Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Medical Cannabis
Short answer
Acute kidney injury (AKI), once called acute kidney failure, is a sudden drop in kidney function over hours or days, and it is treated in the hospital. No study has tested medical cannabis as a treatment for acute kidney injury in people. Synthetic cannabinoids sold as K2 or Spice are a known cause of AKI. If your kidneys have been injured, any form of cannabis or CBD is a question for your physician first.
What is known comes from experiments in mice, rats and cells, case reports, reviews and one small study in patients. Each one is labeled on this page, and the full picture starts at what the research shows.
When kidney injury is an emergency: signs to get care now
Acute kidney injury can turn dangerous within a day. If any of the signs below appear, get emergency care first. The question about cannabis can wait until you are stable.
- You pass much less urine than usual, or almost none, over half a day.
- Your legs, ankles or face swell up quickly.
- You are short of breath, especially lying flat.
- You or the people around you notice new confusion or unusual sleepiness.
- Your heart pounds, skips or races, or your muscles feel weak. High potassium from failing kidneys can do this.
- Vomiting will not stop and you cannot keep fluids down.
- You feel very ill after using K2, Spice or a vape cartridge whose contents you do not know.
What to tell the emergency team
- Everything you took in the last few days: prescriptions, pain relievers, supplements, cannabis, CBD and any other substance.
- When the symptoms began and when you last passed urine.
- Bring the package, the cartridge or a photo of the label. Doctors treat faster when they know what was in it.
Physician-reviewed, built on published studies
- Every research figure carries a source you can open in the reference list at the end.
- Each study is marked by who was studied: patients, animals or cells in a dish.
- Lab-made synthetic cannabinoids are kept apart from tested state-program products.
- Checked by physicians licensed in the states where we work. Meet them.
Sudden kidney failure, then weeks of waiting for the numbers to recover
It usually starts somewhere else: a stomach bug that kept you from drinking, an infection, surgery, a new medicine, a fall. Then a blood test comes back with a creatinine number nobody liked, and suddenly the talk is about your kidneys. Many people only learn the words “acute kidney injury” from a discharge sheet.
The weeks after are their own strain. Each lab draw feels like a verdict. The pain reliever you used for years is suddenly off limits. And online, one page says cannabis is hard on the kidneys while the next says it protects them.
Creatinine checks and the fear of dialysis
Most people want to know two things: will the kidneys come back, and will I need dialysis. The answer depends on the cause and the stage, and on how quickly the cause was fixed.
Pain relief you were told to avoid
Ibuprofen, naproxen and other NSAIDs can reduce blood flow to injured kidneys, so many people are told to stop them. That leaves a real gap for back pain, arthritis or headaches.
Two rumors at once
“Cannabis wrecks the kidneys” and “CBD heals the kidneys” both circulate. The studies behind them are mostly about synthetic drugs or about mice, and that difference decides what they mean for you.
This page sorts out what is known, what is only promising in animals and what is risky, so you can bring clear questions to your kidney doctor.
In the hospital, recovering at home, living with CKD, or sick after a vape: where to start
Tap the situation that sounds most like yours to see the parts of this guide written for it.
You or someone close is in the hospital now
This is not the moment to start anything new. Tell the team about every substance used in recent days, including cannabis and CBD, and ask what caused the injury.
You are home and recovering
Follow-up blood tests show whether function is coming back. Symptoms that linger after discharge, such as pain or poor sleep, are a fair topic for a physician who sees your full medicine list.
The injury happened on top of chronic kidney disease
AKI on CKD means a sudden drop in kidneys that were already working below normal. Recovery may be partial, so a nephrologist should be part of any decision about cannabis.
You got sick after a vape, K2 or Spice
Synthetic cannabinoids and cartridges of unknown origin are a documented cause of kidney injury. Tell the doctor exactly what you used and keep the package.
You already have a medical card
A kidney injury is new medical history. Mention it at your next evaluation, along with any medicine that changed, so the physician can review your plan.
What is acute kidney injury? Definition, acute kidney failure and ICD-10 codes
Acute kidney injury is defined as a sudden fall in kidney function, over hours to days, that lets waste and fluid build up in the blood. Doctors confirm it in two ways: the blood level of creatinine, a waste product the kidneys normally clear, rises above your usual value, or the amount of urine you pass drops for several hours [1]. A single symptom is not enough; AKI is a finding on lab results and charted urine output.
Acute kidney failure and acute renal failure are the older names for the same thing. The newer term covers mild cases too, because even a small rise in creatinine is linked to worse outcomes [1][2]. In Spanish it is called lesión renal aguda.
Acute kidney injury (AKI)
How fast
Hours to days, usually with a clear trigger.
Can it reverse?
Often, fully or in part, once the cause is treated.
How it is found
A creatinine rise against your baseline, or low urine output.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
How fast
Present for at least three months, often for years [3].
Can it reverse?
Usually not; care aims to slow it down.
How it is found
A lasting drop in filtration (eGFR) or protein in the urine on repeated tests.
ICD-10-CM codes for acute kidney injury
The code for AKI without further detail is N17.9, “acute kidney failure, unspecified.” Hospitals add a second code when AKI happens on chronic kidney disease, and a poisoning code when a drug caused it. The codes below follow the ICD-10-CM code set published by CMS; your record may use a more specific one [4].
Filter the table by the part of the record you are trying to read.
| Code | What it means |
|---|---|
| N17.0 | Acute kidney failure with tubular necrosis (damage to the kidney’s tiny tubes) |
| N17.1 | Acute kidney failure with acute cortical necrosis |
| N17.2 | Acute kidney failure with medullary necrosis |
| N17.8 | Other acute kidney failure |
| N17.9 | Acute kidney failure, unspecified: the usual code for “AKI” |
| N18.30, N18.31, N18.32 | Chronic kidney disease stage 3 (unspecified, 3a, 3b), added after N17.9 for AKI on CKD 3 |
| N14.1- | Kidney damage caused by drugs or other substances (N14.11 contrast, N14.19 other) |
| T40.71- | Poisoning by, adverse effect of or underdosing of cannabis (derivatives) |
| T40.72- | Poisoning by, adverse effect of or underdosing of synthetic cannabinoids |
No codes match this filter.
These codes sit on the discharge papers that patients often bring to a medical card evaluation, so it helps to know what they say.
What causes acute kidney injury? Dehydration, infection, medicines and blockage
Doctors sort the causes into three groups by where the problem sits: too little blood reaching the kidneys, damage inside the kidney itself, or urine that cannot drain out [1][2]. Often two of them happen at once, for example dehydration together with a medicine that strains the kidneys.
