Drug & supplement interaction

Hemp + Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone

Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone brand names: Femhrt, Loestrin 21, Ovcon 35 21, Ovcon 50 28, Necon 0.5 35 21, and others.

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

Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone 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, Norethindrone

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, Norethindrone 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, Norethindrone

Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone 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 picture: your birth control pill (or hormone therapy) combines ethinyl estradiol with norethindrone, two hormones that work at steady, predictable levels. The concern with hemp is that it may have mild estrogen-like activity of its own, which could in theory nudge your hormone balance and slightly muddy how your medication is supposed to work.

But I want to keep this in perspective. This flag comes only from a lab and animal study, not from people taking pills, and the way it might happen isn't even clear. Eating hemp seeds or hemp oil as food is very unlikely to cause a problem. If you're considering concentrated hemp supplements, just run it past your pharmacist or doctor first so you stay covered, especially since reliable contraception matters.

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, Norethindrone 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 with your birth control pill. The estrogen part, ethinyl estradiol, is partly handled by a liver enzyme called CYP1A2. In a lab dish, hemp seemed to speed that enzyme up a bit. If that happened in real life, your body might clear the hormones a little faster, which in theory could lower their levels and weaken the effect. For a pill you rely on to prevent pregnancy, even a small dip in reliability is worth taking seriously.

That said, this is only test-tube data, the interaction is rated minor, and food amounts of hemp seeds or hemp oil are very unlikely to cause trouble. Concentrated hemp supplements are less studied. If you want to use them regularly, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

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, Norethindrone 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 gist for your birth control pill: both hormones in it, ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone, are partly broken down by a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. Lab studies hint that hemp may speed that enzyme up. If that happened in the body, your hormone levels could dip a little, which in theory might make the pill slightly less reliable or trigger some breakthrough bleeding or spotting.

I want to be honest, though: this is only test-tube evidence, and it's rated a minor, possible interaction. Eating hemp seeds or hemp oil as food almost certainly won't matter. If you're using concentrated hemp supplements and you rely on this pill for contraception, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

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, Norethindrone 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, Norethindrone)
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, Norethindrone

This page covers Hemp only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone page lists 240 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 · 196 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone page

“If you take a birth control pill or hormone therapy containing ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone (Loestrin, Femhrt, and others), a few supplements can genuinely undermine it, so read this page with care. Six of the 240 ingredients on file are rated major, and those six come first.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone 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, Norethindrone 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, Norethindrone 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone
Top 25%

#450 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, Norethindrone, 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, Norethindrone supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone, 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, Norethindrone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Hemp with Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone?
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, Norethindrone?
Ethinyl Estradiol, Norethindrone 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, Norethindrone 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.