Can CBD Oil Cause Headaches? Here’s When, and Why!

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Posted by Prescription Hope - See Editorial Guidelines (Last Updated On: Thu Feb 02 2023)

CBD oil has become more significant in recent times. Conveyed as a product that can treat or ease many ailments. But there can be side effects, and many have asked if CBD oil can cause headaches.

In this article, we’ll provide the definitive answer on whether CBD can cause headaches. First, we’ll start with a quick summary answer.

Can CBD oil cause headaches? CBD oil may cause headaches due to incorrect dosage, poor quality CBD, toxic produced cannabis, or using products not taken through independent laboratory testing. However, according to the majority of user experiences and clinical trials, CBD oil does not cause headaches, even as a side effect.

That’s the short answer, but there’s more to understand about CBD oil and the potential for headaches. You can find out how CBD Oil works here, so let’s focus more on CBD oil and headaches.

Are Headaches a Common Side Effect of CBD Oil?

The first thing many CBD users question is whether a headache is a common side effect of CBD oil.

Firstly, CBD is a naturally occurring compound found in the hemp strains of the cannabis plant. This naturally occurring plant-based supplement makes it a safe product for consumption.

So, even if certain side effects are triggered by this supplement, they’re often mild or at least, not critical. However, side effects may be more severe if they are influenced by other interactions. For example, CBD oil may interact with other medications you are taking, such as blood thinners. Here are the most common methods of taking CBD Oil, which can prove to limit your risk of side effects.

However, like anything that has its pros and cons, CBD may trigger certain unwanted side effects. The most common side effects of CBD include low blood pressure, dry mouth, dizziness, and drowsiness.

These common side effects are generally experienced by many CBD oil users.

Surprisingly, headaches or related conditions like migraines have not been among these common side effects for many users. Meaning, users of CBD oil reporting headaches after taking CBD is a more rare occurrence.

However, users experiencing a headache after taking CBD oil have been reported in the past. But it’s still arguable on what may be the cause for it.

With user experiences bringing about controversies with CBD oil causing headaches, it’s important to see what clinical researchers have to say on the subject.

Can CBD Oil Cause Headaches – According to Clinical Trials

The hemp industry that makes CBD oil still makes it difficult to assess CBD oil’s exact safety in a comprehensive way. This, in turn, means it’s difficult to find individual reports that assess if CBD oils can cause a headache.

However, a report published in 2017 on the safety and effects of CBD oil touched on a few common side effects of CBD oil.

The report stated, appetite changes, weight gain, diarrhea, dry mouth, drowsiness, hypertension, and lightheaded-ness to be among the few common side effects.

Nowhere did this well-compiled report state that any side effects involved CBD causing headaches.

Side Effect Confusion

The side effect of lightheaded-ness may be what leads to a headache, but this remains debatable.

It’s clear the average user does not usually experience headaches. And even clinical trials don’t support that CBD oil can cause headaches, making it more likely to be a coincidental occurrence.

While the search for what may cause headaches in CBD oil users continues, below are some reasons why your CBD oil may cause you to suffer a headache.

We also have to remember that headaches, in general, can be caused by any number of reasons, one of the main reasons being dehydration.

Taking Incorrect Doses of CBD Oil

The dose of any medication or supplement is crucial for its effective treatment for a medical condition. As such, it’s also important to monitor your CBD dose as directed.

For CBD, the sensitivity of overdosing is high. This is because most of CBD’s side effects come from the wrong dose or uncontrolled CBD use (overdose).

So, taking CBD oil in incorrect doses, either too high or too low, may bring about a headache or similar effects. This could be why no headaches were reported in the studies, as controlled studies closely monitored dose quantities for health reasons.

We should also mention how your body responds to a certain dose of CBD may play a role in whether or not CBD oil causes a headache. This is why it’s always good to talk to your doctor about what dose may be right and effective for you and your health condition.

Poor Quality CBD Oil

The CBD oil market is largely unregulated, and there are plenty of unscrupulous dealers trying to maximize profits by any means.

Add to this a growing market for CBD, and it creates the perfect environment for opportunists to capitalize on its surge in popularity. This leads to sales of low-quality products, synthetic, or even oil made using chemical methods.

The opportunities for selling products other than organic CBD oils are high.

Any product other than an organic CBD oil could potentially cause severe and consistent side effects. These side effects are likely not registered in a laboratory test. Such side effects include respiratory issues, allergies, and of course, headaches.

Organic and quality produced CBD oil should not cause headaches. This is according to the majority of user experiences and as indicated through clinical trials.

Toxic Cannabis Production and Processing

The cannabis plant from which CBD oil is made is susceptible to absorbing mercury, lead, and other chemicals.

It’s essential that CBD undergoes safe and careful harvesting and processing.

Cannabis plants are grown in different parts of the world. Therefore, different CBD products could exhibit different properties based on how and where they’re grown and processed.

This also means it’s possible for toxic chemicals to “fall” into your CBD oil depending on processing parameters and where they come from.

Such absorption of toxic components by cannabis plants could result in low-quality or even diluted CBD extracts. This could ultimately cause severe impacts on your health, which may also include headaches, migraines, or other respiratory diseases.

Products Without Independent Laboratory Testing

As we mentioned earlier, the CBD oil market is largely unregulated.

So, it’s important to buy from manufacturers who provide evidence-based safety, quality, and potency of their products. This evidence should be in the form of proof of 3rd party testing.

Independent and regulated testing tells consumers what’s included in the product – including an indication of the quality and potency levels.

Apart from this, official tests also give warning guidelines on the use of chemical fertilizers, microbial contamination, and pesticides that have (or may have) made their way into the supplement.

If you observe any warnings on packaging or labeling – or the absence of any proper labeling, then that can be considered a warning sign for the product. If that’s the case, then you should refrain from consuming them.

As such, independent tests will assure you of a quality and safe product that will not cause unusual or unexpected side effects like headaches.

Heeding the warnings of CBD products may just protect you from consuming unsafe or toxic contents.

Final Thoughts

Like any other medication that may come from unregulated countries or unknown or untested sources, you ideally need to perform your own due diligence. We hope this has given you a better understanding of whether CBD oil can cause headaches.

If you’re having trouble affording any of your medications, then Prescription Hope may be able to help. Enroll with us and see if you qualify to pay only $60.00 a month through Prescription Hope’s medication access service for each of your medications.