Drug & supplement interaction

Cannabidiol (cbd) + Cabotegravir

Cabotegravir brand name: Apretude.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Cannabidiol (cbd) has a moderate interaction with Cabotegravir. Cannabidiol might increase levels of certain glucuronidated drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Cannabidiol (cbd) and Cabotegravir

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS

Why this applies to Cabotegravir

Cabotegravir falls under GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS — the group Cannabidiol (cbd) interacts with.

Cannabidiol might increase levels of certain glucuronidated drugs.
In vitro research shows that cannabidiol inhibits uridine diphosphoglucuronosyl transferase (UGT) 1A9 and UGT2B7, enzymes responsible for glucuronidation. Theoretically, this could decrease the clearance and increase levels of glucuronidated drugs.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist for cabotegravir (Apretude). Your body clears this HIV medicine mainly through a process called glucuronidation, using enzymes named UGT1A1 and UGT1A7. CBD has been shown in lab dish studies to slow down related UGT enzymes. The thinking is that if CBD slows the cleanup of cabotegravir, levels could drift a little higher, which might mean more chance of side effects like headache, tiredness, or fever and soreness around an injection site.

I want to be honest though: this is theoretical and based only on test-tube data, not real people, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Cabotegravir isn't a prodrug, so the direction holds. Since this is HIV care, please loop in your pharmacist or doctor before adding any CBD product, and don't change your dosing on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Epidiolex (cannabidiol) prescribing information. Greenwich Biosciences, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 2019. Available at: https://www.epidiolex.com/sites/default/files/EPIDIOLEX_Full_Prescribing_Information.pdf (accessed 5/9/2019)

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Cannabidiol (cbd) Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cannabidiol (cbd) has 1,050 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Cabotegravir one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,050 No known interaction 1,780 (incl. Cabotegravir)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cannabidiol (cbd)

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Cannabidiol (cbd). Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cabotegravir

This page covers Cannabidiol (cbd) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cabotegravir page lists 12 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Breadfruit (moderate), Brussels Sprout (moderate), Cabbage (moderate), Calcium D-glucarate (moderate) and Dandelion (moderate).

By severity: 11 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cabotegravir page

“Cabotegravir (Apretude) prevents HIV only while its blood level stays steady, which is why this particular list, mild as it looks, deserves a real read. Every one of the interactions works through the same pathway, glucuronidation, the process the body uses to clear the drug.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cabotegravir interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Cannabidiol (cbd) and Cabotegravir Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Cannabidiol (cbd)
Top half

#373 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Cabotegravir
Top half

#806 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Cannabidiol (cbd)

What is Cannabidiol (cbd)?

  • Anxiety and stress
  • Sleep problems
  • Chronic pain
  • Certain seizure disorders
  • Inflammation

CBD is a compound from the cannabis (hemp) plant that does not cause a 'high.' It has strong evidence only for certain rare seizure disorders (as a prescription drug), while most other popular uses are still backed by limited or early research. Product quality varies a lot, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take other medicines.

Read the full Cannabidiol (cbd) monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cabotegravir

What Is Cabotegravir Used For?

Brand name: Apretude

Vocabria (cabotegravir) tablets are used in combination with rilpivirine (Edurant) to treat HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents aged 12 and older who weigh at least 35 kg and whose HIV is already virologically suppressed (virus levels undetectable or very low on their current regimen). Vocabria tablets serve as a short-term oral lead-in — taken for roughly one month — before switching to long-acting injectable therapy.

Cabotegravir tablets are also used as an oral lead-in for HIV-1 pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) — helping HIV-negative adults and adolescents (weighing at least 35 kg) confirm they tolerate the drug before starting injectable PrEP. Both uses require confirmed HIV-negative status before starting.

See full Cabotegravir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cannabidiol (cbd)

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Cannabidiol (cbd) — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
1,050Moderate
0Minor
1,779No known interaction
1,050 Moderate 1,779 No interaction
Moderate

1,050 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,050 moderate interactions — see all 1,050 on the Cannabidiol (cbd) page.

No interaction 1,779 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Cannabidiol (cbd) against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,779 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cannabidiol (cbd) list.

See the full Cannabidiol (cbd) interactions page
See every supplement checked against Cabotegravir, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Cannabidiol (cbd) monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Cabotegravir supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Cabotegravir, ranked by severity Cabotegravir drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cannabidiol (cbd) and Cabotegravir Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cannabidiol (cbd) with Cabotegravir?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Cannabidiol (cbd) and Cabotegravir interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.