Had too much THC and need to reduce its effects? Generally, science and cannabis professionals say take some CBD, the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, to balance it out. But new research indicates that may not be a good idea.
A recent study in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics found that CBD can actually increase the psychoactive effects of cannabis. This news may surprise many, as CBD has been touted as a substance that can block or reduce the psychoactive aspects of too much THC. The theory goes that CBD, due to its unique engagement with endocannabinoid receptors, can block the activity of THC, the most abundant cannabinoid and main driver of cannabis’ psychoactive effects.
Can CBD reverse your high?
The idea that CBD can block THC’s effects comes from a 2006 study by cannabis researcher Dr. Ethan Russo. Russo’s theory made sense at the time, based on the data available; the study discusses the advantages of the entourage effect, and noted that in clinical trials, “CBD is demonstrated to antagonize some undesirable effects of THC including intoxication.”
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But follow-up research has found mixed results in CBD’s efficacy for consistently reducing THC’s psychoactive effects. Some studies have found benefits to adding CBD to THC, such as reduced anxiety, paranoia and cognitive impairments, while others found CBD had no impact.
This latest study shifts the conversation by providing the first piece of evidence that CBD might actually increase psychoactive effects from THC rather than blocking them.
Can CBD increase THC’s pain relief?
This study aimed to figure out whether adding CBD to THC would reduce psychoactive effects while still complementing its pain relieving abilities. The authors’ interests lay in how to make cannabis more accessible as a pain reliever, since many medical patients and recreational consumers seek out cannabis for pain management, but don’t want psychoactive effects for their day-to-day lives.
To examine the impacts of adding CBD, the researchers designed a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial. Thirty-seven healthy, adult participants ages 18 to 45 took part in the trial. All were previous cannabis users, but had not used cannabis more than once per month in the 6 months prior to the experiment, or at all in the previous 3 weeks.
At each test session, participants were given oral tablets with 9 mg of THC and either a placebo or varying levels of CBD, from 10 mg up to 450 mg. Then standardized tests were performed to determine the psychoactive and pain-relieving effects of the varying treatments, including measures for subjective effects like alertness, mood, depression, paranoia, anxiety, and just “feeling high.”
There were additional recordings of effects on cognition and motor function, like attention, stability, vigilance, and coordination.
Large CBD doses can increase THC’s effects
Surprisingly, the results show no reduction of psychoactive effects with higher levels of CBD. Instead, the highest dose of CBD (450mg) seemed to add to the psychoactive effects, with significantly higher scores on most measures. This enhanced psychoactive high was accompanied by elevated levels of THC and its metabolites in the participants’ blood.
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This suggests that the increased psychoactivity may result from the way CBD can alter metabolization of certain drugs by inhibiting enzymes involved in metabolizing chemicals like THC.
Interestingly, the lower doses of CBD (10mg and 30mg) made no significant impact at all.
Sadly, none of the doses of CBD increased levels of pain relief. Still, researchers point out that this does not invalidate previous research supporting CBD’s pain relieving effects. The fact that the participants were healthy volunteers, rather than patients with chronic pain challenges, could explain why the CBD did not increase pain relief. In patient populations, we may see different results.
Will adding CBD increase your high?
While these results do not support the theory that adding CBD to THC can reduce a psychoactive high or increase pain relief, take the study with a grain of salt. Despite the double-blind and randomized study design, the sample size was still relatively small, and thus limiting how far we can generalize the results.
But before you remove CBD from your cannabis routine (or add it in to make your high even stronger), it’s important to note that the study found increases in psychoactive effects only with very large doses of CBD. These doses are much higher than what most consumers normally use. The study doesn’t suggest that low doses are likely to significantly increase your high—but the authors say it’s possible.
To add to the complications, CBD can have biphasic effects, which means that it can have one effect at a low dose, but a different effect at a high dose. Given this, and previous research suggesting no impact, or a reduction of psychedelic effects with CBD, we still don’t have much evidence to suggest that typical doses of CBD could enhance a psychoactive high.
