CBD has been used for quite some time now to treat various unpleasant symptoms. Many people swear by CBD oil to help them deal with anxiety, nausea, pain and many other ailments they feel. However, recently there have been more and more discussions on whether CBD oil for kids is an option.
Due to not much being commonly known about CBD and the fact that it derives from the same plant that THC does, which people use as recreational drugs, parents are often hesitant about using CBD oil for children. Let’s see if their hesitation has any grounding to it.
Keep on reading to find out is CBD safe for kids and the effects of using CBD oil for children.
Is it safe to give CBD oil for kids?
A review titled Cannabinoids in Pediatrics published in the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacological Therapy, concluded that the use of CBD in children is unclear. Neurocognitive development must be addressed in long-term studies before a therapeutic recommendation of CBD can be made.
Table of Contents
What is CBD?
Before we start talking about the positive effects on a child’s health while using CBD we have to dissipate some rumors. The main problem that arises as far as CBD is concerned is that it is often confused with another cannabinoid that is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
THC is the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant that is responsible for the high feeling people get after consuming cannabis. On the other hand, CBD is one of the many cannabinoids in the plant that are not psychoactive and don’t produce the feeling of being high.
CBD works by targeting your endocannabinoid system that is full of cannabinoid receptors. The endocannabinoid system is a biological system in your body that is responsible for managing lots of bodily functions including coordination, movement, pain, appetite and many more.
While endocannabinoid systems can function without interference, CBD helps when the system becomes imbalanced. That can happen due to various reasons and it often produces unwanted effects such as nausea, appetite loss, anxiety, and other symptoms that no one wants to deal with.
CBD is becoming increasingly popular being used as a health supplement by many health enthusiasts. The main thing you would encounter if you searched for CBD products would likely be CBD oil. However, since the industry is booming, there have been more and more products added.
Now you can find CBD vape oils, CBD edibles such as CBD gummies, CBD infused drinks, or topicals like CBD patches, creams and lotions. All these products provide the effects of CBD but might affect you quite differently. You’re free to experiment to find out which way of consuming it works the best for you.
Now that we’ve talked about the basic facts of what CBD is, let’s talk about is CBD safe for kids, and the effects it may have.
CBD Oil for Kids
If you’ve been interested in the topic of CBD oil for children, you might’ve heard about people talking about the endless benefits of CBD oil for kids who are dealing with different mental health disorders or illnesses.
While using CBD oil for kids hasn’t been implemented for a long time, as for now, there have been some studies conducted that prove the effectiveness of CBD oil for kids. Let’s figure out is CBD safe for kids and what effects CBD has on kids in different situations.
Anxiety
Anxiety is the most commonly reported mental illness in the USA. Its prevalence is so high that reportedly 1 out of 5 people in the USA suffer from the anxiety disorder. The main symptom of it is excessive worrying and feeling anxious, but it can also have other effects on a person.
In most cases, other physical effects are felt. Some of these include insomnia, due to being too anxious to fall asleep, nausea, various aches in the body or feeling depressed. In some severe cases, it can result in more serious illnesses caused by excessive worrying.
Due to all these distressing symptoms, people try to seek treatment for it. Most often the patients are directed to a psychiatrist who prescribes medicine. The most commonly prescribed type of medicine are SSRIs. They’re used for treating various mental illnesses, anxiety not being an exception.
However, despite usually being effective, the usage of this medicine might cause some severe side effects such as, appetite loss, feeling suicidal, insomnia, irritability, and many others. Due to these reasons, some people opt for more natural treatments. One of the options they have is using CBD oil for treating anxiety.
One of the commonly talked about effects of CBD is easing anxiety. There have been studies conducted that prove the effectiveness of CBD[1] when it comes to dealing with anxiety. These results are promising when it comes to the natural treatment of anxiety.
However, is it any different when it comes to CBD oil for kids with anxiety? Research suggests that it might be as effective as it is on adults[2]. During this research a 10-year-old child with PTSD used CBD to try to combat some of the symptoms.
The results showed that using CBD helped with the child’s anxiety. Judging by this study’s results we could state that CBD oil for kids with anxiety might be a reasonable cure. There haven’t been many occasions of testing CBD oil for kids with anxiety.
Due to a lack of research, we can’t really shape our opinion on that. However, judging by the ones conducted we can state that the effects are promising. The answer to the question of “is CBD safe for kids?” is yes, and it might also produce some really good effects.
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Another disorder that kids may struggle with is the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As the name suggests, the main symptoms are hyperactivity and difficulty concentrating. It can definitely cause lots of trouble due to acting out in school, or home.
Its other symptoms include emotional turmoil, fidgetiness, unfinished tasks, and interrupting. These children are more prone to other mental health disorders due to facing hardships functioning well in society or doing well in school because of the inability to focus on tasks and completing them well.
Usually, parents try to seek help for their children dealing with ADHD. Surely, it can be done by getting medicine, but some prefer to try to treat the children in more natural ways. Because of that they often come across using CBD oil for kids with ADHD.
