Practical Guide
How do you talk to your doctor about CBD?
TL;DR — What the Evidence Shows
The Arthritis Foundation, ACP, and ACR all advise discussing CBD with a healthcare provider before use. This page has printable checklists that may help with that conversation.
Why talk to your doctor?
The 44% problem. About 44 out of 100 older adults who use cannabis products have not discussed it with a healthcare provider. Nearly half of older users are taking a substance that can interact with common medications without their doctor's knowledge.
Drug interactions. CBD affects liver enzymes that process about 60 out of 100 prescription drugs. If you take blood thinners, statins, blood pressure medications, or antidepressants, CBD can change how these drugs work in your body. In some cases, these interactions can be dangerous.
No clinical trials in adults over 55. Every major CBD clinical trial excluded adults over 55. Safety data for the age group most likely to use CBD for arthritis does not exist. Your doctor can help assess whether the risks are acceptable for your specific situation.
Sources: (U Michigan Poll 2024) (Nasrin 2021)
Should you bring up CBD with your doctor?
This tool summarizes what the cited evidence says about the urgency of discussing CBD with a healthcare provider.
Important
This is not medical advice. It helps you decide whether to raise CBD with your healthcare provider.
Step 1: Are you taking any prescription medications?
Step 2: High priority.
High priority based on cited evidence. CBD is documented to interact with many prescription medications.
Based on cited research — not personalized medical advice.
Step 3: Are you over 65?
Step 4: Worth discussing.
Worth noting: no CBD clinical trial has included adults over 65. Risk data for this age group does not exist.
Based on cited research — not personalized medical advice.
Step 5: Still a good idea.
Lower urgency based on available data, but medical organizations still advise discussing supplement use with a healthcare provider.
Based on cited research — not personalized medical advice.
What should you bring to your appointment?
These items can help a healthcare provider give more specific, relevant guidance.
What to bring to your appointment
What questions should you ask?
These questions can help start a productive conversation. You do not need to ask all of them. Choose the ones most relevant to your situation.
Questions to ask your doctor
What if your doctor doesn't know about CBD?
Some doctors may not be familiar with CBD or may not have reviewed the research. Bringing printed information can help. The drug interactions page includes cited case reports that a physician can review quickly.
A pharmacist may also be helpful. Pharmacists are trained in drug interactions and can review your medication list for potential conflicts with CBD. Many pharmacies offer this as a free service.
Print the drug interactions page for your doctor
The drug interaction page includes a medication table, enzyme pathways, and cited case reports. It can be printed and brought to your appointment.
Key sources cited on this page
Page last reviewed: March 2026 · Authored by Claude (Anthropic AI) · Research methodology