What happened before it started?
Choose the event closest to your story; the group it belongs to is marked below.
Before the kidney
Too little blood reaching the kidneys
Dehydration from vomiting, diarrhea or heat; blood loss; very low blood pressure; heart failure; and sepsis, the body’s runaway response to an infection (see sepsis and medical cannabis).
Inside the kidney
Damage to the kidney tissue
NSAID pain relievers, X-ray contrast, some antibiotics, inflammation of the filters (glomerulonephritis), and muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) after a long lie on the floor or after stimulants such as methamphetamine. Synthetic cannabinoids belong here too.
After the kidney
Urine that cannot drain
Kidney stones, an enlarged prostate, a tumor pressing on the ureters, or a blocked catheter. Relieving the blockage often lets function return.
Choose an event above to see how it harms the kidneys.
Dehydration lowers the blood volume, so less blood reaches the kidneys. It sits in the “before the kidney” group and usually improves quickly with fluids given by the care team.
An infection can trigger sepsis, which drops blood pressure and inflames the kidney at the same time, so it can touch two groups at once.
A new medicine, such as an NSAID, some antibiotics or contrast dye, can injure the kidney tissue itself, especially when you are also dehydrated. Bring the full list to every visit.
A long lie after a fall crushes muscle; the broken-down muscle protein (myoglobin) clogs the kidney’s tubes. This is damage inside the kidney.
Stimulants such as methamphetamine or cocaine can cause muscle breakdown, overheating and blood vessel spasm, all of which can injure the kidney tissue.
K2 or Spice are lab-made synthetic cannabinoids, not cannabis from a state program. Reports link them to damage of the kidney tubes; see the section on synthetics.
Kidney stones that block both sides, or the only working kidney, stop urine from draining. This is the “after the kidney” group, and clearing the blockage often brings function back.
Where cannabinoids fit in this picture
Two routes are documented. The first is synthetic cannabinoids, which have caused clusters of kidney injury in several states (details below). The second is indirect: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a condition in some long-term heavy users with bouts of repeated vomiting, can dry the body out until the kidneys suffer from too little blood flow.
AKI symptoms, labs and how acute kidney injury is diagnosed
Many people with AKI feel nothing specific at first. The injury is often found on a routine blood test in the hospital, before any symptom shows. When symptoms do appear, they come from fluid and waste that the kidneys are no longer clearing [2].
- Passing less urine, or urine that looks dark.
- Swelling in the legs, ankles or around the eyes.
- Tiredness, nausea and loss of appetite.
- Shortness of breath from fluid building up.
- Confusion, or in severe cases chest pain or an irregular heartbeat.
The lab tests, one by one
Serum creatinine main test
Creatinine comes from normal muscle work and leaves through the kidneys. When filtering slows, it rises. What matters is the rise against your own usual number, which is why doctors look for an older result to compare with [1].
BUN (blood urea nitrogen) supporting
Another waste product filtered by the kidneys. Its ratio to creatinine can hint whether dehydration is part of the story.
Potassium and other electrolytes safety check
Injured kidneys cannot get rid of extra potassium. A high level, called hyperkalemia, can disturb the heart rhythm, so it is checked often and treated quickly.
Urinalysis finds the cause
Cells, casts (tiny cylinders formed in the tubes), protein or blood in the urine point toward damage inside the kidney rather than a lack of blood flow.
Urine output second criterion
Nurses measure how much urine you pass per hour, adjusted to body weight. A drop that lasts six hours or longer counts toward the diagnosis even when creatinine has not risen yet [1].
Kidney ultrasound rules out blockage
An ultrasound shows whether urine is backed up behind a stone or another blockage, and whether the kidneys look small and scarred, which suggests long-standing disease.
AKI or CKD on the lab report?
The same creatinine value can mean either. An older result helps most: a recent jump points to AKI, while a level that has been high for months points to chronic kidney disease. Small, scarred kidneys on ultrasound and anemia also lean toward CKD. Sometimes both are present, which is called AKI on CKD.
AKI stages and criteria: KDIGO, AKIN and RIFLE side by side
Acute kidney injury is graded in three stages, and the standard used in US hospitals is the KDIGO guideline from 2012. It counts either a rise in creatinine or a drop in urine output, and the worse of the two sets the stage [1]. KDIGO merged two earlier systems, RIFLE and the criteria of the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN), which you may still see in older papers.
| Stage | Serum creatinine | Urine output |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | 1.5 to 1.9 times baseline, or a rise of at least 0.3 mg/dL [1] | Below 0.5 mL/kg/h for 6 to 12 hours [1] |
| Stage 2 | 2.0 to 2.9 times baseline [1] | Below 0.5 mL/kg/h for 12 hours or more [1] |
| Stage 3, severe acute kidney injury | 3.0 times baseline or more, or a level of 4.0 mg/dL or more, or dialysis started [1] | Below 0.3 mL/kg/h for 24 hours or more, or no urine for 12 hours [1] |
The time window matters as much as the number: KDIGO counts a rise of 0.3 mg/dL within 48 hours, or a rise to 1.5 times baseline that is known or presumed to have happened within the prior 7 days [1].
How the three systems differ
KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes), 2012
Combines the two earlier systems. It accepts a small rise of 0.3 mg/dL within 48 hours and a 1.5-fold rise over up to 7 days, and it puts anyone started on dialysis into stage 3. This is the version most US hospitals and guidelines use today [1].
AKIN (Acute Kidney Injury Network), 2007
Introduced the idea that a rise of just 0.3 mg/dL counts, but only within a 48-hour window. It uses stages 1 to 3 like KDIGO and does not use changes in filtration rate, only creatinine and urine output [1].
RIFLE, 2004
The first shared definition. Its letters stand for Risk, Injury and Failure, roughly stages 1 to 3, plus two outcome classes: Loss (function absent for more than 4 weeks) and End-stage kidney disease (more than 3 months). It also allows staging by a fall in filtration rate [1].
AKI stage calculator: where do your creatinine numbers fall?
If you have your lab results, you can see which row of the KDIGO table your numbers land in. This is a way to read the table, not a diagnosis: the care team sets the stage, and they also weigh timing, fluids and the cause [1].
From a test taken before you got sick, or the lowest result in your patient portal. If there is none, the care team estimates it.
The peak value during this illness, in mg/dL, as printed on the lab report or in the portal.
