Drug & supplement interaction

Hibiscus Sabdariffa + Dronabinol

Dronabinol brand names: Marinol, Syndros.

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

Dronabinol falls into 2 drug categories that Hibiscus Sabdariffa can interact with; the most serious is rated minor. Theoretically, Hibiscus sabdariffa extract might reduce the metabolism of CYP2C9 substrates.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Dronabinol

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Hibiscus Sabdariffa interacts with whole categories of medication. Dronabinol falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Hibiscus Sabdariffa in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Minor).

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Dronabinol

Dronabinol falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES — the group Hibiscus Sabdariffa interacts with.

Theoretically, Hibiscus sabdariffa extract might reduce the metabolism of CYP2C9 substrates.
In vitro research shows that Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx extract inhibits CYP2C9. This interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 basic idea with hibiscus and dronabinol. Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP2C9 to help break down dronabinol. In lab (test tube) studies, hibiscus extract seems to slow that enzyme down a bit. If that happened in a real person, dronabinol could clear out a little slower and build up, which might make its effects and side effects stronger. With dronabinol that could mean more drowsiness, dizziness, a foggy or "high" feeling, or a faster heartbeat.

The good news: this is only a theoretical concern. It has not actually been seen in people, and casual hibiscus tea is unlikely to be a problem. If you use concentrated hibiscus supplements, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Johnson SS, Oyelola FT, Ari T, Juho H. In vitro inhibitory activities of the extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (family Malvaceae) on selected cytochrome P450 isoforms. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2013 Apr 12;10(3):533-40.
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Dronabinol also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, Hibiscus sabdariffa extract might reduce the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx extract inhibits CYP3A4. This interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 short version: your body uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to help break down dronabinol. Lab studies (done in test tubes, not in people) suggest hibiscus might slow that enzyme down a little. If that happened in real life, dronabinol could hang around a bit longer and feel stronger, meaning more of its usual effects like drowsiness, dizziness, a foggy or 'high' feeling, or a faster heartbeat.

I want to be honest about how soft this is. It's theoretical, based only on lab data, and hasn't actually been reported in people. A cup of tart hibiscus tea is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated hibiscus supplements are where I'd be a touch more careful. If you use both, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Johnson SS, Oyelola FT, Ari T, Juho H. In vitro inhibitory activities of the extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (family Malvaceae) on selected cytochrome P450 isoforms. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2013 Apr 12;10(3):533-40.

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

Hibiscus Sabdariffa Also Interacts With Other Medications

Hibiscus Sabdariffa has 2 major, 266 moderate, 818 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Dronabinol one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 2 Moderate 266 Minor 818 No known interaction 1,744 (incl. Dronabinol)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Hibiscus Sabdariffa

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Dronabinol

This page covers Hibiscus Sabdariffa only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dronabinol page lists 151 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 107 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dronabinol page

“A glass of grapefruit juice can push dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros), the prescription form of THC used for chemotherapy nausea and appetite loss, to higher blood levels than intended, amplifying dizziness, sedation, and its mind-altering effects. That is one of three major-rated interactions among the 151 supplements and herbs on file,…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dronabinol interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Dronabinol 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 Hibiscus Sabdariffa
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Dronabinol
Steady interest

#2,243 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 Hibiscus Sabdariffa

What is Hibiscus Sabdariffa?

Hibiscus Sabdariffa
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart and cholesterol health
  • Digestive upset
  • Antioxidant support
  • Fever and general wellness

Hibiscus sabdariffa is a tart, cranberry-flavored plant most often consumed as a tea, and its best-studied use is for mildly lowering blood pressure. Evidence for other uses is limited, and while hibiscus tea is generally well tolerated in food amounts, concentrated supplements should be used cautiously and avoided in pregnancy. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it for a medical condition.

Read the full Hibiscus Sabdariffa monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Dronabinol

What Is Dronabinol Used For?

Brand names: Marinol, Syndros

Dronabinol — available as capsules (Marinol, Dronabinol) and as an oral solution (Syndros, Dronabinol oral solution) — is approved for two conditions in adults. First, it treats anorexia (severely reduced appetite) associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS. Second, it controls nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy in patients who have not gotten enough relief from standard anti-nausea treatments.

Both uses apply to all available formulations, but dosing timing and meal instructions differ between the capsule and oral solution products. Always follow the specific instructions for the product you have been prescribed.

See full Dronabinol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hibiscus Sabdariffa

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

2Major
266Moderate
818Minor
1,743No known interaction
2 Major 266 Moderate 818 Minor 1,743 No interaction
Major

2 interactions

Moderate

266 interactions

Showing 60 of 266 moderate interactions — see all 266 on the Hibiscus Sabdariffa page.

Minor

818 interactions

Showing 60 of 818 minor interactions — see all 818 on the Hibiscus Sabdariffa page.

No interaction 1,743 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,743 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Hibiscus Sabdariffa list.

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

Can you take Hibiscus Sabdariffa with Dronabinol?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Dronabinol?
Dronabinol belongs to more than one drug category, and Hibiscus Sabdariffa 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 Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Dronabinol interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Dronabinol and Hibiscus Sabdariffa?

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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.