CBD may help reduce social anxiety in some situations, but the evidence is still limited and inconsistent. Small studies have found that oral CBD can reduce anxiety during stressful situations such as public speaking, but CBD is not an established treatment for social anxiety disorder.
Research has generally involved supervised doses of about 300 to 600 mg of pharmaceutical-grade CBD. One small four-week study also found improved social anxiety symptoms in teenagers, but the study population was narrow and the results may not apply broadly.
Other research has been less encouraging. In one controlled study, taking 300 mg of CBD before exposure therapy did not improve treatment results compared with a placebo. Overall, studies have been small, have used different doses and methods, and have not established the best dose or long-term effectiveness.
Over-the-counter CBD products may also contain different amounts of CBD or THC than their labels indicate. CBD can cause sedation and interact with medications. Anyone considering CBD for social anxiety should speak with a doctor or pharmacist first rather than self-medicating or replacing established anxiety treatment.