CBD, pregnancy and breastfeeding: 4 agencies, one answer
No, CBD is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, whatever the format. EFSA considers that its safety cannot be established in pregnant and breastfeeding women, ANSES has proposed classifying it as toxic to reproduction, and the Epidyolex label says breastfeeding should stop during treatment. These positions rest mainly on animal studies: human data are missing.
Contents
> Key takeaways > > - Four agencies, EFSA, ANSES, the EMA and the FDA, advise against CBD during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or consider its safety unproven. > - The warning signs come from studies in monkeys, rats and mice: fertility, deaths around birth, neurological development. > - CBD has been measured in the milk of mothers who used cannabis, at a median concentration twice that of their plasma. > - A CBD product can contain up to 0.30% THC, whose passage across the placenta and into milk is documented.
What the agencies say, on one page
No health agency has judged CBD safe for a pregnant or breastfeeding woman. Their wording differs; their conclusion does not.
| Authority | Document | Position |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA (European Union) | Opinion on CBD as a novel food, February 2026 | Safety not established in pregnancy and breastfeeding |
| ANSES (France) | Classification proposal, March 2025 | Presumed toxic to reproduction, category 1B, and to breastfed children |
| EMA (European Union) | Epidyolex label | Not in pregnancy unless the benefit to the mother clearly outweighs the risk; stop breastfeeding |
| FDA (United States) | Consumer update, 2019 | Advised against; transfer to breast milk expected |
The European Food Safety Authority set a provisional safe level on 9 February 2026 of 0.0275 mg per kilo per day, about 2 mg a day for a 70 kg adult. That benchmark does not apply to everyone. For people under 25, pregnant and breastfeeding women and people on medication, EFSA concludes that the safety of CBD cannot be established.
The European label of Epidyolex, the only authorised cannabidiol medicine, goes further for a prescribed product. As a precaution, cannabidiol should not be used during pregnancy unless the potential benefit to the mother clearly outweighs the potential risk to the foetus. Breastfeeding should be stopped during treatment. The medicine is covered in our file on Epidyolex.
What animal studies show
Human data on CBD in pregnancy are very limited, the Epidyolex label acknowledges. The warnings therefore come from animals. On 21 March 2025, ANSES proposed classifying CBD as a presumed human reproductive toxicant, in category 1B. Its dossier relies on studies in monkeys, rats and mice. They show effects on sperm production and fertility, more deaths around birth and changes in neurological development.
These data did not appear out of nowhere: they come in particular from the preclinical tests carried out to authorise Epidyolex, first in the United States and then in Europe. The FDA drew the same reading back in 2019: at high doses, CBD caused problems with the reproductive system of male foetuses in pregnant test animals.
Two limits are worth knowing. These studies use high doses, designed for a medicine. And they involve animals, whose pregnancy physiology differs from ours. But no study in pregnant women makes it possible to conclude that CBD is harmless, and that absence is what decides.
CBD in breast milk
An American team measured cannabinoids in the blood and milk of 20 breastfeeding mothers who used cannabis. Published in 2021 in Pediatric Research, its results give a median CBD concentration of 1.2 ng/ml in milk, against 0.6 ng/ml in plasma. The milk-to-plasma ratio reached 2.6 for CBD and 7.0 for THC. The authors conclude that both molecules accumulate in milk.
These mothers used cannabis, not CBD oils: the study does not say how much CBD passes after a commercial oil. It does show that the molecule reaches the milk, as the FDA expected. Nobody has yet measured the effects of this exposure in infants.
THC, a risk the label does not show
A CBD product sold in France may contain up to 0.30% Δ⁹-THC, the threshold set by the decree of 30 December 2021. Yet THC crosses the placenta and passes into milk, where it can reach up to 8 times the maternal plasma concentration with regular use, according to the French reference centre on teratogenic agents (CRAT). The CRAT considers cannabis use inadvisable during breastfeeding and undesirable during pregnancy.
The FDA adds another risk: CBD products can be contaminated with substances that are dangerous for the foetus, THC included. To understand how the two molecules differ, see our article THC and CBD: the differences.
The EU classification: a procedure under way
The ANSES proposal follows the European CLP regulation, which harmonises the labelling of hazardous substances. It targets the hazard statements H360FD, "may damage fertility, may damage the unborn child", and H362, "may cause harm to breast-fed children". The dossier was put out to public consultation on the website of the European Chemicals Agency from 17 March to 16 May 2025.
The next step belongs to that agency's Committee for Risk Assessment, then to the European Commission. Until a regulation is published, the classification remains a proposal: it bans no product at this stage. Our update on CBD regulation in 2026 covers what is on sale today.
What to do in practice
The recommendation is the same for every format: oil, flower, resin, capsule or cosmetic. The agencies name no safe dose, since the data needed to set one are missing. The oil product pages in the Phytogrammes catalogue carry the warning "do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding".
If you took CBD before you knew you were pregnant, or while breastfeeding, talk to your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. They can assess your situation and consult the CRAT if needed. The known side effects of CBD outside pregnancy are summarised in our article on CBD side effects.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take CBD while pregnant, even at a low dose?
No. No dose has been judged safe during pregnancy. EFSA considers that the safety of CBD cannot be established in pregnant women, and the Epidyolex label reserves it for cases where the benefit to the mother clearly outweighs the risk.
Does CBD pass into breast milk?
Yes, it has been measured there. In 20 mothers who used cannabis, the median CBD concentration was 1.2 ng/ml in milk, twice that in plasma. The effects on infants have not been studied.
Is a CBD cosmetic safe during pregnancy?
No agency makes an exception for cosmetics, and no study has measured how much CBD crosses the skin of a pregnant woman. To be safe, ask a health professional before using one.
Is CBD classified as toxic to reproduction?
Not in any legally applicable way so far. ANSES proposed it in March 2025, in category 1B. The classification will only apply after an opinion from the European Chemicals Agency's Committee for Risk Assessment and a decision by the European Commission.
I took CBD before I knew I was pregnant: what should I do?
Stop taking it and tell your doctor or midwife at your next appointment. For cannabis, the CRAT reports no malformation effect after exposure in the first trimester, but only a professional can assess your case.
Written by the Phytogrammes team
Every article in this journal draws on primary sources (ANSM, EFSA, EUR-Lex, peer-reviewed publications) and on the lab's own practice: batch-by-batch HPLC analyses, measured cannabinoid profiles. Our approach.
Article published on . CBD is not a medicine.