Summary
Cannabidiol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Obesity would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Obesity. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 6 registered trials linking Cannabidiol to Obesity: 2 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT05387798). The largest enrolment is 148 participants (NCT06648031). Registration activity spans 2018 to 2024. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 2 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2024 to 2026. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Obesity ranks 368 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Sustained weight loss of >5% without intervention: ~5-10% at 2 years; weight regain almost universal after behavioural intervention alone (95% return to within 5% of starting weight at 5 years on lifestyle alone).
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 36.0 (trials 12.0, literature 4.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 6 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 2 completed, 4 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (2 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | negative modulator; modulator |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | CNR1 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT05387798 | A Phase 3 Extension Study of RAD011 (Cannabidiol Oral Solution) in Patients With Prader-Willi Syndrome 2023 | withdrawn | Phase 3 | — |
| NCT03458416 | A Study to Assess the Long-Term Safety of Pharmaceutical Grade Synthetic Cannabidiol Oral Solution in Participants With Prader-Willi Syndrome 2018 | terminated | Phase 2 | 2 |
| NCT02844933 | Cannabidiol Oral Solution for the Treatment of Patients With Prader-Willi Syndrome 2018 | terminated | Phase 2 | 7 |
| NCT06648031 | Comparison of the Safety, Efficacy and Pharmacokinetics of DehydraTECH -CBD and DehydraTECH-GLP1 Agonists Alone or in Combination, in Overweight or Obese, Pre- and Type 2 Diabetic Participants 2024 | completed | Phase 1 | 148 |
| NCT05574049 | Weight Loss, Blood Sugar and Blood Lipid Effects of Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) Impregnated Mucoadhesive Strips 2022 | completed | Early Phase 1 | 56 |
| NCT05098509 | A Study to Assess RAD011 (Cannabidiol Oral Solution) for the Treatment of Participants With Prader-Willi Syndrome 2022 | terminated | PHASE2, PHASE3 | 4 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Short-Term Low Dose Cannabidiol Does Not Influence Glucose Tolerance or the Gut Microbiome in Sedentary Adults with Overweight and Obesity: Pilot StudyEwell TR, Bomar MC, Abbotts KSS et al. · Cannabis and cannabinoid research · 2026 · PMID 41167732
- Clinical trial publication Alterations to sphingolipid metabolism from antipsychotic administration in healthy volunteers are restored following the use of cannabidiolJieu B, Sykorova EB, Rohleder C et al. · Psychiatry research · 2024 · PMID 38950483
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: negative modulator; modulator.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CNR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cannabidiol approved for Obesity?
Cannabidiol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Obesity would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Obesity. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Cannabidiol in clinical trials for Obesity?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 6 registered trials linking Cannabidiol to Obesity: 2 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT05387798). The largest enrolment is 148 participants (NCT06648031). Registration activity spans 2018 to 2024.
What does the evidence show for Cannabidiol in Obesity?
Cannabidiol has 2 completed trials and 2 linked publications for Obesity. Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CNR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.