About a quarter of American adults suffered from chronic pain in 2023, according to the CDC, with around 1 in 12 experiencing such bad pain that it often caused issues for their day-to-day lives. Because of this, pain is one of the most common reasons people turn to CBD, whether for topical products or CBD oils designed with pain in mind.
The big challenge is finding something that’s safe and actually works. We devised our Cannabinoid Product Quality Evaluation framework to solve exactly this problem. So, from all the CBD oils for pain, which are the best options out there today?
What makes a CBD oil effective for pain?
THC generally helps
CBD isn’t so great for pain relief on its own, but combined with THC it becomes much better. As a result, we prioritized full spectrum CBD oils for this list.
Other cannabinoids matter
CBD and THC might be the stars of the show, but minor cannabinoids – particularly the anti-inflammatory CBG – can make a big difference when it comes to efficacy. Any product with a full or broad spectrum of cannabinoids was more likely to be included.
The terpene factor
Terpenes are the final piece of the entourage effect puzzle. These aromatic compounds contribute to efficacy too, with beta-caryophyllene, linalool and myrcene being the best options for pain relief.
Other ingredients
While cannabinoids are the main focus, other pain-relieving or anti-inflammatory ingredients can boost effectiveness too.
From an initial list of 69 CBD oils marketed for pain relief, we used our Cannabinoid Product Quality Evaluation framework to narrow it down to just these five.
R&R Multifunctional CBD Tincture
- CBD type: Full spectrum
- Potency: 83 mg CBD, 1.7 mg THC per ml
- CBD:THC ratio: 49:1
- Top terpenes: Menthol, bisabolol, guaiol, eucalyptol
- Price: $88 for 30 ml/2,500 mg CBD ($0.035 per mg CBD)
- Coupon: “LEAF15” for 15% off
R&R consistently puts out some of the best hemp products on the market today, using USDA Certified Organic hemp and making everything in a GMP-certified, FDA-registered facility.
Their Multifunctional CBD Tincture is intended to work for pain, stress and sleep issues, and it definitely achieves its goal when it comes to pain.
It’s true full spectrum, notably including CBG, CBN and CBC in addition to THC, CBD and a few other minor cannabinoids. It’s also rich in terpenes, most notably including beta-caryophyllene, which our experts mentioned as a key terpene for pain relief.
It’s not the highest in THC, but the price is solid, and R&R control the process from seed to sale to ensure unbeatable quality.
- USDA Certified Organic hemp
- True full spectrum: CBD, THC, CBG, CBN, CBC and others
- Rich in terpenes, including beta-caryophyllene
- Good price per mg CBD
- Three potency options: 1,000 mg, 2,500 mg or 5,000 mg
- Seed to sale brand
- All-organic ingredients
- A little low in THC
Cornbread Hemp Whole Flower USDA Organic CBD Oil
- CBD type: Full spectrum
- Potency: 50 mg CBD, 2 mg THC per ml
- CBD:THC ratio: 25:1
- Top terpenes: Beta-caryophyllene
- Price: $74.99 for 30 ml/1,500 mg CBD ($0.050 per mg)
- Coupon: “LADY” for 30% off
Grown in the Bluegrass Basin, Kentucky, Cornbread Hemp’s Whole Flower CBD Oil stands out for pain relief thanks to its flower-only extracts, certified organic hemp and the beneficial terpenes in the blend.
With 50 mg of CBD per ml, the oil also has 2 mg of THC, CBG, CBC, and smaller amounts of other minor cannabinoids. While it isn’t high in terpenes, its high beta-caryophyllene content puts it ahead of the pack when it comes to pain and inflammation.
They grow and manufacture it themselves, all from a single strain, so this doesn’t change much with each batch.
The price is a little higher than some other options, but it’s some of the most dependable and high-quality CBD oil there.
- USDA Certified Organic hemp
- Flower only extract
- True full spectrum: including CBD, THC, CBG, CBC and CBN
- Beta-caryophyllene for pain relief
- Seed to sale brand
- All organic ingredients
- A little expensive
- THC content is a little low
- Low in other terpenes
Medterra Max Relief Full Spectrum CBD Oil
- CBD type: Full spectrum
- Potency: 50 mg CBD, 2 mg THC per ml
- CBD:THC ratio: 25:1
- Top terpenes: Menthol, eucalyptol, bisabolol, beta-caryophyllene
- Price: $89.99 for 30 ml/1,500 mg CBD ($0.060 per mg)
- Coupon: “THANKS30” for 30% off
Medterra’s Max Relief Full Spectrum CBD Oil is well-suited to pain relief thanks to its high CBG content and rich collection of terpenes.
