Over the past few years, parents of children with serious intractable conditions have been increasingly turning to the healing properties of cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that’s been shown to potentially possess an array of therapeutic benefits, including anti-nausea, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Many parents rightfully scrutinize the medications and substances given to their children. Some may be hesitant to administer CBD to their kids because of its relationship to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active cannabinoid that has euphoric effects. CBD, however, is completely non-psychoactive and even effectively counters the euphoric properties of THC. There’s no way that anyone taking CBD can get high.
There are many questions parents often raise when weighing whether CBD is right for their child. This guide should help you better understand why parents would add CBD to a child’s health care regimen, and address common questions many have about CBD and children.
Potential Benefits of Giving Children CBD
Researchers are still discovering how CBD can be applied therapeutically, but studies so far indicate that it shows potential for reducing nausea and vomiting, managing pain, combating psychosis disorders, contesting inflammatory disorders, inhibiting tumors, battling anxiety and depression, and suppressing seizure activities.
In general, most parents have made the decision to give CBD to a child because of its capability to reduce and even eliminate seizures that have been resistant to other traditional medications. Recent studies have found CBD to significantly reduce the frequency of seizures in children and teens. Here are a few to check out:
- CBD Shown Effective for over 80% of Children and Teens with Pediatric Epilepsy in New Study
- CBD Reduces Seizures in 84% of Children with Epilepsy, Study Finds
- New Study Examines Cannabinoid’s Impact on Treatment-Resistance Epilepsy
We previously detailed how CBD reduces seizures, and you can learn more about how it works here.
Also, read through stories shared by our ECHO Families, including how three-year-old Sadie Higuera and eight-year-old Grace Elizalde Benavides found seizure relief with CBD.
Safety of CBD
While the volume of data demonstrating CBD’s safety profile for both adults and children continues to be lacking, findings so far do indicate that CBD is safe. One researcher who examined the safety profile of different substances concluded that cannabinoids are safer than aspirin and can be used long-term without serious side effects, and CBD was “proven to be safe and well tolerated” in a 2012 clinical trial that involved adults.
Also, it’s important to remember that while CBD comes from plants like hemp, cannabinoids also naturally occur in the body. They’re synthesized on demand to interact with cannabinoid receptors found throughout the central nervous and immune systems. In cases where a deficiency in naturally-produced cannabinoids occurs, supplementing with plant-derived cannabinoids like CBD may be beneficial.
Learn more about the safety considerations of giving children CBD here.
CBD Products Best for Children
CBD is available in various products that are convenient for children to use. Pure CBD hemp oil, as well as tinctures and liquid concentrates, can be held under the tongue and absorbed by the mucus membranes in the mouth before swallowing. If children are unable to hold the CBD oil in their mouth, it can also be ingested.
Learn more about the various CBD consumption methods here.
CBD oil that is derived from hemp is legal under federal law in the U.S. without the need for a doctor’s prescription or recommendation. Individual state laws are dynamic and some individual states have passed laws regulating hemp-derived CBD. We also recommend that you speak with your doctor before starting your child on CBD.
For families facing special circumstances, ECHO is able to utilize generous donations to contribute CBD products and financial aid. You can learn more about becoming an ECHO-sponsored family here.
Learn more about CBD’s legal status here.
You can learn more about CBD by visiting our Education page. We also recommend these articles:
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