Last updated: October 2026
CBD isn’t a treatment for Parkinson’s. Small trials have given mixed results, and the largest placebo-controlled trials found no clear benefit. No CBD medicine is licensed for Parkinson’s in the UK, and our products make no medical claims. CBD may interact with Parkinson’s medicines, so speak to your specialist or Parkinson’s nurse first.
Below: what each trial found, what Parkinson’s UK says, why CBD isn’t prescribed for Parkinson’s, safety with Parkinson’s medicines, and what helps Parkinson’s symptoms.
Does CBD help Parkinson’s? The research
Seven trials and one large survey have looked at CBD in people with Parkinson’s. Here’s what each found.
| Study | People | CBD a day | What it found | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chagas, Brazil, 2014 (placebo-controlled) | 21 | 75mg or 300mg | No difference in movement symptoms. The 300mg group had better quality-of-life scores than placebo | Very low: 7 people per group |
| de Faria, Brazil, 2020 (placebo-controlled crossover) | 24 | One 300mg dose | Less anxiety and smaller tremor during a simulated public-speaking test | Very low: a single dose in a lab test |
| Leehey, US, 2020 (no placebo) | 13 | Up to 20 to 25mg per kg of body weight | Movement scores improved in the 10 who finished, but 5 had raised liver enzymes and 3 dropped out | Very low: no comparison group |
| de Almeida, Brazil, 2021 (placebo-controlled) | 33 with REM sleep behaviour disorder | 75mg to 300mg for 14 weeks | No difference from placebo in acting out dreams; a brief improvement in sleep satisfaction | Low |
| Holden, US, 2022 (online survey) | 1,881 | Varied | Many users reported better sleep, pain and mood; dry mouth, dizziness and changes in thinking were common. Surveys can’t prove cause | Very low: self-reported |
| Liu, US, 2024 (placebo-controlled) | 61 | About 190mg CBD with 6mg THC, for 2 weeks at full dose | No difference from placebo in movement symptoms. Sleep and thinking scores did better on placebo, and mild side effects were more common with the extract | Low: short trial |
| Mitarnun, Thailand, 2025 (placebo-controlled) | 60 (51 finished) | About 26mg CBD with about 1mg THC, for 12 weeks | No difference in memory, movement, mood or inflammation markers; a small improvement on one naming test, and a raised blood enzyme (alkaline phosphatase) in the CBD group | Low |
| Kubota, Brazil, 2026 (placebo-controlled) | 101 | About 44mg CBD with under 1mg THC, for 9 weeks | No improvement in pain or other non-movement symptoms compared with placebo; no serious side effects | Moderate for these outcomes: the largest trial so far |
“Certainty” is our plain-English summary of each study’s size and design, not a formal rating. Put together, the trials don’t show that CBD improves movement, pain or other Parkinson’s symptoms, and the doses used were often far above what’s in a food supplement.
Lab studies on brain cells are interesting, but no trial has shown that CBD slows Parkinson’s. Larger, longer trials are needed before anyone can say whether it helps.
Is CBD licensed for Parkinson’s in the UK?
No. The UK’s licensed cannabis-based medicines are for rare epilepsies, MS muscle spasticity and chemotherapy sickness, and none is licensed for Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s UK says cannabis-based medicines aren’t available on prescription for people with Parkinson’s. See our guide to medical cannabis in the UK for what is prescribed and who can prescribe it.
The CBD oils sold in shops, including ours, are food supplements rather than medicines. They’re made from hemp, must contain no controlled cannabinoids such as THC, and can’t claim to treat any condition. For how CBD differs from the compound that causes a high, see CBD vs THC, and for the law, is CBD legal in the UK?
What Parkinson’s UK says about CBD
- The evidence isn’t there yet: the charity says there isn’t enough evidence to know whether cannabis-based medicines are safe for people with Parkinson’s or what the benefits may be.
- Talk to a professional first: it advises speaking to a healthcare professional before trying a CBD product, because researchers aren’t sure how CBD may interact with Parkinson’s drugs.
- Shop CBD isn’t regulated like a medicine: its quality and content can’t be guaranteed in the same way, and sellers shouldn’t make health claims.
- Research is under way: Parkinson’s UK has funded a trial at King’s College London testing whether CBD can reduce hallucinations and delusions in Parkinson’s, using higher doses than shop products with close monitoring.
Parkinson’s UK’s helpline is free on 0808 800 0303.
Why people with Parkinson’s try CBD
Parkinson’s brings many non-movement symptoms, including poor sleep, anxiety, low mood and pain, and people understandably look for extra support. Some use CBD as part of an evening routine. If you’re considering it, agree it with your team first, start low, and keep a diary of sleep and symptoms so you can judge honestly. See CBD for sleep and CBD for pain.
Safety with Parkinson’s medicines
- Drowsiness: Parkinson’s medicines can cause sleepiness, and CBD can add to it. Take care with driving and stairs.
- Low blood pressure and dizziness: common in Parkinson’s; report any worsening.
- Liver: high doses raised liver enzymes in Parkinson’s trials. See CBD and the liver.
- Interactions: CBD can affect how some medicines are processed, including some antidepressants and sedatives often used alongside Parkinson’s treatment. See CBD and medication.
- Thinking and sleep: in the 2024 placebo-controlled trial, sleep and thinking scores did better on placebo than on a CBD and THC extract.
- Tell your team: in a large 2022 survey, about 3 in 10 people with Parkinson’s who used cannabis products hadn’t told their doctor. Your specialist or Parkinson’s nurse needs to know about everything you take.
- Never change or stop Parkinson’s medicines without your specialist.
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.
What helps Parkinson’s symptoms
- Medicines such as levodopa, dopamine agonists and MAO-B inhibitors, adjusted by your specialist.
- Exercise and physiotherapy, which help movement, balance and mood.
- Speech and language therapy and occupational therapy.
- Support for sleep, mood and pain: raise these with your Parkinson’s nurse, as they’re often treatable.
Parkinson’s UK runs a free helpline on 0808 800 0303.
Sources 11
- Chagas MH et al. Effects of cannabidiol in the treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease: an exploratory double-blind trial. J Psychopharmacol, 2014.
- Leehey MA et al. Safety and tolerability of cannabidiol in Parkinson disease: an open label, dose-escalation study. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res, 2020.
- Holden SK et al. Self-reported effects of real-world cannabis use in Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord Clin Pract, 2022.
- Kubota GT et al. Cannabis-based oil for pain and other non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease: a randomized controlled trial. Mov Disord, 2026.
- de Faria SM et al. Effects of acute cannabidiol administration on anxiety and tremors induced by a Simulated Public Speaking Test in patients with Parkinson’s disease. J Psychopharmacol, 2020.
- de Almeida CMO et al. Cannabidiol for rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Mov Disord, 2021.
- Liu Y et al. Short-term cannabidiol with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Parkinson’s disease: a randomized trial. Mov Disord, 2024.
- Mitarnun W et al. Cannabidiol and cognitive functions/inflammatory markers in Parkinson’s disease: a double-blind randomized controlled trial (CBD-PD-BRH trial). Parkinsonism Relat Disord, 2025.
- Parkinson’s UK. CBD and Parkinson’s.
- NHS. Medical cannabis (and cannabis oils).
- NHS. Parkinson’s disease: treatment.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Always speak to your Parkinson’s specialist or nurse before trying a new supplement.