Based on the totality of the research, it’s clear that CBD and THC might interact in a myriad of ways when it comes to psychoactivity. This study expands the possibilities, suggesting the interaction is even more complex than we originally thought.
Recommendations on the best CBD for dogs are made by Leafly’s Product Picks team after extensive research, internal debate, and expert consultation. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission.
Looking to help your pup chill out, manage pain, or ease anxiety during firework season? CBD for dogs has become a go-to option for pet parents seeking natural relief without the high. We’ve sniffed out the best CBD products for dogs, from tasty treats to tinctures, to help your furry friend feel their best.
A quick look at the best CBD for dogs
Best overall: Cornbread Hemp Full Spectrum CBD Oil for Pets
Pet owners turn to CBD products for dogs to help manage a variety of health and behavioral issues. Derived from hemp, cannabidiol (CBD) interacts with the endocannabinoid system—a network found in both humans and animals that helps regulate things like mood, pain, appetite, and immune response.
For dogs, this means CBD may help reduce anxiety during stressful situations like thunderstorms, fireworks, or vet visits, and may also be used to support mobility in aging pups with joint stiffness. Unlike THC, CBD won’t get your dog high, making it a popular option for pet relief when dosed correctly.
Using CBD for your dog typically involves administering a measured amount daily and consistently over time, most commonly through flavored treats, soft chews, or oil tinctures that can be dropped directly into their mouth or mixed into food. Many pet parents report seeing noticeable improvements in their dog’s demeanor, activity level, and overall comfort within a few days to a couple of weeks of beginning a CBD routine.
It’s always a good idea to consult with your veterinarian before starting any new supplement, especially if your dog is on medication or has underlying health conditions. With quality products and responsible use, CBD may be a helpful tool in a holistic approach to your dog’s wellness.
How to select the best CBD for dogs
When shopping for CBD products for your dog, it’s important to look for full- or broad-spectrum hemp extract like the ones on our list, which contain beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes without the THC buzz. Transparency with ingredients and dosing is key—the brands on this list offer third-party lab results (COAs) that confirm potency and screen for pesticides, heavy metals, and other nasties.
We looked for brands with clear dosing guidelines based on your dog’s weight, so you can confidently dial in the right amount for your pet. Some brands focus on organic ingredients and condition-specific formulas, while others offer flavor and potency options to meet your dog’s specific needs.
Whether your pup prefers peanut butter-flavored treats or you need a flavorless oil to add to meals, we sourced options for every taste and temperament. The selections in this list prioritize transparency and effectiveness because your dog deserves the same quality you’d expect for yourself.
Read on to find the best CBD for dogs of 2025.
The best CBD for dogs of 2025: Reviews and recommended products
Best overall: Cornbread Hemp
25mg CBD
Cornbread Hemp makes their hemp extract from USDA-organic, Kentucky-grown hemp flower, using only flower, rather than sticks & stems, to create a full-spectrum oil that’s rich in the cannabinoids and terpenes you want for effective support. We highly recommend their line of CBD oils for humans who want the best, most wholesome relief, and the same goes double for their pet formula for your furry friends.
30 mL | Corndog
You’ll find only organic MCT coconut oil, organic hemp flower extract, and vegan corndog flavoring in this formula. Pets that may stick up their noses at the flavors of a planty full-spectrum extract will come running for Cornbread Hemp’s vegan corndog flavoring. And Cornbread’s made dosing easy so you’ll be ready when they do—they recommend one full dropper of 25mg CBD for an 80lb dog, with clear markers on the dropper to reduce the dose by pet-size for a 19mg dose for 60lb dogs, a 13mg dose for 40lb dogs, and so on.
cbdMD brings their signature quality to CBD for dogs with their veterinarian-formulated Superior Broad Spectrum CBD Dog Oil. The high-quality hemp extract contains cannabinoids and additional terpenes to offer your dog whole-body benefits to help encourage calmness, relaxation, and mobility. Always third-party lab tested to ensure purity and quality, their formula is also vegan, gluten-free, and THC-free, as you’d expect from a broad-spectrum formula.
