The cannabinoids CBD and CBG may be effective treatments for fatty liver disease, according to a recent study. The research, published last week in the British Journal of Pharmacology, showed that the two cannabinoids may improve hepatic health by altering how the liver manages energy and cleans itself.
The study’s findings could lead to new therapies for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a chronic condition linked to high-fat diets that affects more than a third of adults worldwide. Yossi Tam, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s School of Pharmacy and one of the lead researchers on the study, told the Times of Israel in a telephone interview that “this disease does not have a current drug available whatsoever.”
“Scientific literature already shows that CBD has some metabolic benefit by inhibiting your food consumption and reducing weight in clinical trials in humans,” Tam said. “We were really intrigued by this. What is the exact mechanism?”
The study investigated the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) on liver disease in mice using a common model for diet-induced obesity in lab animals.
“You basically put the mice on a high-fat diet for 14 weeks,” Tam said. “They become obese, they develop fatty liver disease, diabetes, all the features of the metabolic syndrome. And then we treat the animals for 28 days with the drug, and monitor their metabolism.”
CBD and CBG in Tandem Yielded Beneficial Effects
Tam said that administering both CBD and CBG at the same time yielded remarkable results.
“The two compounds actually help the liver function better internally through a unique process of ‘metabolic remodeling,’” Tam said.
Although both cannabinoids delivered clear benefits, the data suggest they support metabolic health through slightly different pathways. CBD and CBG each helped steady blood sugar and improved the body’s ability to handle glucose.
CBG, however, showed stronger benefits. It drove larger gains in several key metabolic markers, including a more pronounced drop in body fat mass and a stronger boost in insulin sensitivity. It also showed a greater ability to lower total cholesterol and reduce levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.
“Our findings identify a new mechanism by which CBD and CBG enhance hepatic energy and lysosomal function,” Tam, who is also director of the university’s Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research, said in a press release about the study. “This dual metabolic remodeling contributes to improved liver lipid handling and highlights these compounds as promising therapeutic agents for MASLD.”
One of the most surprising findings of the study, Tam said, was the impact on the liver’s energy reserves. Typically, the liver prefers slower, more sustained energy production from fats and sugars. A high-fat diet, however, can deplete energy reserves and lead to cell damage.
CBD and CBG help counter that damage by boosting the liver’s supply of phosphocreatine, an energy‑storing molecule that essentially “recharges” the organ like a “backup battery,” Tam explained.
CBD and CBG were also shown to bring cathepsin enzymes back online, restoring the activity of these proteins, which act like a “cleaning crew,” allowing the liver to clear built‑up fats and waste.
The researchers also reported a sharp drop in harmful lipids after treatment, including triglycerides and ceramides. Ceramides are especially concerning because they’re known to drive insulin resistance and fuel inflammation in the liver.
More Study Needed
Further study into CBD and CBG could yield new therapies for MASLD, a disease that affects 38% of adults worldwide, according to a meta‑analysis of 92 studies published by JAMA Network last year.
“Given that one third or more of adults in Western societies are at risk for this disorder accompanying the obesity epidemic, [the study] portends enormous public health significance,” said Ethan Russo, a cannabis researcher who was not involved in the study.
Tam said the research team’s goal is to build on the study’s findings in the lab and proceed to clinical trials.
“My hope is to bring a cannabinoid-based drug to help the human population suffering from fatty liver disease and metabolic disorder,” he said.
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