Is CBD safe to eat and drink – and will it get me high?

CBD is turning up in everything from coffee and cakes to gummies and fizzy drinks. But the rules around it are changing.

So what does CBD actually do, how much is safe to consume and could it get you high? We asked the experts.

Cannabidiol – or CBD – is one of a group of chemicals called cannabinoids found in cannabis plants. It can also be made synthetically.

Although it comes from the same plant, it's not the psychoactive substance – that's THC.

Some CBD food products might contain trace amounts of THC, external, though.

So, while pure CBD isn't a controlled substance in the UK (and can't get you high), food containing it is subject to food-safety and novel-food regulations.

Some people claim CBD helps with relaxation, pain relief, nausea and anxiety, although the science on that is inconclusive.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises a maximum intake of 10 milligrams of CBD a day, external for healthy adults – which is about four to five drops of 5% CBD oil.

It encourages us to check the label of any CBD food or drink products for the content per serving.

Homemade foods you might find in cafés or market stalls often don't say how much CBD they contain, making it hard to know how much you're consuming overall.

There are also some potential health risks from long-term usage to be aware of, says the FSA's deputy chief scientific advisor, Rick Mumford.

"The more CBD you consume over your lifetime, the more likely you are to develop long-term adverse effects, like liver damage or thyroid issues.

"The level of risk is related to how much you take, in the same way it is with some other potentially harmful products such as alcoholic drinks."

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which gives advice on CBD products, found nearly 20% of the adults it surveyed in 2025, external had tried CBD in the previous 12 months. Among adults aged between 18 and 34, that jumped to 31%.

And it comes in lots of different forms. Mostly you'll find CBD mixed in an oil like olive or coconut, but there are also vapes and gels.

With such interest and demand, it was perhaps only a matter of time before producers started adding it to food and drink.

These products have been commonplace for years and line shelves in mainstream supermarkets as well as health shops.

As of the FSA's guideline update in August 2026, there are no authorised CBD products in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, external. Nor has Food Standards Scotland authorised any.

But in September 2026, the FSA published a board paper on the first three proposed authorisations of CBD food products, external. Ministers will make the final decisions.

So how come CBD food products are already so widely available? Any that were on sale before the new regulations came into effect and and have submitted an application for authorisation are allowed to continue being sold.

You can find a list of those products, external online (although being on the list does not mean a product has been endorsed by the FSA or confirmed as safe).

There's evidence that some prescription CBD medicines, external can help with specific conditions – but this isn't relevant to CBD infused food and drink as they're not at all comparable to the medicines used.

Prof. Harry Sumnall, an expert in substance use at Liverpool John Moores University, says there's no good scientific evidence that over-the-counter products have any benefits.

The reality is that the CBD-laced latte you bought at the cute café is unlikely to do much at all.

"Many of the CBD products available on the high street contain so little CBD that you would need to consume vast quantities to even approach some of the doses that are administered in clinical trials of medicines," Sumnall says.

You shouldn't exceed the FSA's maximum intake of 10mg though – the CBD products that carries other risks.

The FSA says these "vulnerable groups", external should avoid taking any CBD products:

CBD can also cause side effects like nausea, fatigue and irritability, according to Harvard University, external.

For those worried about addiction, the World Health Organization, external says pure CBD "does not appear to have abuse potential" and "dependence on CBD has not been identified".

CBD itself won't get you high and, in small quantities, it's unlikely to do much.

But some food and drink products that contain CBD also have THC content.

You should be cautious of how much you consume and where you buy it.

"Many cannabis-based products are available to buy online, but their quality and content is not known. They may be illegal and potentially dangerous," says the NHS.

Originally published August 2019, updated September 2026.

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