Urine output at its lowest
“Less” means clearly below your usual amount; “almost none” means very little for a day, or none at all for 12 hours [1]. Nurses chart urine output in the hospital record, so ask them for the figures. The exact thresholds, per kilogram of body weight per hour, are in the table above.
Any start of dialysis during the episode places it in the Stage 3 row [1].
Move the sliders to your numbers.
–
times your baseline
– change in creatinine
- No AKI
- Stage 1
- Stage 2
- Stage 3
- Creatinine
- –
- Urine output
- –
- The guideline uses the higher
- –
A reading aid, not a diagnosis. The guideline counts a rise of 0.3 mg/dL within 48 hours, or to 1.5 times baseline within 7 days; your care team knows the timing and sets the stage [1].
How AKI is treated · Bring these numbers to your nephrologist
How is acute kidney injury treated? Guidelines, care plan, diet and hydration
There is no single drug for acute kidney injury. Treatment follows the KDIGO guideline: find and fix the cause, protect the kidneys from further harm while they recover, and support the body until they do [1].
-
Treat the cause
Fluids for dehydration, antibiotics for an infection, a catheter or procedure for a blockage.
-
Stop what strains the kidneys
NSAIDs, some antibiotics and contrast dye are paused or replaced, and other doses are adjusted.
-
Balance fluid and salts
Weight, intake and urine are tracked; potassium and acid levels are corrected.
-
Dialysis, if needed
Used when potassium, acid or fluid cannot be controlled otherwise; often temporary.
Your care plan after discharge
What the care team watches
- Creatinine and potassium on follow-up blood tests.
- Blood pressure and signs of fluid overload.
- Every medicine, with doses adjusted to kidney function.
- Whether protein appears in the urine.
What you can track at home
Tap each item once it is part of your routine.
Diet and fluids
There is no one AKI diet. While the kidneys recover, the team may limit potassium (found in bananas, potatoes and many salt substitutes), salt, or sometimes protein, and may ask you to drink more or less than usual. Those limits depend on your lab results and change as they improve, so follow the numbers your own team gives you rather than a generic list [3].
Can acute kidney injury be reversed? Recovery time, complications and the link to CKD
AKI is a medical emergency, but it is often reversible. How far function returns depends on the cause, the stage and how quickly the cause was removed. Mild injury from dehydration may settle in days; injury from sepsis, toxins or major surgery can take weeks, and some people never quite get back to their earlier numbers [1][2].
In the hospital
The cause is treated and creatinine is checked often, sometimes daily, until it stops rising.
At discharge
Ask for your peak and discharge creatinine and the list of medicines that were stopped or changed.
Follow-up blood tests
Repeat tests show whether creatinine is falling back toward your baseline. Keep the dates.
The months after
Guidelines advise checking kidney function again around three months after AKI, because some people develop chronic kidney disease [1].
Can acute kidney injury be cured or reversed?
Often yes, in the sense that kidney function returns to where it was. It is better to think of it as recovery than cure: an episode of AKI raises the chance of another one and of chronic kidney disease later, so the kidneys deserve extra care afterward [1].
Complications
High potassium (hyperkalemia)
Potassium builds up when the kidneys cannot remove it and can upset the heart rhythm. Medicines, diet changes and, if needed, dialysis bring it down.
Acid buildup (metabolic acidosis)
The kidneys normally clear acid. When they cannot, the blood becomes too acidic, which causes fatigue and fast breathing and strains the heart.
Fluid overload
Water that is not passed as urine collects in the legs and lungs, causing swelling and shortness of breath. It is why weight and intake are tracked.
AKI on chronic kidney disease
AKI on CKD means a sudden injury in kidneys that were already working below normal. Because there is less reserve, recovery is more often partial, and medicines need closer dose checks afterward.
If you already see a nephrologist for CKD, they should hear about the episode and about anything new you are considering, cannabis and CBD included.
After a kidney injury, is medical cannabis worth raising for you?
Fourteen short questions about your kidneys, your recovery, your medicines and the symptom you want help with. You get a summary of how your answers fit what is known and what to take to a physician. Your answers stay in this browser.
14 questions · about a minute · your answers stay in this browser
Is medical cannabis worth raising with your kidney doctor?
Sometimes, and timing is most of the answer. Cannabis does not treat acute kidney injury; no study in people has tested that. What some patients do bring up, once the kidneys have settled, is the rest of their health: pain that NSAIDs no longer cover, sleep, nausea, or a condition they had before the injury.
Not now
During the acute phase
In the hospital, while creatinine is still climbing, on dialysis or right after a transplant, nothing new should be added without the kidney team.
Later, as a question
Symptoms after discharge
Once numbers are stable, lingering pain, poor sleep or nausea are fair topics for a physician who sees your labs and your full medicine list.
Not for the kidneys
Repairing the kidneys themselves
The only evidence for kidney protection comes from animals and cells. Nobody can promise that cannabis or CBD helps an injured kidney recover.
An online evaluation looks at your situation, not at the diagnosis in general: the physician reviews your records, your current medicines and your state’s rules before deciding whether a recommendation fits.
Synthetic cannabinoids (K2, Spice) are a known cause of AKI, and they are not medical cannabis
Synthetic cannabinoids are lab-made chemicals sprayed onto plant material or sold in liquids under names like K2, Spice or “legal” blends. They act on the same receptors as THC but far more strongly, their contents change from batch to batch, and they are not the THC or CBD products sold through licensed state programs.
The pattern is not new. In 2012, CDC investigators traced 16 cases of acute kidney injury in six states to synthetic cannabinoid products [6], and doctors have published single cases of severe injury with damage to the kidney tubes after inhaling them, with recovery on supportive care [7][8]. In an animal study, the synthetic cannabinoid AB-FUBINACA given to mice at 3 mg/kg a day for 5 days caused kidney damage through oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death; 20 mice took part [9].
What it is
Synthetic cannabinoids (K2, Spice)
Lab-made full activators of cannabinoid receptors, often unknown compounds.
State-program cannabis products
THC and CBD from the cannabis plant, in measured amounts.
Tested and labeled
Synthetic cannabinoids (K2, Spice)
No. The label rarely says what is inside.
State-program cannabis products
Lab-tested under state rules, with THC and CBD content on the label.
Kidney injury reports
Synthetic cannabinoids (K2, Spice)
Case clusters, a CDC investigation and animal data.
State-program cannabis products
None in the studies reviewed here, which is not the same as proven safe.
Where it is sold
Synthetic cannabinoids (K2, Spice)
Gas stations, smoke shops, online, the street.