30 mL | Peanut Butter
The peanut butter flavor and oil format make this CBD simple to administer, and we love that it comes in three different strengths so you can easily match the right product to your dog’s size and particular needs. The 300mg strength oil for small–medium dogs contains 10mg CBD per 1 mL dropper, while the 1500mg strength oil contains 50mg CBD per 1 mL dropper, with the 750mg strength oil falling in between at 25mg CBD per 1 mL dropper.
Best CBD chews: R&R
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5mg CBD
These Multifunctional CBD Dog Chews from the hemp experts at R&R deliver 5mg CBD per piece in a tasty chew format that’s easy for your dog to love. Made with chicken liver & protein, sweet potato, flax seed, and high-quality, full-spectrum hemp extract, these chews will feel as familiar as your dog’s favorite treats, with the plant-powered benefits of CBD in every bite.
60 chews | Chicken
R&R recommends one chew for pets 25 lbs or less and two or more chews for pets over 26 lbs. CBD is most effective when taken consistently, so R&R advises it may take 5-7 days of daily dosing for your pet to experience the best results. Once CBD accumulates in the system, your dog may experience relief from pain and stress in as little as five minutes.
Best for picky eaters: BATCH
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12mg, 25mg, or 50mg CBD
The review section for BATCH’s Pet CBD Oil Tincture is overflowing with stories and pictures of happy dogs whose owners have seen their daily lives improve while using the brand’s high-quality oil tincture. BATCH’s formulas for humans and pets are crafted in-house from 100% organic, Wisconsin-grown hemp plants, and the care they put into their products is on full display here.
30 mL | Bacon, Salmon, or Chicken
We were especially impressed with the personalization options for pet owners, making it easier to select the right formula for picky pets with specific taste preferences. BATCH’s pet oil comes in bacon, salmon, and chicken flavors, so you can serve up something you know your pooch will love. The oil also comes in three concentrations so you can easily select a CBD potency that works best for your animal’s size.
Best CBD treat: Dad Grass
4mg CBD
A CBD treat that helps cool dogs chill, CBD Dog Bones from Dad Grass contain 4mg CBD per bone for wholesome goodness that keeps tails wagging. Always lab-tested for purity and potency, these CBD Dog Bones are vegan, gluten-free, all-natural, and non-GMO so Fido can feel his best. Crafted with real pumpkin and organic, full-spectrum hemp oil, they’re made so dogs will love the taste and happily receive their daily dose of CBD to help with calming nerves and to encourage overall wellness.
20 bones | Pumpkin
Dad Grass recommends 1mg CBD per 10 lbs, so pet owners can easily scale up with one or more bones or break apart a single bone for littler guys. Leave it to Dad Grass to make a pet product that’s got as much style as substance—you can trust that their organic full-spectrum oil is the good stuff, and the classic bone shape brings major bag appeal for a price that’s right.
Best joint support: Medterra
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10mg CBD
For pet parents hoping to enhance their dog’s joint health and mobility, Medterra’s Pet Hemp Joint Support Chews are specially formulated for just that. 10mg of high-quality hemp extract is combined with joint-supporting ingredients like Glucosamine and MSM to help alleviate discomfort and promote healthy activity. The peanut butter chews allow for simple dosing with natural ingredients and a flavor that dogs will sit, stay, and come for.
30 chews | Peanut Butter
A detailed guide is provided on the back of the packaging, so the recommended dose for your dog is always close at hand. There’s guidance for both “Maintenance” and “Advanced Dosing” broken down by pet size, making it simple to adjust your dog’s daily dose based on their specific needs. With a long-standing reputation for effective CBD products for humans, Medterra makes sure they lend the same level of quality to your pets.
