Last updated: October 2026
The FSA advises healthy adults to have no more than 10mg of CBD a day. It’s precautionary advice, not a legal limit: it isn’t against the law to take more. The FSA set it in October 2023, replacing its earlier 70mg figure, based on liver and thyroid effects seen at much higher doses and gaps in long-term safety data.
Below: where the 10mg figure comes from, why it changed, what it means in drops and capsules, our view, and who shouldn’t take CBD at all.
Is 10mg the legal limit?
No. The 10mg figure is consumer advice from the FSA. There’s no law limiting how much CBD an adult can take. What is regulated is what businesses sell: CBD food products must be linked to an application on the FSA’s public list, and as products are authorised, their labels will need to show the amount per serving and warnings based on the 10mg figure. See the FSA’s first CBD approvals explained and is CBD legal in the UK?
How the advice has changed
| Date | FSA position |
|---|---|
| February 2020 | Healthy adults advised to take no more than 70mg a day |
| October 2023 | Advice lowered to 10mg a day, based on a joint review by its novel foods and toxicity committees |
| September 2026 | The FSA board recommended the first CBD product authorisations, at 10mg a day |
Why 10mg?
The FSA’s scientific committees found signs of liver effects in people from about 5mg per kg of body weight a day, roughly 350mg for a 70kg adult, plus possible thyroid effects. Because long-term human data is missing, they applied large safety margins and arrived at a provisional acceptable daily intake of 10mg for a healthy adult. The figure was worked out for highly pure CBD (98% or more). See is CBD bad for your liver?
What 10mg looks like in drops and capsules
| Product | CBD per drop or capsule | For about 10mg |
|---|---|---|
| 10ml oil, 500mg (5%) | About 2.5mg per drop | 4 drops |
| 10ml oil, 1000mg (10%) | About 5mg per drop | 2 drops |
| 10ml oil, 2000mg (20%) | About 10mg per drop | 1 drop |
| 30ml Evolabs oil, 1000mg | About 1.7mg per drop | 6 drops |
| Broad Spectrum CBD Capsules | 10mg per capsule | 1 capsule (10mg version) |
Drop sizes vary slightly, so these are approximate. Add up CBD from all products you use in a day. Full chart for every strength: how much CBD to take. See also CBD oil strengths explained.
Our view
The FSA’s 10mg a day figure is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication.
That’s our opinion, not the FSA’s. The liver effects behind the advice were seen at doses tens of times higher, but nobody yet knows the long-term effects of daily use, so starting low and increasing slowly is sensible. Our CBD products are on the FSA public list, linked to validated applications RP438, RP821 and RP47.
Who shouldn’t take CBD
The FSA advises these groups not to take CBD at all:
- children and under-18s
- people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or trying to conceive. See CBD in pregnancy
- people taking any medication, unless a doctor agrees. See CBD and medication
We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
FAQs
What is the daily limit for CBD in the UK?
The FSA advises healthy adults to take no more than 10mg a day. It’s precautionary advice, not a legal limit.
Is it illegal to take more than 10mg of CBD?
No. There’s no law limiting how much CBD an adult takes. The 10mg figure is safety advice.
Why did the FSA change from 70mg to 10mg?
A 2023 review by its scientific committees found liver and thyroid effects at high doses and gaps in long-term data, so it applied a large safety margin.
How many drops is 10mg of CBD?
It depends on strength: about 4 drops of a 500mg 10ml oil, 2 drops of a 1000mg oil, or 1 drop of a 2000mg oil.
What happens if you take more than 10mg of CBD?
Most adults won’t notice any harm at moderate amounts, but side effects such as drowsiness and diarrhoea become more likely at higher doses, and liver effects have been seen at very high doses.
Does the 10mg limit apply to CBD balms?
The advice is about CBD you eat or drink. Very little CBD from a balm reaches the bloodstream.
Sources
- FSA. Cannabidiol (CBD) guidance.
- ACNFP and COT. Provisional CBD acceptable daily intake, 2023.
- FSA. CBD products list.
- Florian J et al. Cannabidiol and liver enzyme level elevations in healthy adults: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med, 2025.
