Drug & supplement interaction

Hemp + Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel

Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel brand names: Linessa, Apri, Reclipsen, Solia, Kariva, and others.

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

Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel falls into 3 drug categories that Hemp can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, hemp might interfere with hormone therapy due to its estrogenic effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions3
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Hemp and Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Hemp interacts with whole categories of medication. Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Hemp in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ESTROGENS

1 of 3

Why this applies to Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel

Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel falls under ESTROGENS — the group Hemp interacts with.

Theoretically, hemp might interfere with hormone therapy due to its estrogenic effects.
In an ovariectomized animal model, a diet containing hemp seed 1%, 2%, or 10% resulted in normalized plasma levels of 17-beta-estradiol. The mechanism of action for this effect is unclear.
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 honest version: this is a very theoretical concern. Your birth control pill (the Apri/Reclipsen family) combines ethinyl estradiol with desogestrel to prevent pregnancy and keep your cycle steady. The worry on file is that hemp may carry some mild estrogen-like activity of its own, which could in theory nudge how your body's hormone balance behaves while you're on the pill.

But here's the key point: this idea comes only from an animal study, not from people, and the mechanism isn't even understood. Eating hemp seeds or a little hemp oil in food is very unlikely to affect your pill or its reliability. If you're thinking about concentrated hemp supplements, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first so you stay confident in your protection.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Saberivand A, Karimi I, Becker LA, et al. The effects of Cannabis sativa L. seed (hempseed) in the ovariectomized rat model of menopause. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2010;32(7):467-73. PubMed
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

2 of 3

Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, hemp might decrease the levels and clinical effects of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research shows that hemp induces CYP1A2 enzymes.
Severity Minor 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 your birth control pill (the ethinyl estradiol plus desogestrel combo). Lab studies hint that hemp may speed up a liver enzyme called CYP1A2, which is one of the enzymes that helps process the estrogen part of your pill. In theory, faster breakdown could mean slightly lower hormone levels, and with contraceptives we always pay extra attention to anything that might weaken them.

That said, this is very weak evidence, coming only from test-tube research, not real people. Food amounts of hemp seeds or hemp oil are very unlikely to cause a problem. If you're using concentrated hemp supplements, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor so they can reassure you or suggest a backup method if needed.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Haron MH, Dale O, Martin K, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction Potential of Commonly Used Botanicals on the US Market with Regard to PXR- and AhR-Mediated Influences on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2. J Diet Suppl 2022. PubMed
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

3 of 3

Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, hemp might decrease the levels and clinical effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that hemp induces CYP3A4 enzymes.
Severity Minor 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 situation with your birth control pill (the ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel combination). Both hormones are broken down by a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. Some early lab research suggests hemp may speed up that enzyme, which in theory could clear these hormones a little faster and lower their levels in your body.

Why does that matter? With birth control, lower hormone levels could mean slightly less reliable protection against pregnancy or some breakthrough spotting. That said, I want to be honest about how weak this evidence is. It comes from test-tube studies only, not real people, and eating hemp seeds or hemp oil in food amounts is very unlikely to cause a problem. If you're using concentrated hemp supplements, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor so they can weigh in.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Haron MH, Dale O, Martin K, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction Potential of Commonly Used Botanicals on the US Market with Regard to PXR- and AhR-Mediated Influences on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2. J Diet Suppl 2022. PubMed

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

Hemp Also Interacts With Other Medications

Hemp has 40 moderate, 897 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 40 Minor 897 No known interaction 1,893 (incl. Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Hemp

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Hemp. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel

This page covers Hemp only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel page lists 246 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 201 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Hemp as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 720 real supplement products containing Hemp, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Hemp. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel too, on top of Hemp — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Hemp and Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel 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 Hemp
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel
Steady interest

#1,764 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 Hemp

What is Hemp?

Hemp
  • Plant-based protein source
  • Heart health support
  • Skin and hair health
  • Reducing inflammation
  • General nutrition (omega fatty acids)

Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil are nutritious foods rich in protein, fiber, and healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and they are generally safe for most people as part of the diet. While the nutrition is real, strong human evidence that hemp supplements treat specific medical conditions is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using hemp products for a health concern, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Read the full Hemp monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hemp

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

0Major
40Moderate
897Minor
1,892No known interaction
40 Moderate 897 Minor 1,892 No interaction
Moderate

40 interactions

Minor

897 interactions

Showing 60 of 897 minor interactions — see all 897 on the Hemp page.

No interaction 1,892 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,892 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Hemp list.

See the full Hemp interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel, 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
Hemp monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel, ranked by severity 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 Hemp and Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel Together: Common Questions

Can you take Hemp with Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel?
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.
Why are there 3 interactions listed for Hemp and Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel?
Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel belongs to more than one drug category, and Hemp interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Hemp and Ethinyl Estradiol, Desogestrel 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.