3 Best CBD Oils for Pain and Inflammation (Reviewed and Compared)

Updated October 2026: we added a summary of what the research says about CBD and pain, including arthritis, nerve pain and migraines.

According to various surveys and studies, pain relief is one of the main reasons for CBD oil use.

There isn’t much clinical evidence to support the use of CBD products for pain conditions (yet).

But anecdotal and observational evidence are plenty.

Today you’re getting a list of the best CBD oils for pain relief.

Since 2015, we have tested and reviewed over 100 CBD oils on the following metrics:

• Cannabinoid- and terpene-profiles;
• Transparency of the brand;
• Experienced effects;
• Value;
• Taste.

When it comes to pain-relief, the most effective CBD oils are those with great cannabinoid profiles.

CBD is just one of the many hemp-derived cannabinoids with a potential for pain relief.

THC has more scientific and anecdotal proof for being an effective pain reliever than CBD.

Then there are cannabinoids like CBG, CBC, and CBN, which have shown anti-inflammatory and sometimes pain-reducing effects in lab and animal studies.

The best CBD oil for pain has a good amount of CBD, but also:

• It has high levels of THC (not more than 0.3% to stay federally legal),
• It has high levels of other minor cannabinoids like CBG, CBC, and CBN,
• It has high levels of hemp-derived terpenes with anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing properties (for example, myrcene and b-caryophyllene).

Besides these characteristics a good CBD oil for pain should come from a transparent brand, that:

• Provides full panel lab-test reports on a batch-by-batch basis, and,
• Is open about the sourced hemp.

Let’s get started.

1. Charlotte’s Web CBD Oil: 60mg CBD/1ml

Update October 2026: We couldn’t find this 60mg/mL oil on Charlotte’s Web’s new website, so the button goes to its Original Formula 50mg/mL oil.

This oil also has a higher THC-content than the average CBD oil.

It has a THC-percentage of 0.23%. Which means you get 2.1mg THC per one milliliter.

With a CBD-percentage of 7.3%, the CBD-content of this oil is also above-average. You get 69mg CBD per one milliliter.

And the minor cannabinoid-content of this oil is also above average.

With regards to anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing minor cannabinoids, CBC, CBG, CBDA, CBDV, and CBN are the most important.

Well, this oil has:

• 0.28% CBC, or 3 milligrams per one milliliter,
• 0.18% CBDA, or 2 milligrams per one milliliter,
• 0.12% CBG, or 1.4 milligrams per one milliliter,
• 0.03% CBN, or 0.3 milligrams per one milliliter.

Supposedly, this oil also has terpenes. But there’s no terpene-test to prove anything. Therefore, we take these claims with a grain of salt.

That’s also one of the points Charlotte’s Web could improve:

They provide a close-to full panel lab-test report on a batch-by-batch basis. The cannabinoid-potency test is there. All the contaminant tests like pesticide and heavy metal tests are there.

The only thing that’s missing is the terpene-profile test.

But when it comes to pain relief, the cannabinoids are more important anyway.

And since this oil has a great cannabinoid-profile with high levels of THC, it holds a high position on our list.

Price-wise, you get:

• 16.76mg CBD per $1,
• 0.53mg THC per $1, and,
• 1.91mg minor cannabinoids like CBC and CBG per $1.

Go to Charlotte’s Web Website

Up next…

2. Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum, High Potency CBD Oil Tincture

Update October 2026: Lazarus’ 50mg/mL full-spectrum tincture now costs $40 for 1,500mg and $120 for 6,000mg (checked October 20, 2026).

With a THC-percentage of 0.194%, this oil has decent THC-strength.

You get 1.8 milligrams of THC per one milliliter.

This isn’t as high as the previous options, but it’s still higher than the average. The average THC-percentage of full-spectrum CBD oils hovers between 0.1% and 0.15%.

CBD-wise the potency of this oil is also a bit lower than the previous options:

• 4.3% CBD, or 51.5 milligrams per one milliliter.

This is still higher than the average. The average CBD oil in the United States has a CBD-potency of between 3% and 4%.

When it comes to other minor cannabinoids than THC, this oil two of the four most important anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing cannabinoids:

• 0.22% or 2.1 milligrams per one milliliter CBC,
• 0.12% or 1.1 milligrams per one milliliter CBG,
• 0.02% or 0.2 milligrams per one milliliter CBDV.

It has no CBDA or CBN in detectable levels.

CBN isn’t very common inside most CBD oils, so that’s normal. But we would’ve liked to see at least a small concentration of CBDA. CBDA is a highly potent anti-inflammatory compound that has better oral bioavailability than CBD. So some CBDA inside a CBD product is always good.