State-program cannabis products
Licensed dispensaries, to registered patients.
What did you use?
Pick the closest match to see what a doctor needs to hear about it.
From a state dispensary. Say the product name, the THC and CBD amounts on the label, how often you used it and the last dose. Kidney injury from such products is not what the studies here describe, so the team will look hard for another cause.
A “legal” blend from a store or online. Treat it as a possible synthetic cannabinoid. Tell the team the brand, where you bought it and when, and bring the package if you still have it.
An unknown cartridge. Unlabeled or street cartridges can contain synthetic cannabinoids or other additives. Say so plainly; a photo of the cartridge helps.
Delta-8 or another hemp-derived product. These are sold outside state medical programs and are not tested to the same standard. Name the product and the amount used.
Not sure. That is useful information too. Say what it looked like, where it came from and when you used it; the team may run extra tests.
What to say in the emergency department
- “I used [product] on [day], about [amount].” Exact wording beats embarrassment; the team is there to treat, not to judge.
- Every other medicine and substance from the past week, including pain relievers.
- Vomiting, how much you drank and when you last passed urine.
Warning signs that need care now · What each form of cannabis avoids and keeps
Why researchers look at cannabinoids in kidney injury: CB1, CB2 and the kidney’s endocannabinoid system
The body makes its own cannabis-like messengers, called endocannabinoids, and has receptors that respond to them. Together they form the endocannabinoid system. The kidney has this system too: its receptors sit on the filtering cells, the tubes and on immune cells that arrive when tissue is injured.
Two receptors get the most attention. CB1 is the one THC acts on in the brain; CB2 sits mainly on immune cells and helps turn down inflammation. Because inflammation drives much of the damage after a kidney injury, researchers have tested whether switching CB2 on can limit it. Almost all of this work is in mice and rats. A longer explainer is in the endocannabinoid system.
CB2: the anti-inflammation signal in mice and rats
Lab compounds that switch on CB2 only, such as HU-308, LEI-101, SMM-295 and RNB-61, reduced inflammation, cell death and scarring in rodent models of kidney injury from cisplatin, cut-off blood flow and blocked urine flow [10][11][12][13]. None of them is a cannabis product, and none has been tested for kidney injury in people.
CB1: mixed signals in rats
CB1 findings point in different directions. In a rat model of antibiotic-induced injury, CBD shifted the balance between CB1 and CB2 receptors in the kidney, and the effect depended on the dose [14]. That is part of why researchers favor drugs that target CB2 alone.
2-AG, anandamide and PEA in animals and people
In mice whose kidneys lost blood flow, levels of the body’s own cannabinoid 2-AG rose, and raising them further with a drug was linked to better kidney function [15]. In rats poisoned with mercury, anandamide eased the injury [16]. In 22 patients with blocked urine flow, of whom 10 had AKI, PEA levels in the blood changed after the blockage was relieved; this measured the body’s own molecules and gave no cannabis [17].
GPR55 and immune cells in mice
GPR55 is a receptor that also responds to cannabinoids. Blocking it with a lab compound eased kidney injury in septic mice [18]. Separately, CBD changed the behavior of a type of immune cell in mouse kidneys after blood flow was cut off, an effect that seemed to depend on a protein called GILZ [19].
What the research shows, from strongest to weakest: one small human study, the rest in animals
In short: strong study designs are few. The studies that involve patients either measured the body’s own cannabinoids or described harm from synthetic products. Every report of kidney protection comes from mice, rats or cells.
A trial that assigns patients to a treatment or a placebo can show whether something helps. A study that only observes patients can show a link. A case report shows that something can happen. An animal experiment shows a possible mechanism. The table places the kidney research on those rungs.
| Level | What exists for AKI | What it can and cannot tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Patients observed | One prospective study of 22 adults with blocked urine flow, 10 of them with AKI, measuring their own endocannabinoids; people who had used cannabis in the previous 30 days were excluded [17]. | Shows how the body’s own system reacts to kidney stress. Says nothing about cannabis as a treatment. |
| Case reports and reviews | A CDC case series and single cases of AKI after synthetic cannabinoids, plus a narrative review of poisoning-related AKI [6][7][5]. | Strong warning about synthetics. Cannot give exact rates. |
| Animal studies | CB2-targeting compounds, CBD, a cannabis extract and anandamide in mice and rats [13][20][14][16]. | Explains why scientists are interested. Does not show what happens in patients. |
| Cell studies | Kidney filter cells (podocytes) exposed to cisplatin with and without a cannabis extract [20]. | A first step only; a dish is not a body. |
What kinds of studies is this evidence built on?
How to read it: one row per type of published study on cannabinoids and acute kidney injury; a longer bar means more studies of that type. The strongest designs come first. Gray bars mark background work, meaning narrative reviews, animal studies and cell studies, which can suggest ideas but cannot show whether patients benefit.
Show as a table
| Design | Studies |
|---|---|
| Systematic reviews | 1 |
| Randomized trials | 1 |
| Other clinical trials | 2 |
| Cohort studies | 2 |
| Case-control studies | 2 |
| Case reports | 14 |
| Narrative reviews (background) | 8 |
| Animal studies (background) | 30 |
| Cell studies (background) | 2 |
Browse the studies cited here
Each card is one paper this guide relies on, in a sentence or two. Papers about harm, and papers that are not about cannabis at all, stay in the list with a label.
The body’s own cannabinoids when a blocked kidney is drained
In 10 patients with AKI, PEA rose after the blockage was relieved (p = 0.008); no cannabis was given and recent users were excluded [17].
Poisoning-related acute kidney injury
Among patients poisoned with synthetic cannabinoids, 89% had raised creatinine; the review also lists urgent dialysis triggers [5].
RNB-61, a CB2-only compound
In mice with kidney injury, creatinine fell 48% and BUN 30% compared with an inactive solution; in rats it limited scarring by 61% [13].
Lebanese cannabis extract and cisplatin
An oil extract with about 59% CBD, at 20 mg/kg, protected mouse kidneys from the cancer drug cisplatin; its effect on cancer treatment was not tested [20].
Kidney damage from AB-FUBINACA
Five days of this synthetic cannabinoid caused oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death in mouse kidneys [9].
CBD against antibiotic-induced kidney injury
CBD at 10 mg/kg a day helped rats given gentamicin, while 5 mg/kg made some kidney values worse [14].
Anandamide and mercury poisoning
The body’s own cannabinoid lowered kidney injury markers cystatin C by 82% and KIM-1 by 78% compared with untreated poisoned rats [16].
