

Lab markers

What changed in blood or saliva tests during trials. A changed number is not the same as feeling or being healthier, and we give no "normal ranges".

Other 18

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Nausea-like gaping (rats)

Lowered in trials

Number of gaping reactions rats show to a flavour or place linked to a nausea-causing drug (a standard lab measure of nausea).

Very low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It is the main outcome in the CBDA nausea studies.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Animal measure of nausea; not nausea in people.

Safety implication

No human data.

Study	Result	People	Product
⁶	CBDA 0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg suppressed LiCl-induced gaping; blocked by a 5-HT1A blocker.	Rats	CBDA by injection versus vehicle
⁴⁰	Acute and 7-day CBDA 1 microgram/kg reduced gaping; effect kept over 4 weekly trials.	Male rats	CBDA subcutaneous versus vehicle
³⁸	Low oral amounts suppressed gaping; CBDA less effective by mouth than by injection.	Male rats	CBDA by stomach tube

^{6 40 38}

▼

Vomiting episodes (house musk shrews)

Lowered in trials

Number of vomiting episodes after a toxin or motion in shrews, an animal that can vomit.

Very low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Rats cannot vomit, so shrews test the anti-vomiting effect.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Animal result from one study; CBDA was not tested for vomiting in the repeat-dose study.

Safety implication

No human data.

Study	Result	People	Product
⁶	CBDA 0.1 and/or 0.5 mg/kg reduced toxin- and motion-induced vomiting and delayed the first motion-induced episode.	House musk shrews	CBDA by injection versus vehicle

⁶

●

5-HT1A receptor activation

Increased in trials

How strongly a serotonin 1A receptor responds to a test activator in the presence of the compound.

Very low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It is the proposed way CBDA works against nausea.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A lab result; not shown in the human brain.

Safety implication

None known; no human data.

Study	Result	People	Product
⁶	CBDA 0.1 to 100 nM increased the maximal response to 8-OH-DPAT in rat brainstem tissue.	Rat brainstem tissue	CBDA in a binding assay
³³	CBDA 0.1 to 10 nM increased the maximal response in human 5-HT1A receptors in CHO cell membranes.	Human receptors in cells	CBDA versus no compound

^{6 33}

●

Time in the light compartment (anxiety-like test, rats)

Unchanged in trials

How long rats stay in the lit part of a box after a trauma-like stress, used as an anxiety-like measure.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It checks for anti-anxiety-like action.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Mixed animal results.

Safety implication

None known.

Study	Result	People	Product
³³	HU-580, the stable ester, but not CBDA, increased time in the light compartment at 0.01 microgram/kg.	Rats given foot-shocks	CBDA versus vehicle
⁷	CBDA had no effect in the light/dark box or novel open field, though it reversed a feeding delay caused by a 5-HT1A blocker.	Male rats	CBDA by mouth

^{33 7}

●

Seizure temperature threshold (mice)

Increased in trials

The body temperature at which a Dravet syndrome mouse has a generalised seizure.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It is the lab seizure measure used in the study.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

One mouse study; result depended on the vehicle.

Safety implication

No human data.

Study	Result	People	Product
³	CBDA significantly increased the threshold temperature, given in a Tween 80-based vehicle.	Scn1a mice	CBDA by injection versus vehicle

▼

NaV1.2 sodium channel current (cells)

Lowered in trials

The electric current through the NaV1.2 sodium channel, which is involved in some epilepsies.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It tests one possible way CBDA could affect seizures.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A cell measurement; not a seizure outcome.

Safety implication

No human data.

Study	Result	People	Product
³⁰	CBDA reduced the current with an IC50 of 1.4 +/- 0.3 micromolar and stabilised the inactivated state.	Human NaV1.2 channels in cells	CBDA and CBDA-rich extract

³⁰

▼

Seizure frequency (dogs)

Lowered in trials

Mean number of epileptic seizures over 12 weeks in dogs with refractory epilepsy.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It is the main outcome of the dog trial of a mixed CBD and CBDA product.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A dog result for a mixed product with a company-linked sponsor; not human evidence.