Best calming support: Honest Paws
5mg CBD
If your dog could use some extra help around fireworks, plane rides, or separation nerves, Honest Paws makes these Calm CBD Bites for Dogs to foster relaxation and support emotional balance. With their US-grown, organic, full-spectrum hemp extract, these bites can provide natural relief in an organic peanut butter flavor that’s popular with pets. If you’re unsure of whether your dog might prefer a treat format or an oil tincture, Honest Paws also bundles their Calm CBD Soft Chews with their Calm CBD Oil in the Peaceful Dog Bundle so you can test out which is a more effective administration method for your pet.
30 chews | Peanut Butter
Best digestive support: Lazarus Naturals
10mg CBD
Lazarus Naturals is a top producer of high-quality CBD products, with an Organic Pet CBD Tincture that comes highly recommended—but their CBD Dog Chews for Digestive Health are a real standout for their targeted approach to digestive support for dogs. In addition to full-spectrum hemp extract, the chews include pumpkin, prebiotics, and probiotics to help your furry friend feel their best.
30 chews | Pumpkin
Best skin and allergy support: Charlotte’s Web
2.5mg CBD
Skin & Allergy Chews from Charlotte’s Web are formulated to help alleviate discomfort from itchy skin and seasonal allergies for dogs, including ingredients like Nettle Leaf, Marshmallow Root, and Fish Oil Concentrate, along with their full-spectrum, US-grown hemp extract. Pet owners share in reviews that they’ve seen an improvement with reduced scratching and paw-licking in their dogs. Wholesome ingredients and an easy-to-love chicken flavor make this a favorite for owners and pets alike.
30 or 60 chews | Chicken
Best veterinary strength: ElleVet
2,100mg hemp per bottle (servings vary)
ElleVet Hemp Oil for Dogs offers a clinically backed, complete-spectrum hemp oil designed to support dogs’ mobility, calmness, and overall wellness. 1 mL contains 70mg of hemp extract, including CBD and CBDA, formulated with organic sesame seed oil. ElleVet provides detailed dosing information, with guidance by pet weight, support type, and duration of use, and can be purchased with a syringe-style dropper for exact dosing even for dogs under 10 lbs. This oil is the original ElleVet product and the exact blend used in their clinical trials, so you know your best friend is in the best of hands.
15, 30, or 60 mL | Flavorless (plant matter aroma from hemp extract)
Best senior dog support: CBD Dog Health
37mg CBD
CBD Dog Health’s Heal: CBD Oil for Dogs is a full-spectrum hemp extract specially formulated to support senior dogs. Each 1 oz bottle contains 1,100 mg of cannabinoids, including CBD, CBG, and CBN, derived from non-GMO, pesticide-free hemp. This oil is crafted with the issues facing aging pets in mind, targeting pain management, inflammation, and anxiety, as well as promoting better mobility and comfort. Formulated under veterinary guidance for optimal efficacy, consider Heal: CBD Oil for Dogs to help bring some extra brightness to your dog’s sunset years.
30 mL | Flavorless
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Anna Elliott: Senior Content Editor, Brands & Products
Anna Elliott is Leafly’s Senior Content Editor, Brands & Products. She’s been with Leafly since 2021, managing and editing brand-related content and bringing the best stories on the industry’s top products to life. With a decade of experience reviewing products, covering brands, and editing stories, Anna loves talking up the people & products that make a real difference in readers’ every day. She’s found that Space Mints makes the perfect pairing for enjoying her frankly irresponsible vinyl collection.
Avicanna Inc. (TSX: AVCN) (OTCQX: AVCNF) posted fourth quarter revenue of $6.6 million for the period ending Dec. 31, 2024, wrapping up a year of some stability in the Canadian biopharmaceutical company’s commercial ventures.
The Toronto-based cannabinoid-focused firm achieved $25.5 million in annual revenue, a 52% rise from 2023. Still, it posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $440,094, a significant improvement versus the $2.4 million loss reported in the same quarter of 2023, according to filings.
“We are proud to report our most successful year to date, marked by improved financial results and continued advancements in our commercial, R&D and clinical programs,” CEO Aras Azadian said in a statement. “In 2024, we strengthened our financial foundation, achieved self-sufficiency, and established a solid basis for further growth, international expansion, and innovation.”
