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It’s clear that there are many potential benefits of CBD for adults—but is it possible that CBD is safe or helpful for children, too? While you should be sure to always consult your child’s pediatrician before giving them any CBD products, some evidence suggests that CBD could be safe and beneficial to children’s wellness. Here’s everything you should know.
First Off—What Is CBD?
CBD is a cannabinoid in hemp that won’t cause you or your child to feel high. It comes in many different formats, from CBD oil tinctures to CBD gummies, and has become popular thanks to a vast range of potentially therapeutic effects—some of which may benefit children.
CBD works by interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECS).¹ The ECS is a system full of receptors that sends messages back and forth that help with keeping your body operating in its most optimal, balanced state. It’s responsible for modulating some background processes such as mood, sleep-wake cycles, appetite, inflammation responses, and immune system function.
CBD has the ability to interact with many of the receptors throughout the ECS, and may help it maintain equilibrium in many different areas of our body and central nervous system.
Is CBD Safe For Kids?
In 2021 CBD was deemed by the World Health Organization to be “generally well-tolerated with a good safety profile.”² The WHO states that any adverse effects from CBD could be the result of interactions between existing medications and CBD, and described that their report found no evidence of potential for abuse or dependence.
In the report discussing the effectiveness of CBD, the WHO cites several clinical trials that have showed CBD may be effective managing epilepsy and other medical conditions that might affect children. One example is Epidiolex—an FDA-approved prescription form of CBD with few, if any, side effects—which can reduce seizures in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.
However, it’s essential to remember that there’s yet to be any definitive evidence that CBD does not have long-term effects on a child’s development. It hasn’t been tested extensively for safety or effectiveness, and while there’s adequate research supporting its health benefits, there’s still a lot that’s unknown. Ultimately, evidence suggests that it’s safe—but there’s no way to know for sure. Some parents will be comfortable giving their children CBD, while others won’t.
Potential Benefits of CBD For Children
CBD may be helpful for several conditions in children, although the only condition it’s actually been approved for by the FDA is rare forms of epilepsy. Below we’ve outlined a few potential, science-backed conditions that CBD might be able to support children with.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is by far the most researched condition CBD seems to help with. The FDA approved Epidiolex to treat two rare, severe forms of epilepsy in kids two years of age and older.³ More specifically, Epidiolex is usually prescribed by pediatricians for children experiencing seizures from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, as it helps reduce the frequency and intensity of the seizures.
There’s a handful of other studies out there supporting the potential benefits of CBD edibles on various forms of epilepsy, though most of the studies are limited to adults and animal models.⁴ The evidence suggests that CBD reduces seizures by interacting with two groups of receptors, called GPR55 and TRPV1 receptors, to reduce the excitability of the neurons.⁵ Anything that’s interrupting regular connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause seizures to happen; CBD’s interactions with the ECS may help regulate these connections.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
A handful of studies have analyzed the potential benefits of CBD in children with autism—with research indicating it may improve some of the negative symptoms related to the condition.⁶
The most prominent study looked at 188 autistic children (between the ages of 5 and 18).⁷ The participants were given 30% CBD with 1.5% THC—with most participants seeing improvement in seizures, restlessness, and rage attacks after one month. For most, symptoms became more infrequent over the span of six months.
However, it’s important to note that there was no control group in the study, so there’s no way to determine whether or not CBD edibles were responsible for reducing symptoms. Other studies are currently exploring the potential benefits of CBD for autism in children, but more research is needed to establish the connection with certainty.
Anxiety
There have been quite a few studies exploring CBD’s effect on anxiety disorders. The general belief is that CBD interacts with the ECS in such a way that helps it modulate moods and help stressful situations feel less anxiety-inducing. However, practically all studies that explored the relationship between CBD and anxiety involved adults or animals.⁸
While research suggests CBD may help reduce anxiety within adults, the relationship has yet to sufficiently be explored in regards to children.
However, there’s one study based on a 10-year-old patient that discovered that CBD may have improved her feelings of anxiety and sleeplessness caused by PTSD.⁹ Other preclinical studies suggest CBD could be helpful in managing social anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and generalized anxiety disorder.
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder—best known as ADHD—is a condition that, among other things, affects a child’s ability to focus. While there is practically no research on the relationship between ADHD and CBD, there is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence suggesting that giving CBD to kids has reduced some of the symptoms associated with ADHD. However, there currently is not enough scientific evidence to confirm whether or not CBD definitively helps kids with ADHD.
One preliminary study on autism suggested that CBD may help reduce hyperactivity, which can potentially play a role in ADHD.¹⁰ More reserach found that CBD might have helped healthcare workers with physical and emotional burnout—the same exhaustion associated with ADHD.¹¹ The study focused on healthcare workers who didn’t have ADHD, but the results could lead to further studies in the future exploring the burnout associated with ADHD.
CBD For Kids: Are There Risks?
While CBD is considered to be generally safe, the biggest issues with an over-the-counter CBD product boil down to actual CBD content, possible interactions with other medications, and if the product also contains any THC.
Since the FDA doesn’t regulate CBD, it could be difficult for parents to trust any products at face value. It helps to only purchase CBD from companies like Lazarus Naturals—who ensure all of their products are lab tested by unbiased third parties to determine an accurate analysis of the product.¹² The “Certificates of Analysis” ideally will be available for public viewing on their site.
As a parent, you may want to make ensure you consult your child’s doctor or pediatrician to help determine whether or not CBD is appropriate. CBD may come with side effects (restlessness or issues related to sleep) and, in some cases, can interfere with some of the enzymes needed to break down other medications. So if your child has any medications with grapefruit warnings on them, you’ll want to avoid CBD.¹³
Last but not least, one significant risk with CBD is that some CBD products contain THC—and when it comes to CBD & THC for children, THC is an absolute ‘no-no.’ THC is the cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant and hemp that causes you to feel high, and studies show that it can seriously impact developing brains.¹⁴ Children should never be given THC, seeing as it could impact their development. In which case it’s safest to opt for CBD isolate and THC-free options like what we offer at Lazarus Naturals. Always double-check the product test results to ensure there’s no THC in any of the products you’re intending to give to children.
Lazarus Naturals CBD
At the end of the day, CBD products and consumption methods such as microdosing CBD oil may be safe for kids, but you should always talk to your child’s doctor beforehand to rule out medicine interactions and other unwanted side effects. If you get a green light from your kid’s doctor, only purchase THC-free products that are lab-tested by third parties for a guaranteed analysis. Whether you are looking for CBD for children or exploring options for your own daily wellness journey, you can rely on Lazarus Naturals for safe and effective CBD that works.
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Sources:
¹https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569
²https://www.rtor.org/2019/07/05/who-report-on-cbd-oil/
⁴https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6514832/
⁵https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1684/epd.2020.1135
⁶https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6333745/
⁷https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6336869/
⁸https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/
⁹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5101100/
¹⁰https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33689997/
¹¹https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2782994
¹²https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2661569
¹³https://www.southpalmorthopedics.com/pdfs/edu-cbd-drug-interactions-what-you-need-to-know.pdf ¹⁴https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects/brain-health.html#:~:text=Marijuana%20affects%20brain%20development.,marijuana%20and%20tetrahydrocannabinol%20(THC).