This oil has the best terpene-profile on the list.

It has total terpene-content of 0.45%. The main terpenes being:

• Farnesene (0.16%), and,
• b-caryohyllene (0.1%).

Both of these terpenes are associated with anti-inflammatory effects.

But b-caryophyllene definitely has more scientific literature backing it up as a potential agent for pain relief.

Lazarus Naturals is as transparent as it gets when it comes to CBD brands.

All of their products come with full panel lab-test reports on batch-by-batch basis.

But what makes this CBD oil stand out is its price.

This is the most affordable option for pain relief on the list.

You get:

• 38.7mg CBD per $1,
• 1.35mg THC per $1, and,
• 2.4mg minor cannabinoids like CBC and CBG per $1.

Go to Lazarus Naturals’ Website

Next up…

3. NuLeaf Naturals Full Spectrum CBD Oil

New on this list in October 2026. This is our #1 pick in our list of the best CBD oils; here’s the summary.

NuLeaf’s flagship oil is a full-spectrum hemp extract with 60mg of CBD per mL, made from organically grown hemp with hemp seed oil as the carrier. Besides CBD it contains THC (0.14%), CBG (0.18%), CBC (0.26%) and terpenes like beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene (0.25%).

It’s a bit more expensive than average unless you buy the bigger bottles, and NuLeaf tests every batch for pesticides, heavy metals and mycotoxins.

Click the button below to go to the NuLeaf Naturals website:

Go to NuLeaf Naturals’ Website

What the Research Says About CBD and Pain

CBD isn’t an approved pain medicine, and the human research is still thin. Here’s where it stands, so you know what to realistically expect from a CBD oil.

Animal Studies Look Promising

In mice, CBD reduced both chronic inflammatory pain and nerve (neuropathic) pain, partly by acting on glycine receptors in the spinal cord (6). In rats with arthritis, a CBD gel applied to the skin reduced joint swelling and signs of pain (7).

Results in animals often don’t carry over to people, though, which is why the human studies matter more.

Human Studies Are Small and Mixed

• Chronic pain after a kidney transplant: 7 patients took 50 to 150 mg of CBD twice a day for three weeks. Two reported their pain was fully relieved, four partly, and one saw no change. There was no placebo group (8).
• Hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: in a 12-week placebo-controlled trial with 136 people, 20 to 30 mg of CBD a day worked no better than a placebo for pain (9).
• Nerve pain in the feet and legs: in a small trial with 29 people, a CBD oil rubbed into the skin reduced intense, sharp and cold pain sensations compared with a placebo oil (10).
• Migraines: most of the evidence is about medical cannabis that contains THC, not CBD on its own. In a review of 121 adults using medical marijuana, migraines dropped from about 10 to under 5 a month on average, but there was no comparison group (11).

How CBD Might Affect Pain

CBD activates 5-HT1A serotonin receptors (12) and acts on TRPV1, a receptor involved in sensing heat and inflammation (13). Both play a part in how the body processes pain, which is one reason researchers keep studying CBD for it.

The Bottom Line

CBD may help with some types of pain, especially inflammatory and nerve pain, but it’s not a proven treatment, and some well-run trials found no benefit. If you live with chronic pain, talk to your doctor before trying CBD, especially if you take other medication, and read up on CBD’s side effects and drug interactions.

Frequently Asked Questions About CBD Oil for Pain

Is CBD Oil an Effective Painkiller?

It depends.

There’s limited evidence that CBD can reduce some types of pain, with inflammatory pain having the most evidence (3).

There’s no evidence that CBD oil works for acute pain, for example.

As explained, THC has more evidence for being an effective pain reliever (4).

Other cannabinoids like CBG, CBC, and CBN have also shown anti-inflammatory effects in lab and animal studies (5).

So a CBD oil with high levels of THC and these other minor cannabinoids, has a much better chance of relieving your pain than an oil that only has CBD.

Also because cannabinoids potentiate each other’s effects.

If you’re looking for federally legal products with higher concentrations of THC per dose, check out:

• Delta-9 THC Gummies
• Best Delta-8 Brands

These products have much higher levels of THC per serving than these oils and may prove to be more effective for relieving pain.

Does CBD Reduce Inflammation or Pain?

Well, both are connected.

Inflammation usually produces a pain-response.

So if your pain condition is inflammation-related, CBD may reduce both your inflammation and pain.

It IS important to use and dose CBD oil the right way for it to be effective.

Read up on how to use and dose CBD oil before you start using it.

Do CBD Oils for Pain Get You High?