The fourth quarter capped a year of consistent quarterly performance, with revenue ranging from $6.1 million to $6.6 million across the four quarters.
Avicanna for the full year saw its gross profits reach $12.9 million, up 94% from 2023, while gross margins improved to 51% from 40% a year earlier. The company still reported an annual net loss, though it narrowed considerably to $4.7 million from $6.6 million in 2023. Adjusted EBITDA loss improved by 68% to $1.4 million, versus a loss of $4.3 million in 2023.
A big portion of Avicanna’s revenue came from its MyMedi.ca platform, which was acquired from Shoppers Drug Mart in 2023. It generated over $21 million in gross revenue during 2024. The platform, operated by Northern Green Canada Inc., functions as a medical cannabis care service providing products, bilingual pharmacist-led patient support and educational resources.
The company’s Canadian operations continued to be the primary revenue driver, ending the year with 42 proprietary commercial SKUs and 136 unique commercial listings, it said. The company sold around 200,685 wholesale units in 2024, an 8% increase from the previous year.
International revenue grew to $1.9 million, a 428% increase from $364,419 in 2023, driven by new licensing and supply agreements.
The company saw several operational achievements during 2024, including the start of a real-world evidence study aimed at enrolling 1,000 patients to “better understand the potential therapeutic use of medical cannabis,” led by the head of The Canadian Pain Society.
The firm also obtained drug registration in Colombia for Trunerox, a proprietary oral formulation with 10% CBD for treating severe seizures related to Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and Dravet Syndrome. The company plans to commercialize Trunerox in Colombia in 2025, where it expects it to be covered by insurance.
Avicanna throughout the year repaid an outstanding principal balance of $1.3 million on its non-convertible debentures issued in August 2023 and raised additional capital through private placements.
The company ended the year with a cash balance of $448,028, slightly lower than the $477,198 reported at the end of 2023. Last month, the company applied for and was granted a Management Cease Trade Order due to delays in meeting deadlines for certain statutory filings.
Xebra Brands Ltd. (CSE:XBRA) (OTCQB:XBRA) is looking to raise $150,000 through a private placement while settling $450,000 in debt, the company announced late Tuesday.
The company said it will issue up to 3 million units priced at 5 cents each, with each unit containing one common share and a half-warrant exercisable at 10 cents for two years.
The debt settlement involves issuing up to 9 million shares to company insiders and service providers at the same 5-cent valuation.
Last year, Xebra said it completed its first manufacturing run of Elements CBD products through Restorative Botanicals, aiming to import them into Mexico through its subsidiary once permits are granted. The company previously secured a distribution deal with ICAN Pharmacies FADERMEX to sell the products across seven pharmacy locations. The company previously secured a unanimous Mexican Supreme Court decision supporting its cannabis operations there in 2021.
“By focusing on strategic partnerships and accretive M&A in both the U.S. and Mexico, along with our robust commercial activities, we are well-positioned to capitalize on the significant opportunities in the CBD market in Mexico ahead of legalization,” Rodrigo Gallardo, interim CEO of Xebra Brands, said in a news release last summer. “Our dedicated team is working tirelessly to ensure that Xebra’s Elements brand becomes a household name, delivering exceptional products that meet the highest standards of quality and consumer satisfaction.”
The company, which claims exclusive rights to produce and sell cannabis products (containing less than 1% THC) in Mexico, projects the country’s cannabis market could reach $3.2 billion by 2026, with CBD sales accounting for $210 million, according to company market research citing Statista Market Insights data.
Xebra around that same time tapped veteran consumer goods executive Melise Panetta and her consulting firm. Panetta, who held senior roles at PepsiCo and SC Johnson, brings cannabis industry expertise including work with Keef Colas and High Times brands, according to the company.
Company officers and directors are expected to participate in both deals, which require Canadian regulatory approval. Xebra indicated it would use proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes. The company aims to close both deals by Jan. 30.
