Ruling on using cannabidiol (CBD) that is derived from the cannabis plant

Question: 259044

Is CBD considered haram? CBD is derived from Cannabis which contains minimal traces of THC due to it being extracted from the Cannabis plant. In fact, it is usually extracted from an especially breed version of the plant that produces minimul levels of THC. By minimal I mean 0-1.5% in the extracted products, way too low for anyone to possibly get high from it. THC is the chemical in Marijuana that's responsible for getting one high. It's so low that it is actually legal to sell here in the UK and is currently being trialled by the NHS as a prescription drug. By taking it, you cannot feel the "buzz" or groggyness associated with taking the usual form of Cannabis. In simple words, it takes away or completely reduces the aspect of Cannabis that is considered bad in society and haram in Islam whilst keeping that which is good for you. There are many supposed health benefits to taking CBD such as helping with insomnia, pain relief or anxiety amongst a whole variety of other benefits. The shear variety can be seen on independant online reviews as examples. Most medications for these have side effects or easily become addictive substances E.g. sleeping pills. CBD can be taken as an oil which you can drop under the tongue and hold for a few minutes followed by swallowing, oil rubbed on skin or liqiud vaporised, that is without burning and creating smoke, and inhaled which does not affect the lungs.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Firstly: In the answer to question no. 166813 , we have noted that the active substance in cannabis, which affects the brain and nervous system, is that which is referred to by the acronym THC, which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. This substance causes intoxication and is haraam.

Secondly: It is not permissible to deliberately add any intoxicant substance or [psychoactive] drug to food, medicine or anything else.

But if it is in fact added to something, the sin of that is on the one who adds it.

Then we should examine the food or medicine: if the percentage of the intoxicant substance is negligible, no trace of it can be found and it does not cause intoxication in the one who eats or drinks a large amount of this food or medicine, then there is nothing wrong with consuming it.

Regarding the permissibility of using medicines that contain a small amount of intoxicating alcohol, there have been several statements from Islamic Fiqh Councils and fatwas from Ifta’ committees and councils in the Muslim world, whilst noting that it is preferable to avoid adding alcohol to any medicine, so as to avoid a dubious matter.

For more information, please see the answer to question no. 256355 .

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah li’l-Ifta’ (22/123): The way vinegar is made in Egypt is done by adding beer to it. Then it is placed in a wooden barrel, and some other substances are added to it until it turns into vinegar. This is known as Egyptian vinegar. This is as it is explained in the ninth grade curriculum. What is the ruling on consuming this vinegar?

Answer: it is not permissible to put any intoxicating substance into anything that is intended to be used as medicine, food or drink, or in anything that is intended to be used to make food, drink or a condiment, whether that intoxicating substance is beer or something else.

There is a fatwa of the Permanent Committee on the ruling on mixing medicine with alcohol and the ruling on using it. The text of this fatwa is as follows:

It is not permissible to mix medicines with alcohol that causes intoxication.

But if medicine is mixed with alcohol, it is permissible to use it if the percentage of alcohol is very low and does not affect the colour, taste or smell of the medicine and drinking it does not cause intoxication. Otherwise it is haraam to use that which is mixed with alcohol. End quote.

Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ood, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdillah ibn Baaz.

Based on that:

It is not permissible to add this substance, THC, to any kind of medicine or anything else, no matter what the percentage.

But if it has already been added to some medicine, and the percentage is negligible, so that it has not left any trace in what it has been mixed with, then there is nothing wrong with taking it.

And Allah knows best.

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