Safety implication

Somnolence 3/14 and ataxia 4/14, not significantly different from placebo.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹⁵	Mean seizures 8.0 on placebo versus 5.0 on the hemp extract (P = 0.02); 6 of 14 dogs had a 50% or greater drop versus 0 of 14.	14 dogs on anti-seizure drugs	CBD/CBDA-rich hemp extract versus placebo, crossover

¹⁵

●

Motor performance and motor neuron survival (ALS mice)

Increased in trials

Time mice stay on a rotating rod, plus counts of surviving motor neurons in the spinal cord.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

They are the main outcomes of the ALS mouse study.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

One mouse study; higher amounts were toxic.

Safety implication

Toxicity at higher animal amounts.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹⁶	10 mg/kg CBDA improved motor coordination and preserved motor neurons; higher amounts caused toxicity.	Male TDP-43 transgenic mice	CBDA by injection versus vehicle and riluzole

¹⁶

●

Methamphetamine-driven hyperactivity (rats)

Unchanged in trials

Locomotor activity after a methamphetamine challenge in rats that were sensitised to it.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It tests a possible anti-addiction effect.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A null animal result.

Safety implication

None.

Study	Result	People	Product
⁵⁷	No CBDA amount from 0.1 to 1000 microgram/kg changed methamphetamine sensitisation or acute hyperactivity; CBD did.	86 male rats	CBDA by injection versus vehicle

⁵⁷

●

Subjective drug effects and working memory (healthy adults)

Increased in trials

Rating scales of how the product feels (for example "like") and a working-memory test.

Very low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

They show whether a mixed CBD, CBDA, THC and THCA product has noticeable or impairing effects.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A signal of possible impairment from the mixed product; the cause cannot be assigned to CBDA.

Safety implication

Impaired working memory and several adverse events at the highest amount.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹³	At 2 and 4 mg/kg, small to moderate increases in subjective effects; at 4 mg/kg working memory was impaired. Effects peaked 3 to 5 h and resolved by 8 h.	15 healthy adults	Mixed hemp softgels versus placebo

¹³

●

Peak blood level (Cmax) of CBDA versus CBD

Increased in trials

The highest concentration of a compound in blood after one dose.

Low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It shows how much CBDA reaches the blood compared with CBD.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Human blood levels of CBDA from one mixed product were much higher than CBD; this says nothing about benefit.

Safety implication

No safety conclusion.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹³	Cmax for CBDA and THCA was 19 to 25-fold higher, and Tmax up to 2-fold earlier, than for CBD and THC.	15 healthy adults	Mixed hemp softgels
²²	Peak blood CBDA was 28.6 to 36.2 times that of CBD.	Macaques	CBD/CBDA-rich hemp oil by mouth

^{13 22}

▼

Self-rated pain and function questionnaires

Lowered in trials

Validated questionnaires on pain, sleep, mood and physical function.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

They are the outcomes of the 12-week real-world study.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Improvement over time without a placebo group does not show that the products worked.

Safety implication

No safety outcomes reported in the abstract.

Study	Result	People	Product
²⁵	Improvement across all symptoms except cognitive function in the per-protocol analysis; no placebo group.	168 completers with chronic pain conditions	Three oral cannabinoid products for 12 weeks

²⁵

▼

Paw pain sensitivity and swelling (rats)

Lowered in trials

Pain response to heat or touch and paw size after an inflammatory trigger.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

They test an anti-inflammatory pain effect in animals.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Animal measures only.

Safety implication

No human data.

