Cannabis topicals: quick answer
Cannabis topicals are products you apply to the skin. They contain cannabinoids such as CBD, THC, CBG, or CBN. Forms include creams, lotions, salves, balms, oils, gels, and patches. Most topicals act on the skin and nearby tissue. They do not produce a high in most cases because little cannabinoid enters the blood. Evidence for pain, arthritis, and skin conditions is limited. The FDA has not approved any cannabis topical as a drug.
Forms and ingredients
Common bases are water, oil, wax, shea butter, and petrolatum. Products may add menthol, camphor, lidocaine, or capsaicin. These add cooling, warming, or numbing effects. Check the full ingredient list. A label may state total CBD per container. It may not state CBD per application. A 30 mL tube with 300 mg CBD has about 10 mg per mL if the mix is even.
How topicals work
Skin has a barrier layer. Many cannabinoids pass this layer in small amounts. A topical stays on the surface and in upper skin layers. A transdermal product uses carriers to cross the barrier and enter the blood. The two types have different uses and risks.
Local effects may come from cannabinoid receptors in skin and from other ingredients. Research on humans is small. Reviews report few controlled trials. Test results in animals do not prove results in people.
Evidence and limits
Studies on topical CBD for pain and inflammation are small. Some trials test topical CBD for knee arthritis or skin problems. Results are mixed. The FDA has approved one CBD drug, Epidiolex, an oral solution for certain seizure disorders. The FDA has approved no CBD topical for pain, arthritis, or skin disease.
- Do not use topicals in place of care for an infection, wound, or severe pain.
- Ask a clinician before use if you take blood thinners or other drugs.
- Avoid THC topicals if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or breastfeed.
Label checks
- Find a batch number and a certificate of analysis from a third-party lab.
- Check cannabinoid amounts: CBD, THC, and total. Look for THC at or below 0.3% for hemp-derived products.
- Check for contaminants: pesticides, heavy metals, mold, and bacteria.
- Patch test on a small skin area for 24 hours.
- Stop use if you see rash, hives, or swelling.
Law and regulation
Rules vary by state. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act at the federal level. It did not make all CBD products legal under state law. CBD topicals sold as cosmetics do not need FDA premarket review. A product that claims to treat disease is a drug and needs FDA approval. That approval does not exist for cannabis topicals.