Medterra have been in the industry for a long time, and their commitment to quality shines through clearly. They’re US Hemp Authority Certified, so you can be sure you’re getting safe, cleanly manufactured products every time.
The Max Relief Blend offers 50 mg CBD and 2 mg THC per ml, but also around 5 mg CBG, one of the best cannabinoids for pain relief.
The oil also has 8 terpenes at detectable levels, including a little beta-caryophyllene. This is a really solid “entourage effect” setup for pain relief.
It’s a little pricey, but well worth it.
- US Hemp Authority Certified
- True full spectrum: CBD, CBG, THC, CBC, CBT and CBN
- High CBG content
- Rich in terpenes
- Beta-caryophyllene for added relief
- Two flavor choices
- Expensive
- Quite low THC
Aspen Green Extra Organic Full Spectrum CBD Oil
- CBD type: Full spectrum
- Potency: 100 mg CBD, 2.5 mg THC per ml
- CBD:THC ratio: 40:1
- Top terpenes: Beta-caryophyllene
- Price: $149.99 for 30 ml/3,000 mg CBD ($0.050 per mg)
- Coupon: “feelgood25” for 25% off
Aspen Green is a regular on these lists for a simple reason: they knock it out of the park when it comes to their hemp, manufacturing and quality control.
Their Extra Organic Full Spectrum CBD Oil works well for pain thanks to the high potency per ml and the prominence of CBG in the mix.
While there aren’t many other terpenes in the most recent batch, it also contains beta-caryophyllene for a little boost to pain relief.
The recommended serving is just a quarter of a dropper, putting it at around 25 mg CBD, 0.6 mg THC, 0.65 mg CBC and 0.4 mg CBG per serving. It could be higher in minor cannabinoids, but it’s still a good option.
- USDA Certified Organic hemp
- True full spectrum: CBD, CBC, THC, CBG, CBDV and CBN
- Contains beta-caryophyllene
- Potent oil: 100 mg/ml CBD
- Seed to sale brand
- All organic ingredients
- A little expensive
- Other cannabinoids are quite low potency
- Low in terpenes
Neurogan RSO Tincture
- CBD type: Full spectrum
- Potency: 58 mg CBD, 2.5 mg THC per ml
- CBD:THC ratio: 23:1
- Top terpenes: Beta-caryophyllene, humulene, myrcene, terpinolene
- Price: $80 for 60 ml/3,500 mg CBD ($0.023 per mg)
- Coupon: “CBDCBNCBG” for 35% off
Neurogan’s RSO Tincture packs more CBG than any other entry in this list, is packed with beneficial terpenes and has a solid dose of both CBD and THC to finish it off.
The Raw Scandinavian Oil tincture is rich in both cannabinoids and terpenes, which makes it a great choice for pain relief.
For cannabinoids, 12 mg CBG, 58 mg CBD and 2.5 mg THC per ml is a solid combination, with smaller amounts of CBN, CBC, CBDA and others to top it off. For terpenes, it contains a massive 14.5 mg/ml of beta-caryophyllene and 7.6 mg/ml myrcene, both known pain relievers.
Finally, the price is the best on this list, at just over 2 cents per mg of CBD.
- True full spectrum: CBD, CBG, CBDa, THC, CBN, CBC and more
- Terpene-rich
- High CBG content
- High in beta-caryophyllene and myrcene
- Excellent price
- Good manufacturing
- Strong flavor from terpenes
- Could be higher in THC
Other Pain Relief CBD Oils We Considered
With 69 CBD oils marketed for pain to start out with, we used some key criteria from our framework to narrow down the possibilities. Generally, we’re looking for products with recent lab tests – including safety tests – and evidence that the product is genuinely full or broad spectrum.
- No recent lab test: We discounted 20 products because there was no lab test from within the past year available. Four of these didn’t have a lab test at all, but most had a report that was more than a year old. These older reports probably didn’t reflect the product on the shelves anymore.
- Not “full panel” safety tested: Full panel safety testing includes tests for heavy metals, residual solvents, pesticides, microbial contamination and mycotoxins. 21 products didn’t have this type of testing done. In most cases, there were only potency tests available.
- No terpene tests: 21 products were not tested for terpenes. This isn’t as crucial as the other criteria, but without terpene testing, it’s not possible to confirm that some CBD oil is truly full or broad spectrum. We also required 4 or more cannabinoids for non-isolate products, but only one product was discounted solely on that basis.
In total, 10 products made it through this stage, and went on for full scoring. Five, Vena, Equilibria, and Hemp Bombs scored below 80% on the framework, making them ineligible. Of the remaining options, only cbdMD scored over 80% but wasn’t included on this list.