Study	Result	People	Product
³⁹	CBDA before carrageenan gave dose-dependent anti-hyperalgesia and anti-inflammatory effects; no effect when given after.	Rats	CBDA by injection or by mouth versus vehicle
⁵⁸	Low-amount chronic CBDA reduced thermal pain sensitivity in male mice and a Rett model.	Male mice	CBDA by injection for 14 days

^{39 58}

▼

COX-2 enzyme activity

Lowered in trials

How much the cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme (a driver of inflammation) is blocked.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It is the best-known laboratory action of CBDA.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A test-tube result.

Safety implication

None known.

Study	Result	People	Product
⁴⁹	IC50 about 2 micromolar for COX-2, with 9-fold more selectivity than for COX-1; THCA IC50 above 100 micromolar.	Enzyme assay	CBDA versus THCA

⁴⁹

▼

Inflammatory mediators released by skin cells

Lowered in trials

Release of chemical messengers such as CXCL8 and CCL2 from cultured human skin cells.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

They test an anti-inflammatory action of CBDA in cells.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A cell result.

Safety implication

No cell toxicity up to 10 micromolar in this test.

Study	Result	People	Product
³²	CBDA lowered IFN-gamma, CXCL8, CXCL10, CCL2, CCL4 and CCL5, mostly dose-dependently, up to 10 micromolar.	HaCaT human skin cells	CBDA versus untreated cells

³²

●

Colorectal cancer cell viability and gene expression

Unchanged in trials

How many cultured cancer cells survive and which genes change.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It tests whether CBDA has anti-cancer-cell activity.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Weak effect of CBDA in cell lines.

Safety implication

None known.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹⁹	CBD had the strongest cytotoxic effect; CBDA showed minimal toxicity; CBDA had the least effect on gene expression.	HCT116 and DLD1 cells	CBDA, CBD and a CBDA-rich extract

¹⁹

●

Neutralisation of SARS-CoV-2 in cells

Increased in trials

Ability to stop the virus infecting cultured cells.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

It is the antiviral outcome of the lab study.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A cell-culture result.

Safety implication

None known.

Study	Result	People	Product
⁵⁰	CBDA was the most active of the plant cannabinoids tested; its methyl ester was more active.	Virus variants in cell culture	CBDA and its ester

⁵⁰

▼

Liver fat-transporter expression (rats)

Lowered in trials

Amount of the proteins CD36, FABPpm and FATP5 that move fatty acids into liver cells.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

They are signs of how much fat the liver takes up.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A rat measurement.

Safety implication

No safety data in the abstract.

Study	Result	People	Product
²⁶	CBDA lowered CD36, FABPpm and FATP5 and some lipid fractions in high-fat-diet rats.	Male Wistar rats on a high-fat diet	CBDA 0.1 mg/kg by stomach tube for 14 days

²⁶

Safety

What studies and official sources say about side effects, medicines and who should check first. Each point shows what kind of evidence it comes from.

