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CBD is short for cannabidiol which is a non-psychoactive substance extracted from marijuana. It’s available in many different forms on the market while more and more people are deciding to try it for many various reasons.
It has been a subject of very much heated discussions especially since the legalization movement started to regain its voice. Many states are deciding to legalize medicinal or recreational use of marijuana. It’s enough to type something like recreational dispensary las vegas into your browser to see how easy it is to access it.
Because of its versatile properties, it’s being used to treat or at least help to treat multiple conditions. There are many who claim that CBD actually helped them recover or deal with their problems, like with CBD gummies 750mg. So it’s not surprising that they started to wonder if it can also help their children.
What is CBD?
Hemp and marijuana plants have been used for medicinal purposes all around the world for thousands of years. Even in the 19th century in the USA, it was considered as the perfect drug for epilepsy, migraines and painful conditions. However, it was made illegal in the 1970s which makes it almost impossible to get funding for research that is necessary if people would like to develop hemp-based medicines, especially those for children.
CBD is a chemical compound that can be found in both marijuana and hemp plants. In a well-extracted CBD component, there should be no THC which is a psychoactive substance responsible for making you high. Unluckily, you can never be 100% sure that your CBD product is completely THC-free.
There’s only one recognized CBD-based drug that you can be certain is free of THC – Epidiolex.
How can CBD be helpful to children?
ADHD
There is no evidence to confirm it, but a lot of parents have been trying and reporting improvements in their children’s behavior after they were given CBD, but there were those who noticed no effect at all. However, there were no reports of harm done by CBD in the case of children.
Anxiety
There have been studies conducted that proved that CBD can reduce stress in adults and animals, but researchers cannot be sure about children yet. CBD oils have been used to treat conditions like PTSD, OCD or social anxiety disorder for some time now, but the studies of children have not been conclusive so far. That’s why it’s important to stay in contact with your doctor – don’t introduce anything on your own.
Epilepsy
Epidiolex is an FDA-approved medication for treating seizures in children with two rarer forms of epilepsy. It’s a CBD-based drug that has passed three different drug trials and proved to be effective with reducing the frequency of seizures. There isn’t any research that could confirm if any other CBD product can have similar effects, but it can bring the exact same risks (sleepiness, rash, diarrhea, infections, panic attacks or even depression) that are possible, but not too likely.
Autism
There were already studies conducted which confirmed that CBD may be helpful in reducing the symptoms of autism. The improvements were noticed with most of the participants of these studies after 1 month’s use and for the most disruptive of symptoms like seizures, restlessness or rage attacks. What’s more, the frequency continued to reduce months after that. However, side effects included sleepiness, reflux and lack of appetite, so there’s still a need for more research.
Are there any risks in giving CBD to your children?
CBD is still a relatively new product and there hasn’t been enough research done on the topic that would enable you to give it to your children with certainty and without any worries. It’s not a 100% situation for adults, not to mention kids, especially that these studies that have been conducted, weren’t conclusive and found that there are some side effects to CBD use. What’s more, CBD may interfere with enzymes and other drugs that your child takes on a regular basis.
However, the biggest threat is that when you buy CBD products in a store, you can’t be sure what you’re buying exactly, or if there’s any THC in them and how much CBD it actually contains.
To be a little bit more sure about what you’re buying, always read the label very carefully, see the amount of CBD per recommended dose, where the product has been produced and by whom (e.g. if it’s hemp, you can inquire if it’s pesticide-free) and check if there are any lab results you can verify. It’s important that the product is tested by a third party.
Luckily, there are more and more studies conducted
The bottom line is that there certainly are some benefits that CBD can bring to your children, but you need to stay cautious. Make sure you consult with the right doctor and keep your children under their supervision. You surely want what’s best for your kids so don’t stop looking for ways to help them, but be reasonable.