Blocking GPR55 in sepsis
A GPR55-blocking compound reduced kidney injury and inflammation in septic mice [18].
CBD and immune cells after lost blood flow
CBD at 10 mg/kg changed immune cell behavior in mouse kidneys, apparently through the protein GILZ [19].
SMM-295, a selective CB2 compound
Reduced damage to the kidney tubes in mice after blood flow to both kidneys was cut off [12].
2-AG levels and kidney function
Raising the endocannabinoid 2-AG with the drug JZL184 was linked to better kidney function in mice [15].
LEI-101 and cisplatin
A CB2 compound taken by mouth and kept out of the brain prevented cisplatin kidney damage in mice [11].
HU-308 and cisplatin
Switching on CB2 limited inflammation, oxidative stress and cell death in mouse kidneys [10].
Urine markers for kidney injury in heart patients
About half (50.3%) of coronary care patients developed AKI; urine NGAL and calprotectin helped tell true kidney damage from dehydration [21].
CDC: AKI after synthetic cannabinoids in six states
Investigators linked 16 cases of acute kidney injury in 2012 to synthetic cannabinoid products [6].
Severe AKI after inhaling synthetic marijuana
A young adult developed acute tubular necrosis and recovered with supportive care [7].
Synthetic cannabinoids and the kidney
Summarizes kidney injury and other kidney effects reported with synthetic cannabinoid use [8].
No studies of this type are cited here.
How big were the effects in animal studies, and why they don’t carry over to people
The animal results can look striking. The table lists each one with the injury that was modeled, what it was compared with and the dose used in the experiment. The doses are given in milligrams per kilogram of an animal’s weight; they are a record of the experiment, not a guide for anyone, and they do not convert into a human dose.
Filter by the way the kidney injury was caused in the animals.
| Compound | Injury model | Compared with | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| RNB-61, lab CB2 compound | Blood flow cut off, mice | Inactive solution | Plasma creatinine 48% lower, BUN 30% lower (p < 0.001) [13] |
| RNB-61, 3 mg/kg [13] | Blocked ureter, rats | Inactive solution | Collagen buildup (scarring) 61% lower [13] |
| Anandamide, 2.5 mg/kg [16] | Mercury chloride, rats, 6 per group [16] | Poisoned rats without treatment | Cystatin C 82% lower, KIM-1 78% lower [16] |
| Lebanese cannabis oil extract (about 59% CBD), 20 mg/kg [20] | Cisplatin, mice | Cisplatin alone | Lower creatinine and urea, better filtration (eGFR) [20] |
| CBD, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg a day [14] | Gentamicin for 10 days, rats [14] | Gentamicin alone | Improvement at 10 mg/kg; the middle dose of 5 mg/kg worsened some kidney values [14] |
No rows match this filter.
Why a mouse is not a patient
- Most of these experiments used male animals only, so nobody knows whether the results hold for females [13][14].
- Groups were small, in one study 6 rats per group [16].
- The injury is caused on purpose at a known moment, and treatment often starts before or right at that moment. Patients arrive hours or days later.
- Many compounds were injected into the belly cavity, a route no patient uses, and the most promising ones are lab molecules, not products you can buy.
- Rodent metabolism differs from ours, so doses do not translate [9].
Is cannabis safe for your kidneys? · What science doesn’t know yet
Cannabis, CBD and kidney disease: is it safe for your kidneys?
Two different questions hide here. After acute kidney injury, the concern is a kidney that is still healing and a medicine list that has just changed. With chronic kidney disease, the concern is years of use with kidneys that clear drugs more slowly. Neither has been answered by trials in people, and the honest reply to “is it safe?” is “nobody has measured it well enough to say.”
Does cannabis damage kidneys?
Synthetic cannabinoids clearly can [5][6]. For THC and CBD products from the cannabis plant, the studies reviewed here contain no human data showing kidney injury, and no data showing safety either. Indirect harm is real: repeated vomiting from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome can dehydrate you enough to injure the kidneys.
What do these studies say about CBD?
Is there a best cannabis or CBD product for kidneys?
No. No product, strain, ratio or dose has been shown to be better for kidneys in people. A label that promises kidney support is making a claim no study here supports.
What about CBD bought online or in a store?
CBD sold outside state programs is not held to the same testing rules, so the amount of CBD, any THC and possible contaminants may differ from the label. With injured kidneys, knowing exactly what you take matters more, not less.
Cannabis, CBD and blood pressure: why it matters for your kidneys
Kidneys need steady blood pressure to filter. A drop in pressure means less blood reaching them, which is one of the main causes of AKI, and long-term high pressure slowly damages them. So anything that moves blood pressure is a kidney question. The kidney studies reviewed here did not measure blood pressure, so what follows is general pharmacology for your physician to apply to you.
When you stand up
THC commonly speeds up the heart and can make blood pressure drop when you stand, leaving you dizzy or faint. That matters more if you take blood pressure medicines or diuretics after a kidney injury.
When you are dehydrated
Vomiting, diarrhea or simply drinking too little already lowers pressure. Adding anything that lowers it further, cannabis included, cuts the margin the kidneys rely on.
If you take medicines for blood pressure, they belong on the list in the interactions section, and home blood pressure readings are worth bringing to the appointment.
Smoked, vaped, eaten or under the tongue: what each form avoids and what stays after AKI
Cannabis is not only smoked. Medical products are also vaped, eaten, swallowed as capsules, dropped under the tongue, rubbed on skin or worn as a patch. No study here compares forms for the kidneys, so none is ranked as kinder to them. What can be said is what each form avoids and what it keeps. Choosing a form is a decision for you and your physician, not for this page.
Which form are you asking about?
The card about every form always stays open; picking a form adds what applies only to it.
Smoking: joints, blunts, pipes, bongs
Burning plant matter puts smoke in the airways. If fluid overload or a chest infection came with your kidney injury, the lungs have less to spare. Shared joints and pipes also pass germs at a time when an infection is the last thing the kidneys need.
Vaping and dabbing
Dry-herb vaporizers, oil pens and cartridges heat instead of burn, yet the hot aerosol still reaches the airways. Cartridges of unknown origin are where synthetic cannabinoids and other additives turn up, which is the documented kidney risk. Concentrates used for dabbing are strong enough that a small slip becomes a large dose.
Edibles, drinks and capsules
No smoke, but the effect starts late and lasts for hours, and the liver handles the dose before it reaches the blood. A second helping taken because “nothing happened yet” is a common route to taking too much. Vomiting after a large dose also costs fluid.