Main points to know 8

No safety data for CBDA on its own in people; no CBDA medicine exists. The FDA has approved no CBDA medicine, and its cannabis Q&A page never mentions CBDA. The only controlled human study that included CBDA gave a mixed hemp product (CBD, CBDA, a little THC and THCA), not CBDA alone. Almost everything else is animal or laboratory work. Authoritative guidance ^{53 13 46}
In the one human study, the highest amount of a mixed product caused side effects and impaired memory. In 15 healthy adults, the highest amount of a CBD, CBDA, THC and THCA softgel (with only about 7 mg of THC) caused several adverse events, moderate subjective intoxication and worse working memory. Lower amounts caused milder effects. The abstract does not say which side effects occurred, and the role of CBDA is unknown. Controlled trial ¹³
Products with CBDA usually also contain CBD, and sometimes THC; their risks apply. Hemp products that hold CBDA often hold CBD, and some hold THC. For purified CBD at prescription amounts, the FDA-approved label warns of liver enzyme rises, sleepiness and many drug interactions. Those warnings are not proven for CBDA and are not proven absent either. Authoritative guidance ^{21 23}
Looks well tolerated in short animal tests, with toxicity at higher amounts. In rats, CBDA at tested oral amounts did not impair movement or feeding. In an ALS mouse study, 10 mg/kg helped but higher amounts caused toxicity. In dogs and macaques, CBD and CBDA-rich hemp oils caused no clinically significant blood test changes in short studies; some of these studies were funded by a hemp-product company. None of this proves safety in people. Animal research ^{7 16 15 22 28}
Labels often do not show the CBDA, or anything else, accurately. Among 80 shop hemp oils, CBDA was found in 51% at up to 12.258 mg/mL, and the authors say minor cannabinoids were mostly missing from labels. In UK CBD oils only 38% were within 10% of their labelled CBD, and many held THC or CBN. Product analysis ^{23 29 34}
CBDA is unstable: heat, light and air change it into CBD and other compounds. Cannabinoid acids break down with light, air and heat, and heat turns CBDA into CBD. In lab tests the conversion was incomplete under some conditions and, at very high heat, total CBD also fell. A product that has aged or been heated can therefore hold a different mix from its label. Laboratory ^{9 52 8 46}
Interactions with medicines are unstudied in people. No study tested CBDA with any medicine in people. In dog liver tissue, CBDA was cleared mainly by UGT enzymes and inhibited two CYP enzymes at low micromolar levels. CBD, which is often in the same product, interacts with several medicines (see Interactions). Laboratory research ^{11 21}
If a CBDA product contains THC, the usual cannabis risks apply. Reviews link THC-containing cannabis to higher psychosis risk (dose-dependent), anxiety, dependence, impaired driving and, in daily long-term smokers, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. None of these has been shown for CBDA alone. Systematic review ^{18 47 45 43 24}

Side effects 7

Effect	How often	Severity and recovery	Evidence
Adverse events, subjective intoxication and impaired working memory at the highest amount of a mixed product Mixed product (CBD, CBDA, THC, THCA), healthy adults, one day of testing per amount.	Several adverse events at 4 mg/kg total cannabinoids; the abstract gives no counts	Moderate cognitive impairment and subjective intoxication Effects peaked at 3 to 5 hours and returned to baseline by 8 hours	Controlled trial ¹³
Drowsiness and hunger after a cannabis decoction (THC-containing flower) The decoction caused more hunger and drowsiness than the oil in 13 healthy adults; the preparation held THC and CBDA, so this is not specific to CBDA.	Not established	Not stated Not stated	Pharmacokinetic study ³⁵
Sleepiness (CBD-containing products) The prescription CBD label warns of somnolence and sedation and advises people not to drive or operate machinery until they know how it affects them; an umbrella review also found more somnolence with cannabidiol in trials.	Reported as a warning for purified CBD; also somnolence 3/14 and ataxia 4/14 in dogs given a CBD/CBDA hemp extract (not different from placebo)	Mild to moderate Not stated	Authoritative guidance ^{21 15 47}
Liver enzyme rises (CBD-containing products) This is the label for purified CBD at prescription amounts, not CBDA. In dogs on CBD/CBDA hemp extract there was a mild rise in alkaline phosphatase only.	For purified prescription CBD, ALT above 3 times the upper limit of normal in 13% and 12% of treated patients versus 1% on placebo	Usually without symptoms; some cases led to hospitalisation About two-thirds resolved after stopping or lowering the dose	Authoritative guidance ²¹
No movement or feeding problems in rats at tested oral amounts Single doses in male rats.	No adverse effects on locomotion, coordination or strength	Not applicable Not applicable	Animal research ⁷
Toxicity at higher amounts in ALS-model mice Animal amounts; no human equivalent can be drawn.	Higher amounts than 10 mg/kg caused toxicity	Not described in the abstract Not stated	Animal research ¹⁶
Mild alkaline phosphatase rise in dogs on a CBD/CBDA extract A veterinary trial funded by a hemp-product company.	Seen in a crossover trial of 14 dogs; other blood tests unchanged	Mild Not stated	Controlled trial ¹⁵