None of these CBD oils will give you a full-fledged high in regular doses.

But since these oils have some THC, you may experience some psychoactive effects from the THC you’re ingesting.

Some highly sensitive people can really get high if they take enough milliliters of this oil.

Do CBD Oils for Pain Have Side Effects?

In doses under 100 milligrams, CBD rarely has very noticeable side effects.

If you go above 100 milligrams your chance of experiencing side effects increases. The main side effects associated with CBD-use are:

• Diarrhea,
• Pyrexia,
• Decreased appetite, and,
• Sleepiness/drowsiness.

Also realize that if you take 100 milligrams CBD, with some of these CBD oils, you will be consuming more than 5 milligrams THC.

5 milligrams THC is enough to get you high. It’s also enough to experience THC-related side effects like anxiety or paranoia.

So always be aware of how much THC you’re ingesting with your dose.

What’s Next…

Go to our CBD Hub to learn more about cannabinoid-related topics.

Scientific References:

1. Zagožen, M., ČErenak, A., & Kreft, S. (2020). Cannabigerol and cannabichromene in Cannabis sativa L. Acta Pharmaceutica, 71(3), 355–364. https://doi.org/10.2478/acph-2021-0021
2. Eke-Okoro, U. J., Raffa, R. B., Pergolizzi, J. V., Breve, F., & Taylor, R. (2018). Curcumin in turmeric: Basic and clinical evidence for a potential role in analgesia. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 43(4), 460–466. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpt.12703
3. Mlost, J., Bryk, M., & Starowicz, K. (2020). Cannabidiol for Pain Treatment: Focus on Pharmacology and Mechanism of Action. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(22), 8870. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21228870
4. Linher-Melville, K., Zhu, Y. F., Sidhu, J., Parzei, N., Shahid, A., Seesankar, G., Ma, D., Wang, Z., Zacal, N., Sharma, M., Parihar, V., Zacharias, R., & Singh, G. (2020). Evaluation of the preclinical analgesic efficacy of naturally derived, orally administered oil forms of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and their 1:1 combination. PLOS ONE, 15(6), e0234176. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234176
5. Baron, E. P. (2018). Medicinal Properties of Cannabinoids, Terpenes, and Flavonoids in Cannabis, and Benefits in Migraine, Headache, and Pain: An Update on Current Evidence and Cannabis Science. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 58(7), 1139–1186. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.13345
6. Xiong, W., Cui, T., Cheng, K., Yang, F., Chen, S.-R., Willenbring, D., Guan, Y., Pan, H.-L., Ren, K., Xu, Y., & Zhang, L. (2012). Cannabinoids suppress inflammatory and neuropathic pain by targeting α3 glycine receptors. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 209(6), 1121–1134. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20120242
7. Hammell, D. C., Zhang, L. P., Ma, F., Abshire, S. M., McIlwrath, S. L., Stinchcomb, A. L., & Westlund, K. N. (2016). Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviours in a rat model of arthritis. European Journal of Pain, 20(6), 936–948. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.818
8. Cuñetti, L., Manzo, L., Peyraube, R., Arnaiz, J., Curi, L., & Orihuela, S. (2018). Chronic pain treatment with cannabidiol in kidney transplant patients in Uruguay. Transplantation Proceedings, 50(2), 461–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transproceed.2017.12.042
9. Vela, J., Dreyer, L., Petersen, K. K., Arendt-Nielsen, L., Duch, K. S., & Kristensen, S. (2022). Cannabidiol treatment in hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Pain, 163(6), 1206–1214. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002466
10. Xu, D. H., Cullen, B. D., Tang, M., & Fang, Y. (2020). The effectiveness of topical cannabidiol oil in symptomatic relief of peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, 21(5), 390–402. https://doi.org/10.2174/1389201020666191202111534
11. Rhyne, D. N., Anderson, S. L., Gedde, M., & Borgelt, L. M. (2016). Effects of medical marijuana on migraine headache frequency in an adult population. Pharmacotherapy, 36(5), 505–510. https://doi.org/10.1002/phar.1673
12. Russo, E. B., Burnett, A., Hall, B., & Parker, K. K. (2005). Agonistic properties of cannabidiol at 5-HT1a receptors. Neurochemical Research, 30(8), 1037–1043. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-005-6978-1
13. Costa, B., Giagnoni, G., Franke, C., Trovato, A. E., & Colleoni, M. (2004). Vanilloid TRPV1 receptor mediates the antihyperalgesic effect of the nonpsychoactive cannabinoid, cannabidiol, in a rat model of acute inflammation. British Journal of Pharmacology, 143(2), 247–250. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjp.0705920