Tinctures, oils and mouth sprays
Held under the tongue or sprayed into the cheek, these skip the lungs and are counted in drops or sprays, which makes them easier to log. Part of each dose is still swallowed and passes through the liver, so interactions with your medicines stay the same.
Creams, balms and patches
Creams and balms act mainly where they are applied. Transdermal patches are different: they deliver cannabinoids into the bloodstream, so interactions and drowsiness are the same questions as for anything swallowed.
Prescription cannabinoids: dronabinol, nabilone, Epidiolex
These are FDA-approved medicines with a fixed dose, filled at a pharmacy on a prescription, not bought with a medical card. None is approved for kidney injury, and their labels list interactions your prescriber checks [22].
True of every form
- THC and CBD reach the bloodstream and can interact with medicines your kidney team has just adjusted.
- THC can cause drowsiness, dizziness and a drop in blood pressure on standing; do not drive after use.
- THC and CBD are different: a risk of one does not automatically apply to a CBD-only product, or the other way around.
- Only tested, labeled products tell you what you are taking.
All forms as a table
| Form | What it avoids | What it keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking | A delayed onset | Smoke in the airways, shared devices, every effect of THC, interactions |
| Vaping and dabbing | Burning plant matter | Hot aerosol in the airways, unknown cartridges, very strong concentrates, interactions |
| Edibles and capsules | Smoke and aerosol | Late onset, long effect, the second-helping trap, liver processing, interactions |
| Tinctures and sprays | Smoke and aerosol | Part of the dose swallowed, interactions, drowsiness |
| Creams and balms | Most effects in the rest of the body | Skin reactions |
| Transdermal patches | Smoke, aerosol, swallowing | Cannabinoids in the blood, interactions, drowsiness |
| Prescription cannabinoids | Unknown product content | Side effects and interactions listed on the label; not approved for kidney injury |
Is cannabis safe after acute kidney injury? Side effects and who should not use it
No study has followed people who used cannabis after AKI, so there is no measured safety profile for this group. What is known are the general effects of THC and CBD, and the ways some of them can strain kidneys that are recovering.
Vomiting that won’t stop
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome causes bouts of repeated vomiting in some long-term heavy users. The fluid loss alone can injure kidneys again.
Dehydration
Dry mouth, vomiting or simply forgetting to drink while drowsy lower the blood volume the kidneys depend on.
Drowsiness
THC sedates, and that adds to opioids, sleeping pills and some medicines given after a hospital stay.
Dizziness and falls
A drop in blood pressure on standing, plus weakness after an illness, makes falls likelier, and a long lie after a fall is itself a cause of AKI.
Unknown products
Untested products may hold synthetic cannabinoids or a different amount of THC than stated. That is the one kidney harm with solid evidence.
Driving
THC slows reactions, and sedating medicines make it worse. Do not drive after using it.
Who should not use cannabis, or only with the kidney team
- Anyone still in the acute phase: in the hospital, or with creatinine still rising.
- People on dialysis, where any new substance needs the dialysis team’s review.
- Kidney transplant recipients on tacrolimus or cyclosporine, whose levels can shift (see interactions).
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- A personal or family history of psychosis.
- Anyone who has had cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome before.
- Anyone whose AKI followed synthetic cannabinoids or an unknown vape.
Never stop or change a prescribed medicine to make room for cannabis. Changes go through the doctor who prescribed it.
Drug interactions: kidney-cleared medicines, tacrolimus, blood thinners and sedatives
After a kidney injury, many doses are recalculated, some medicines are stopped and new ones start. That is exactly when an extra substance is hardest to fit in. The kidney studies on this page did not test any of these combinations, so each entry below is general pharmacology, marked as such, for your physician and pharmacist to check against your own list.
What is on your medicine list?
Take the pharmacy printout or the bottles and tap everything that applies; the matching entries open below.
Medicines dosed by kidney function general pharmacology
Many antibiotics, diabetes drugs such as metformin, gabapentin and some heart medicines are dosed to how well the kidneys filter. While function is changing, those doses change too. Adding anything that causes drowsiness or vomiting makes side effects of these drugs harder to spot.
Tacrolimus and cyclosporine after a transplant general pharmacology
CBD is broken down by the liver enzymes CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 and can change the blood levels of drugs that use the same route, according to the FDA label for the prescription CBD medicine Epidiolex [22]. Tacrolimus and cyclosporine are cleared by CYP3A4, and their levels must stay in a narrow range to protect a transplanted kidney. Starting or stopping CBD without the transplant team is not safe.
Warfarin and other blood thinners general pharmacology
Warfarin is cleared by liver enzymes that CBD can slow, which could raise its effect and the risk of bleeding [22]. Newer blood thinners are partly cleared by the kidneys, so their doses already depend on kidney function. Ask for an INR or a dose review before and after any change.
Opioids, sleeping pills and anxiety medicines general pharmacology
Sedation adds up. THC on top of opioids, benzodiazepines or sleeping pills raises the risk of confusion, slowed breathing and falls, and some opioids build up when the kidneys are slow to clear them [22].
Blood pressure medicines and diuretics general pharmacology
ACE inhibitors, ARBs and water pills are often paused during AKI and restarted later. THC can lower pressure on standing, so the combination may cause dizziness and, with dehydration, reduce blood flow to the kidneys. See blood pressure and your kidneys.
Ibuprofen, naproxen and other NSAIDs general pharmacology
NSAIDs are one of the common causes of AKI and are usually avoided afterward. If cannabis is being considered for pain, tell the physician which NSAID you took before, and do not combine products to cover pain on your own.
No entries match this filter.
Questions to ask about your medicine list
- Which of my doses were changed because of my kidneys, and when will they be checked again?
- Would CBD or THC affect the level of any drug I take, especially tacrolimus, cyclosporine or a blood thinner?
- Which of my medicines already make me drowsy or lightheaded?
- Which blood tests should be repeated if I start or stop something new?
A pharmacist can review a full list, including supplements and over-the-counter pills, and flag risky pairs.
What science doesn’t know yet about cannabis and kidney injury
The gaps here are larger than the findings, and the study authors name them openly.
- No clinical trial has tested cannabis, CBD or any cannabinoid as a treatment for AKI in people.
- The animal work used male rodents only and models limited to cut-off blood flow and blocked urine flow [13][14].
- Groups were small, as few as 6 animals each, and the dose effects did not follow a straight line [16][14].