Liver

There are no human data on liver effects of CBDA. For purified prescription CBD, the FDA label reports dose-related rises in liver enzymes, more often with valproate or clobazam, and some cases needing hospital care. In short trials in dogs, CBD and CBDA-rich hemp products did not change liver tests apart from a mild alkaline phosphatase rise. In rats on a high-fat diet, CBDA lowered some liver fat markers, which is not a safety finding. ^{21 15 28 26}

How often. No rate of liver injury is known for CBDA. The only human figures are for purified CBD in the Epidiolex label.

Monitoring. No regulator guidance on liver tests for CBDA exists. The Epidiolex label recommends serum transaminase and bilirubin monitoring for that medicine. Anyone with liver disease, or taking medicines that affect the liver, should ask a clinician or pharmacist before using any CBD- or CBDA-containing product.

This is a safety connection. It is not evidence that CBDA (Cannabidiolic Acid) supports liver health.

Medicines and supplements 6

With	Why it matters	Importance	Evidence	What to do
Medicines handled by liver enzymes (CYP2B and CYP2D families, UGT enzymes) prescription	In dog liver tissue, CBDA was cleared by UGT enzymes (not CYP) and inhibited CYP2B11 and CYP2D15 (IC50 4.6 to 8.1 micromolar for CYP2B11 with tramadol). CBDA did not inhibit CYP3A12 or P-glycoprotein. Human enzymes were not tested.	Unknown. No study in people. The authors call for confirming studies.	Laboratory research Very low certainty ¹¹	Ask a pharmacist before combining any CBDA product with a prescription medicine.
Clobazam, stiripentol, everolimus and other medicines (from the CBD label) prescription	For purified CBD: it raises the level of the active clobazam metabolite and of stiripentol, raises everolimus about 2.5-fold, and may raise other P-gp substrates such as sirolimus, tacrolimus and digoxin.	Applies to purified prescription CBD. Whether a CBDA product that also holds CBD behaves the same way is not known.	Authoritative guidance Moderate certainty ²¹	If you take any of these medicines, tell your prescriber about every CBD or hemp product you use.
Valproate (liver enzyme rise risk with CBD) prescription	The CBD label says valproate together with higher CBD amounts raises the risk of transaminase elevations.	Applies to purified prescription CBD.	Authoritative guidance Moderate certainty ²¹	Do not add CBD- or CBDA-containing products to valproate without asking the prescriber.
Strong CYP3A4 or CYP2C19 inducers such as rifampin (from the CBD label) prescription	Rifampin lowered CBD and 7-OH-CBD plasma levels by about 32% and 63%.	Applies to purified prescription CBD.	Authoritative guidance Moderate certainty ²¹	Ask a pharmacist.
Alcohol and sedating medicines prescription	The CBD label warns of somnolence and sedation. In driving experiments, cannabis plus alcohol impaired driving more than either alone.	Applies to purified CBD and THC-containing cannabis; not tested for CBDA.	Systematic review Low certainty ^{21 45}	Avoid combining with alcohol or sedating medicines unless a clinician has said it is safe.
Chemotherapy (doxorubicin) and anti-seizure drugs prescription	In a placebo-controlled dog trial, CBD/CBDA hemp oil did not significantly change doxorubicin exposure. In dogs with epilepsy it did not change blood levels of zonisamide, phenobarbital or bromide.	Dog results only; not known for people.	Controlled trial Very low certainty ^{28 15}	People on chemotherapy or anti-seizure medicines should ask their medical team first.

