The Hebrew University of Jerusalem published research in the British Journal of Pharmacology suggesting that two nonintoxicating cannabis compounds, cannabidiol and cannabigerol, may reduce liver fat and improve metabolic health in experimental models. The team describes a form of metabolic remodeling that boosts liver energy reserves and restores cellular waste-clearing enzymes, and they flag the need for clinical trials before human use. This work arrives amid broader, mixed evidence about cannabis-derived therapies and their real-world medical value.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, known as MASLD, is now one of the most common chronic liver conditions worldwide and is closely tied to obesity and insulin resistance. Current pharmaceutical options are limited, so researchers are exploring new molecular approaches to ease the burden of excess fat and inflammation in the liver. Plant-derived compounds that avoid the intoxicating effects of THC are attractive because they could, in theory, be used long term without causing a high.
The study focused on cannabidiol, commonly called CBD, and cannabigerol, or CBG, a less common precursor cannabinoid from which other compounds form. In the experimental models the two cannabinoids significantly reduced liver fat and improved markers of metabolic health compared with controls. CBD is already the better-known nonintoxicating cannabinoid, while CBG is emerging as an understudied sibling with distinct properties.
Investigators describe a surprising process they call metabolic remodeling, where treated livers built up phosphocreatine, a high-energy molecule that acts like a backup battery for stressed cells. That extra energy reserve appeared to help the organ cope with the metabolic strain of a high-fat diet. The boost in cellular energy is a fresh angle for treating fatty liver disease rather than only targeting fat synthesis or inflammation.
Beyond energy stores, the team observed improvements in the liver’s recycling system: cathepsins, enzymes inside lysosomes that break down harmful fats and waste, regained activity after treatment. By reviving those cellular cleaning crews the liver cleared out dangerous lipids such as triglycerides and ceramides, which are known to trigger inflammation. Restoring that waste-management pathway could reduce the chronic stress that drives MA SLD progression.
Both cannabinoids showed beneficial effects, but CBG produced stronger changes in some measures, including lowering total body fat mass, reducing LDL cholesterol, and improving insulin sensitivity in the models tested. Those outcomes suggest CBG might be particularly useful for the metabolic aspects of fatty liver disease, though the two compounds could work through complementary mechanisms. Researchers are treating these findings as a starting point for more targeted drug development.
“Our findings identify a new mechanism by which CBD and CBG enhance hepatic energy and lysosomal function,” said lead study author Joseph Tam, director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research at Hebrew University, in a press release. The research team emphasizes that these results come from controlled laboratory experiments and animal models, and they repeatedly warn that human clinical trials are needed to define safety, effective dosing, and real-world benefit.
At the same time, large reviews of the medical cannabis literature paint a cautious picture: many claimed benefits lack strong, high-quality clinical backing. “Whenever a substance is widely used, there is likely to be a very wide set of outcomes,” Alex Dimitriu, MD, who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, previously told Fox News Digital. That reality underscores why controlled trials and rigorous evidence are essential before broad medical use.
Clinicians and patients interested in cannabinoid-based approaches should treat this study as a promising early step rather than proof of a new therapy. Translating lab success into safe, effective treatments for people will take carefully designed clinical trials and clear regulatory pathways. Anyone considering cannabis-derived products for health reasons should consult a healthcare provider to weigh potential benefits against unknowns and risks.