All of these products are still good quality, but cbdMD’s Full Spectrum Tincture in particular is worth considering if you’re looking for another option.
Methodology
- Expert insights: We used insights from the experts we interviewed about CBD topicals and asked a cannabinoid expert about the entourage effect for pain, specifically for this list. These insights helped us devise criteria to look out for in CBD oils for pain.
- Market research: Oracle conducted web searches for “CBD oil for pain” and “CBD oil” (with additional terms to remove list articles), taking 250 results from each search. Oracle’s algorithm then searched for relevant internal links from each result. The URLs and the text they contain were entered into a CSV file.
- AI-assisted product selection: The CSV file, along with the expert-derived criteria, was then given to ChatGPT. The LLM was tasked with finding the two closest matching products from each URL. The resulting suggestions were then manually checked, and the best product from each brand was chosen. We also added missing brands listed in CBD Oracle’s internal brand database to maximize coverage.
- Qualifying and scoring: The products were then checked for disqualifiers (as described above). Afterwards, any remaining products were ranked based on our Cannabinoid Product Quality Evaluation framework. A minimum score of 80% is required for recommendation.
Expert Advice: How to Choose the Best CBD Oil for Pain Relief
We spoke to cannabis researcher Dr. Ethan Russo, founder and CEO of CReDO Science, about what to look for in CBD oil intended for pain relief. Interviews we conducted previously for our Best CBD Topicals list were also invaluable during the process.
Anti-Inflammatory or Pain Reliever?
Dr. Russo opened with an important distinction:
CBD is an effective anti-inflammatory agent, but has only weak analgesic (pain-reducing) effects on its own.
This is crucial for understanding the CBD products marketed for pain. If your pain is inflammation-based, CBD alone might be enough to help. CBD’s interaction with the CB2 receptor reduces reactive oxygen species, thus reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. It also interacts with the TRPV receptors, which may contribute to its pain-relieving qualities.
However, for non-inflammatory pain, other cannabinoids and terpenes will probably be much more useful.
Researchers have been interested in cannabis as a pain reliever for a long time. Generally speaking, it does appear to be helpful for pain relief, especially from neuropathic pain. Most of the interest in these studies is on the effect of THC, so full-spectrum products are probably the best option.
The Importance of CBG for Pain Relief
We asked Dr. Russo which cannabinoids other than CBD and THC users should look out for:
CBG has produced claims of clinical benefit for numerous pain conditions in a survey study (Russo et al., 2021), which is also supported by the recent finding of its ability to block the Nav1.8 channel involved in pain (Ghovanloo et al, 2025).
In Dr. Russo’s study, 40.9% of people who’d used a CBG-dominant cannabis product endorsed it as a treatment for chronic pain. On average, it was rated as “much improving” their condition. Similarly, 73.9% of participants said they preferred CBG to conventional medications when it came to chronic pain.
While it’s possible that other cannabinoids also have a role to play – and the “entourage effect” is always useful – the best additional cannabinoid to focus on is CBG. We’ve prioritized products with higher CBG quantities here.
How Terpenes Boost Efficacy
During our research for our CBD topicals list, we spoke to Dr. Leigh Vincour, founder and Chief Medical Officer at Ananda Medical. She explained to us that, “Terpenes have their own anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.”
Dr. Russo points to beta-caryophyllene:
Beta-caryophyllene, as an agonist (stimulator) of the CB2 receptor is a likely additional useful adjunct for pain conditions.
And Dr. Vincour recommended the same, but also added:
While linalool and myrcene both also have anti-inflammatory properties, that contribute to pain relieve and even muscle relaxation and calming effects in certain conditions.
So during the research for this list, we prioritized CBD oils that included beta-caryophyllene, linalool and myrcene. Luckily, myrcene and beta-caryophyllene are pretty common terpenes in a range of strains.
Making Your Choice
- Our experts say: The best option is to choose a full spectrum product that also includes CBG. Ideally it also has beta-caryophyllene, myrcene or linalool among its terpenes.
- Lab reports: As always, if you’re shopping around for yourself, the most important thing is to check for lab reports. Any product you buy should be backed by a recent lab report, from an ISO 17025-accredited lab, with “full panel” safety testing. If you want to maximize efficacy, you should be able to confirm beneficial terpenes and at least 1 mg/ml of CBG from the report.
- Price: If you’re comparing prices, remember to work out the price per mg of CBD. Sometimes, a product will seem like a better deal because of how it’s presented. But it’s best to work out exactly how much CBD is in the whole bottle (e.g. 40 mg per gummy × 30 gummies = 1,200 mg), and then divide the price by this number (e.g. $50 / 1,200 mg = $0.04166… per mg).