Who should check first 10

Situation	Advice	Evidence
Pregnancy	No CBDA safety data. The FDA says THC-containing cannabis is linked to fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, preterm birth and stillbirth and that animal work raises concern about fetal brain development; ACOG advises stopping cannabis use. The prescription CBD label says animal data show possible fetal harm. Avoid unless a clinician advises otherwise.	Authoritative guidance ^{53 21}
Breastfeeding	No CBDA data. ACOG, quoted by the FDA, says data are insufficient and that cannabis use is discouraged while breastfeeding.	Authoritative guidance ⁵³
Children and teenagers	No CBDA data. The FDA says that with the exception of Epidiolex, Marinol and Syndros, no cannabis or cannabis-derived product has been approved for any age group, and untested drugs can have unpredictable effects. A review notes cannabis use is concentrated in young people and that long-term use is linked to cognitive and mood problems (THC-containing).	Authoritative guidance ^{53 24}
Older adults	No CBDA data in older adults were found. The CBD label warns of sleepiness and sedation, so extra drowsiness is a concern; older adults taking several medicines should check with a pharmacist.	Authoritative guidance ²¹
Liver disease or taking liver-affecting medicines	No CBDA data. Purified CBD can raise liver enzymes; ask a clinician before using CBD- or CBDA-containing products.	Authoritative guidance ²¹
Psychosis, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, or a personal or family history of these	No CBDA data. If the product contains THC, reviews link cannabis to higher psychosis risk (dose-dependent), earlier onset, relapses and hospitalisation, and to anxiety and dependence. Ask a clinician.	Systematic review ^{18 47 24}
Cannabis use disorder, dependence or withdrawal	The reviews describe cannabis use disorders and withdrawal for THC-containing cannabis; nothing is known for CBDA alone. People who struggle to stop using cannabis can ask a clinician for help.	Review ²⁴
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (repeated vomiting in long-term daily cannabis users)	This syndrome is described in people who smoke THC-containing cannabis daily for years. It is unrelated to the animal nausea findings for CBDA, and nothing is known about CBDA in this condition.	Review ^{43 42}
Driving and machinery	Do not drive after using cannabis products containing THC; a meta-analysis found cannabis impairs driving like low blood alcohol. In the one human study, the highest amount of a mixed CBD, CBDA and THC product impaired working memory. The CBD label says not to drive until you know how it affects you.	Meta-analysis ^{45 13 21}
Allergy to cannabinoids or hemp ingredients	The CBD label lists hypersensitivity to cannabidiol or its ingredients as a contraindication; allergic reactions to other hemp products have not been studied here.	Authoritative guidance ²¹

Overdose, product quality and regulators

Summary. No toxic amount is established for people. CBDA was well tolerated in short rat tests, but caused toxicity at higher amounts in ALS-model mice. Human information is limited to one study of a mixed product.

Animal. Rats given 0.05 to 5 mg/kg by mouth had no change in movement, coordination, strength or feeding. In ALS-model mice, amounts above 10 mg/kg caused toxicity. In macaques given CBD/CBDA hemp oil for 14 days, blood tests showed no clinically significant changes; in dogs on CBD/CBDA extract there were minimal adverse events.

Human doses studied. The one human study gave healthy adults a mixed softgel supplying about 44, 78 and 143 mg of CBDA (with CBD, a little THC and THCA) in single sessions; the real-world pain study used capsules with 10 mg CBDA for 12 weeks. These are study amounts, not advice.

High dose or long term signals. The highest amount of the mixed product caused several adverse events and impaired working memory. No long-term human data exist.

Overdose response. Not studied in people.

Genotoxicity. Not found in the abstracts read.

CBDA-containing products are sold without the checks applied to medicines. Studies of shop CBD oils show that contents often differ from labels, and CBDA itself breaks down.