- Nobody has checked whether a cannabis extract that protected mouse kidneys from cisplatin also weakens cisplatin against cancer [20].
- The one study in patients was small, had no measurements from before the blockage and no long-term follow-up [17].
- How CB2 receptors work in each kind of kidney and immune cell is not fully mapped [13].
- There are no data on doses or safety for people with reduced kidney function or on dialysis.
Three questions for any headline about cannabis and kidneys
- Was it people, rats or a dish? Most kidney headlines are about rodents.
- Was it plant cannabis or a lab molecule? RNB-61 and similar compounds are research tools, not products.
- Was it about harm from synthetics? Many “cannabis and kidney” reports are about K2 and Spice.
If an article does not answer these, take it to the appointment as a question rather than as an answer.
How to talk to your nephrologist about cannabis
Tell every doctor about cannabis and CBD, including the emergency department, even if you used it only now and then. It changes nothing about whether you get care, and it can change which tests they run and which medicines they choose. Kidney doctors hear the question more often than most patients think.
What to bring
Tap each item when it is in your folder.
Not sure how to read the creatinine numbers? The stage calculator shows where they fall in the KDIGO table.
Questions worth asking
- Are my kidneys stable enough to consider anything new, and when should I ask again?
- Would THC or CBD change any of my current doses?
- Is there a reason in my case, such as a transplant, dialysis or a history of vomiting, to avoid it completely?
- If I go ahead, what should we measure, and when?
What a hospital drug test means
Hospitals often run a urine drug screen when someone arrives very ill. A positive result for THC is medical information, used to find the cause and avoid interactions. Standard screens may miss synthetic cannabinoids, which is one more reason to say what you used.
Does acute kidney injury qualify for a medical card? State rules at a glance
Rarely on its own. Acute kidney injury is a short episode, while state programs list long-lasting conditions, and AKI almost never appears on those lists by name. What usually matters at an evaluation is a lasting condition in your records, such as chronic pain, or a state rule that lets the physician use their own judgment. The list in force on the day of your appointment is the one that counts.
Rarely named
AKI itself
An acute kidney episode is not a typical qualifying condition. Expect the physician to look past it to what you live with now.
Related diagnosis
A condition in your records
Chronic pain, nausea, or another diagnosis your state lists can be the basis, if a doctor has written it down.
Physician judgment
States with an open clause
Some programs let the physician certify a serious condition not on the list. Your state’s rules say whether yours does.
What else is in your medical records?
Programs count diagnoses written in the records, not symptoms alone. Pick what applies.
Chronic pain. Many programs list it in some form. With NSAIDs ruled out after AKI, it is often the real reason people ask. Bring the diagnosis and what you have tried.
Nausea and vomiting. Some states list severe nausea; a recorded cause such as gastroparesis helps. Persistent vomiting after cannabis is a different matter and a reason for caution.
Sepsis. A past episode is not a qualifying condition by itself, but the research on it is covered in sepsis and medical cannabis.
Diabetes. A common cause of kidney disease, and nerve pain from it may be relevant to the physician. See diabetes and medical cannabis.
None of these. The answer then depends on how your state words its rules and on the physician’s judgment. Start with medical marijuana laws by state, or read getting a card without a listed condition.
What a medical card changes
Who looks at your health first
With a medical card
A licensed physician reviews your kidney history and medicines.
Buying without one
Nobody does.
Taxes
With a medical card
In some states patients skip part of the cannabis tax.
Buying without one
The full tax, where adult sales are legal at all.
Limits
With a medical card
Often higher purchase and possession limits, set by state rule.
Buying without one
The adult limit, or none legally.
What you know about the product
With a medical card
State-tested products with THC and CBD on the label.
Buying without one
In states without adult sales, only untested sources.
Exact limits, taxes and lists are on each state’s page in medical marijuana laws by state; the tax side is compared in medical vs recreational cannabis taxes.
Getting a medical card online: steps, price and what happens next
The evaluation is done from home with a physician licensed in your state. Here is the order of things; how it works in detail is on the medical card page.
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About 5 minutes
Fill in the form
Your state, your diagnoses, the AKI episode and every current medicine. Upload the discharge summary if you have it.
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About 15 minutes
Meet the physician
A one-on-one appointment, all online. You agree the time with the physician, who may run late with someone before you, so keep an hour free around it.
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In as little as 15 minutes after the appointment, depending on your state
Signed recommendation
If the physician finds it appropriate, the document is placed in your account.
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Timing set by the state
State registration
Where the state runs a registry, you apply there and the state issues the card on its own schedule.
Across 250 reviews from patients in the states where we are licensed. We do not sort them by score and do not hide the low ones.
- 150,000+patients evaluated – everyone who has been through an appointment with us, in every state where we are licensed
- Since 2017doing only this: online evaluations for medical cannabis programs, and nothing else on the side
The fee for your state is shown before you pay; a state registration fee, where one exists, goes to the state. Whether the physician issues a recommendation is never promised in advance, and what happens to the fee then is answered in the medical card FAQ. Reduced prices exist for veterans and for people on a low income. To move an appointment, use your appointments page.
Physicians are listed on our doctors page. Severe or sudden symptoms need emergency care, not an online appointment.
Acute kidney injury and cannabis: frequently asked questions
How is acute kidney injury most accurately defined?
As a sudden drop in kidney function, over hours to days, shown by a rise in blood creatinine of at least 0.3 mg/dL within 48 hours or to 1.5 times your baseline within 7 days, or by low urine output for at least 6 hours. That is the KDIGO definition used by most US hospitals [1].
How serious is acute kidney injury?
It is a medical emergency that can range from a mild, short rise in creatinine to kidney failure needing dialysis. Severity depends on the stage and the cause. Sudden low urine, swelling, breathlessness or confusion need care right away; see the warning signs.
How long does it take to recover from acute kidney injury?
It varies. Mild injury from dehydration can settle within days once fluids are restored, while injury from sepsis, toxins or surgery may take weeks, and some people recover only partly. Follow-up blood tests, including one around three months later, show where you stand [1].
Can acute kidney injury be reversed?
Often, yes. When the cause is found and removed quickly, kidney function frequently returns to its earlier level. An episode still raises the chance of chronic kidney disease later, so follow-up matters even after numbers improve [1].
Can dehydration cause acute kidney injury?
Yes. Dehydration from vomiting, diarrhea, heat or not drinking lowers the blood reaching the kidneys and is one of the most common causes. It usually improves quickly with fluids given by the care team; see all the causes.