CBDA as an unlabelled ingredient. In 80 hemp oils bought in central Kentucky, CBDA was detected in 51% of samples, in amounts from 0.006 to 12.258 mg/mL; the authors say these minor cannabinoids are largely absent from labels. ²³

CBD labels and THC in UK oils. Only 11 of 29 UK CBD oils (38%) were within 10% of the advertised CBD content, 55% had measurable THC or CBN, and most held other cannabinoids including CBDA. ²⁹

Label discrepancies in Portugal. Cannabis products in Portugal showed significant discrepancies between label claims and measured contents; none of the beverages held detectable cannabinoids and some oils held much more CBD than labelled. ³⁴

CBD to CBDA ratios in Canadian hemp products. Of 40 commercial hemp products, most had low CBD and a CBD:CBDA ratio under 1.0; one oil had a ratio above 1,000. Two products exceeded the Canadian THC limit. ³¹

CBDA breaks down. Hemp seed oil studies measured how fast CBDA decarboxylates at different temperatures to judge storage stability. A review lists chemical instability as a barrier, and CBDA-rich extracts were stabilised with magnesium for one animal study. Aged or heated products therefore hold more CBD and less CBDA than they started with. ^{9 17 46}

Preparation changes the dose. For medicinal cannabis teas, doses varied widely between repeat preparations of the same product, and adding creamer before boiling raised THC and CBD 2 to 4-fold. A decoction and an oil of the same plant gave different blood levels of CBD and CBDA in 13 healthy adults. ^{48 35}

Body	Action	Date
US Food and Drug Administration (United States)	Its cannabis Q&A page says the FDA has not approved a marketing application for cannabis for any disease or condition, and that Epidiolex (purified CBD) is a prescription medicine approved for certain seizure disorders. The page does not mention CBDA. source	2026-10-25
US Food and Drug Administration (United States)	Says THC and CBD products are excluded from the dietary supplement definition. The page does not say whether CBDA is, and no FDA ruling on CBDA specifically was found. source	2026-10-25
US Congress (2018 Farm Bill), quoted by the FDA (United States)	The hemp definition quoted by the FDA covers "all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers" of the plant with a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry-weight basis. Whether that makes a specific CBDA product lawful depends on the product and on state law. source	2026-10-25
US Food and Drug Administration (prescription label) (United States)	Epidiolex, a purified CBD oral solution, is an FDA-approved prescription medicine with warnings for liver injury, sleepiness, suicidal thoughts and drug interactions. It contains CBD, not CBDA. source	2026-10-25

When to get medical help

A child has swallowed any product that contains cannabis, hemp extract or CBD, or an adult took far more than intended: call a poison center or emergency number (in the US, 1-800-222-1222).
Very hard to wake, slow or shallow breathing, or confusion, especially after mixing with alcohol or sedating medicines: call emergency services.
Rash, swelling of the face, lips or throat, or trouble breathing: possible allergic reaction. Get emergency care.
Yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, severe stomach pain or unusual tiredness while using a CBD-containing product: stop it and seek medical care (liver warning on the CBD label).
Thoughts of harming yourself, or new severe agitation, paranoia or hearing and seeing things after a product that may contain THC: seek urgent medical help.
Repeated vomiting in someone who uses cannabis daily: seek medical care; this may be cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
Adverse events from cannabis products can also be reported to the FDA MedWatch system (1-800-FDA-1088).

Stop using the product and contact a clinician or emergency service. In the US, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.

General information only, not medical advice. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before use, especially with medicines, in pregnancy or with a health condition. See the Natural Remedy Safety guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is CBDA?

CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) is the acid form of CBD, made by the cannabis plant. Reviews call it the main cannabinoid in fibre and seed-oil hemp. It turns into CBD when it loses a carbon dioxide unit with heat, light, air or time. There is no approved CBDA medicine, and human research is almost absent.

^{14 46 53}

Is CBDA the same as CBD?

No. CBDA is the acid form the plant makes first; CBD is what it becomes after losing carbon dioxide. They act differently in lab and animal tests: CBDA was more potent for nausea-like behaviour in rats, while CBD did better for fear memory and methamphetamine sensitisation. The prescription seizure medicine contains CBD, not CBDA.

^{6 4 57 53}

Does CBDA make you high?

CBDA is not known to cause a high on its own, and a review says acid cannabinoids are not intoxicating like THC, mainly when not heated. But the one human study used a mixed product with a little THC, and the highest amount caused moderate subjective intoxication and impaired working memory. Products can also hold THC.

^{46 13}

Does CBDA help with nausea?

Only animal evidence exists. In rats and shrews very small amounts of CBDA reduced nausea-like behaviour and vomiting, mostly through the serotonin 1A receptor. No human trial of CBDA for nausea was found, and animal results often do not carry over to people.

^{6 40 42}

Does CBDA help with anxiety, seizures, pain or inflammation?

Not proven. Animal and cell results are mixed: CBDA reduced anxiety-like behaviour in some mouse and rat tests but not others, raised a seizure threshold in a mouse model, lowered inflammatory pain signs in rats and blocked COX-2 in a test tube. A 12-week human study of capsules with CBDA had no placebo group.

^{4 3 39 49 25}

Is CBDA better absorbed than CBD?

In blood tests, yes. In 15 healthy adults taking a mixed product, peak CBDA was 19 to 25 times higher than CBD, and mice and monkeys showed the same pattern. But higher blood levels do not mean more benefit, and the effects of the mixed product cannot be credited to CBDA.

^{13 5 22}

What does heat do to CBDA?

Heat turns CBDA into CBD. In lab tests, conversion was incomplete under some conditions, and at very high heat total CBD also fell. So the CBDA and CBD in a product can change as it ages or is heated. This is chemistry, not preparation advice.

^{52 8 9}

Is CBDA safe?

Safety in people has not been established. The one human study of a mixed product found side effects and impaired memory at the highest amount. Animal studies found good tolerability at tested amounts and toxicity at higher ones. CBD-containing products can raise liver enzymes and interact with medicines. Ask a doctor or pharmacist first.

^{13 7 16 21}

Can I take CBDA with my medicines?

Not known. No study tested CBDA with medicines in people. In dog liver tissue it inhibited two liver enzymes. CBD, often in the same product, interacts with medicines such as clobazam. Ask a pharmacist before combining any product with a prescription medicine.

^{11 21}

Do CBDA products match their labels?

Often not. In 80 shop hemp oils CBDA was found in 51% and was mostly not on the label. In 29 UK CBD oils only 38% were within 10% of their labelled CBD, and many held THC or CBN. A batch certificate of analysis from an independent lab shows what a product holds.

^{23 29 34}

Is CBDA safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding?

No CBDA data exist. The FDA warns that THC-containing cannabis is linked to harm in pregnancy, and ACOG, quoted by the FDA, discourages cannabis use in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. The prescription CBD label says animal data show possible fetal harm. Talk to a clinician.

^{53 21}

How much CBDA do strains contain?

In state flower-testing data most named strains have a median CBDA of 0.0 percent by weight, and only a few names such as ACDC and Harlequin are high. The same strain name varies a lot between samples. See the lab numbers section of the overview.

¹⁰

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Editorial transparency

Written by: AlternativeMed editorial team. Research compiled with AI assistance, then checked against PubMed records.
Medical review: None. This page has not been reviewed by a physician or pharmacist.
First published: 2026-10-25
Last substantive update: 2026-10-25
How we research: We searched PubMed and read the abstracts of the studies cited, read the FDA cannabis questions-and-answers page in full, and read the FDA label record for the prescription CBD medicine. Compound identity was checked in PubChem. Lab numbers come from a table of published and state testing data and are not our own testing.
How we rate evidence: See "How we rate evidence" in the Evidence tab.
Independence: No product is promoted on this page. No affiliate links are shown, and none will be added for CBDA. This page is information, not a recommendation to use any product.

Sources 58

Each source was opened and checked. Where we read only the abstract, it says so. The small numbers in the text point here.

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Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.