How can a fall cause acute kidney injury?
Lying on the floor for hours after a fall, often called a long lie, crushes muscle. The broken-down muscle releases myoglobin, which can clog the kidney’s tubes (rhabdomyolysis). Dehydration during the lie makes it worse.
Why is high potassium dangerous in AKI?
Injured kidneys cannot remove extra potassium, and high levels (hyperkalemia) can disturb the heart rhythm, often without warning symptoms. That is why potassium is tested often and treated quickly, sometimes with dialysis.
What should I eat with acute kidney injury?
There is no single AKI diet. Your team may limit potassium, salt, protein or fluid for a while, depending on your lab results, and lift the limits as you recover. Follow their numbers rather than a generic list [3].
What is the difference between acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease?
AKI develops over hours or days and is often reversible. Chronic kidney disease lasts at least three months and usually progresses slowly [3]. AKI can happen on top of CKD, and an AKI episode raises the risk of CKD later.
What is the ICD-10 code for acute kidney injury?
N17.9, “acute kidney failure, unspecified,” is the usual code. AKI on chronic kidney disease stage 3 is coded as N17.9 together with N18.30, N18.31 or N18.32 for stage 3 unspecified, 3a or 3b [4]. The code table lists the others.
Does cannabis help acute kidney injury?
Can synthetic cannabinoids like K2 or Spice cause kidney failure?
Yes. In a 2024 narrative review, 89% of people poisoned with synthetic cannabinoids had raised creatinine, and the CDC traced a 2012 cluster of AKI cases in six states to these products [5][6]. They are not the cannabis sold in state programs; see the full section.
Is CBD safe if I have kidney disease?
Is delta-8 THC the same as medical cannabis?
No. Delta-8 products are usually made from hemp-derived CBD by chemical conversion and sold outside state medical programs, without the same testing. With injured kidneys, an untested product is a risk you do not need.
Does acute kidney injury qualify for a medical marijuana card?
Rarely by itself, because state lists cover long-lasting conditions. A related diagnosis in your records, such as chronic pain, or a state rule that allows physician judgment is the usual route. See state rules at a glance.
After I get recommended, can I go straight to a dispensary?
It depends on your state. In some, the signed recommendation is enough; in others you first register with the state program and wait for the card. Your state’s page in laws by state and the medical card FAQ explain the next step.
Is this about acute kidney injury in dogs and cats?
No. This page is about people. Pets can develop AKI too, often from toxins, and cannabis products are themselves toxic to dogs and cats. Call your veterinarian.
More research on cannabis and acute kidney injury
This page cites a selection of studies. Our research library holds every study we track on cannabis and acute kidney injury, from laboratory work to clinical trials, and lets you filter them by cannabinoid, study type and year.
- studies
- 89
- in people
- 25
- clinical trials
- 3
Talk it through with a licensed physician
What cannabis cannot do here: treat acute kidney injury or help the kidneys heal.
What a physician can do: look at your recovery, your medicines and your state’s rules, and tell you whether medical cannabis makes sense for the symptoms you live with now.
The fee for your state is shown before you pay, and the physician decides whether a recommendation is right. Sudden low urine, swelling, breathlessness or confusion: call 911 instead.
Share your experience
References
22 sources
- 1. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for Acute Kidney Injury. 2012.
- 2. MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Acute kidney failure. 2024.
- 3. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Kidney disease. 2024.
- 4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. ICD-10-CM code set, fiscal year 2026. 2025.
- 5. Poisoning-Induced Acute Kidney Injury: A Review. DOI: 10.3390/medicina60081302 PMID: 39202583
- 6. Acute kidney injury associated with synthetic cannabinoid use–multiple states, 2012. PMID: 23407124
- 7. Synthetic marijuana and acute kidney injury: an unforeseen association. DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sft047 PMID: 26064495
- 8. Synthetic cannabinoids and renal injury. DOI: 10.14744/nci.2015.82246 PMID: 28058363
- 9. In vivo assessment of the nephrotoxic effects of the synthetic cannabinoid AB-FUBINACA. DOI: 10.1007/s11419-024-00699-9 PMID: 39120650
- 10. Cannabinoid-2 receptor limits inflammation, oxidative/nitrosative stress, and cell death in nephropathy. DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2009.11.022 PMID: 19969072
- 11. The novel, orally available and peripherally restricted selective cannabinoid CB2 receptor agonist LEI-101 prevents cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. DOI: 10.1111/bph.13338 PMID: 26398481
- 12. Selective Cannabinoid 2 Receptor Stimulation Reduces Tubular Epithelial Cell Damage after Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. DOI: 10.1124/jpet.117.245522 PMID: 29187590
- 13. A Highly Potent, Orally Bioavailable Pyrazole-Derived Cannabinoid CB2 Receptor- Selective Full Agonist for In Vivo Studies. DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.4c00269 PMID: 39144568
- 14. Cannabidiol interacts with the FXR/Nrf2 pathway and changes the CB1/CB2 receptors ratio in gentamicin-induced kidney injury in rats. DOI: 10.22038/IJBMS.2023.67998.14867 PMID: 36865046
- 15. Increased Renal 2-Arachidonoylglycerol Level Is Associated with Improved Renal Function in a Mouse Model of Acute Kidney Injury. DOI: 10.1089/can.2016.0013 PMID: 28861493
- 16. Anandamide modulates WNT-5A/BCL-2, IP3/NFATc1, and HMGB1/NF-κB trajectories to protect against mercuric chloride-induced acute kidney injury DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38659-9 PMID: 37488162
- 17. Endocannabinoid responses to relief of obstruction in acute injured kidney: a prospective observational study. DOI: 10.1177/17562872261442624 PMID: 42027800
- 18. CID16020046, a GPR55 antagonist, attenuates sepsis‑induced acute kidney injury. DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2022.12671 PMID: 35244189
- 19. Regulation of Innate Lymphoid Cells in Acute Kidney Injury: Crosstalk between Cannabidiol and GILZ. DOI: 10.1155/2020/6056373 PMID: 32185239
- 20. Lebanese Cannabis sativa L. extract protects from cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in mice by inhibiting podocytes apoptosis. DOI: 10.1186/s42238-025-00260-4 PMID: 39819647
- 21. Urinary Biomarkers Improve the Diagnosis of Intrinsic Acute Kidney Injury in Coronary Care Units. DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000001703 PMID: 26448023
- 22. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Epidiolex (cannabidiol) prescribing information. 2018.