There haven’t been any real studies conducted on the effects of using CBD oil for kids with ADHD. However, some of the ADHD patients, who have tried using CBD for symptoms of ADHD, claim that it helped to ease some of them.
Claims have been made that it helped them feel “less manic” and that they had better concentration. It’s highly likely since CBD is known for its slightly sedating effect. Also, it may help people calm down, so it could be used of CBD oil for kids with anxiety induced by ADHD.
While it can be speculated that the effects of CBD oil for kids with ADHD might be positive, there’s no real proof of that. However, studies suggest that CBD oil can be safely used for kids, so it might be worth a try.
Autism
Another thing that parents may look up is CBD oil for kids with autism. Autism is a developmental disorder.
Its characteristics include behavioral disturbances, deficits of language comprehension, avoidance of eye contact, inappropriate social interactions and a few more problems mostly concerning social interactions people with autism have to deal with.
Autism is said to be a lifelong condition, although it might be the most prominent in children. Most adults living with autism have gone through medication and behavioral therapy, thereby their symptoms might not be as visible.
Even though people with autism can definitely be highly-functional, it might cause some distress, especially for children who are dealing with autism. Usually, treatment is sought after, but it is now believed that autism can’t be cured completely.
Despite that, many people choose to look for a treatment that could help ease some symptoms of autism. And some parents who want to help their children choose to experiment with using CBD oil for kids with autism.
Studies show that CBD might be helpful when it comes to easing some symptoms of autism[3]. The study concluded that CBD can be helpful with easing autism's comorbid symptoms such as aggression, hyperactivity, and anxiety.
Another study shows that as many as 80% of parents said that using CBD on their children who deal with autism produced the results of lesser problematic behaviors[4].
These studies are quite promising, since autism, especially in children, might be really hard to deal with. Hopefully, more studies will be conducted in the future on the effects of CBD for autism, but from what we have now, we could say that using CBD oil is likely to be a good treatment for kids with autism.
Is CBD Safe for Kids?
A commonly asked question is “Is CBD safe for kids?”. The answer to that is that yes, CBD can be safe for kids. However, there are quite a few things to consider before using CBD to treat kids, who are more susceptible to side effects and intolerance of the supplement.
The first thing you have to take care of is figuring out whether the CBD you want your kid to use is a pure isolate. There are different types of CBD. Full-spectrum is the one that includes all the cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. It does include CBD but it might not be the safest CBD oil for kids option.
The reason for that is that children would then be exposed to THC which isn’t the safest cannabinoid to consume at such a young age. Another type is broad-spectrum. This one also isn’t the best option, due to a likely intolerance to included cannabinoids, terpenes and waxes.
What you should opt for are pure isolates. These CBD extracts only contain CBD and no other cannabinoids and additives that your child might not react well to.
Also, you should ensure that the CBD you purchased for your kid is of high quality. There are many different CBD oils or other CBD products providers. However, you should do some research to make sure that the CBD is well-tested and pure to avoid any inconveniences.
If you don’t know much about CBD providers, we’re here to help you with that. Check out the top CBD providers' review to ease the choosing process.
Additionally, what’s important to mention, that it would be for the best if you could consult a doctor before using CBD oil for kids. The doctor would be able to help you evaluate the risks, as well as monitor the progress made in treating the illness.
Best CBD Oil for Kids
If you ended up reading this CBD oil for kids guide, chances are that you’re looking for a CBD oil for your child. Searching might be tricky and time-consuming. You might have to view quite a few different providers before you stumble across the ones that are suitable for kids.
As you’ve now learned, you can’t just give any CBD oil to your kid. Before your child consumes CBD you have to make sure it’s THC-free. To ease the process for you, we picked some of the best CBD oils suitable for children:
Conclusions
While many adults choose to experiment with using CBD oil for treating various illnesses, they might be more hesitant when it comes to using CBD oil for kids. There’s a reason for that since children’s organisms are more vulnerable to certain substances. Because of that, the question “is CBD safe for children?” arises.
The answer is yes, CBD can be safe for children, but it suggested that you use pure isolates instead of full or broad-spectrum CBD oil. Some research has been conducted on CBD oil for kids with anxiety and shows promising effects, stating that it might help with dealing with some of the symptoms.
Furthermore, research on CBD oil for kids with ADHD or autism shows that it might come off as beneficial to add this health supplement to your kid’s diet. While the effects CBD can have for kids who are struggling with certain illnesses and disorders might be tempting, you should consult a doctor before using CBD to aid your child’s symptoms.
If you decided that using CBD oil for kids is the best option for you, you should check out some of the best CBD oil providers, that will guarantee you’re buying a high-quality product. You should never use CBD bought from unknown providers with no testing as it might have disappointing or even dangerous effects.
Contributed By Diana Rangaves, PharmD
Dr. Diana Rangaves, Google Scholar, holds a Doctorate from the Univers...
Read Full Bio...Scientific References
Contributed by Diana Rangaves, PharmD
1. Esther M. Blessing, Maria M. Steenkamp, Charles R. Marmar et al. 'Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders'
2. Scott Shannon, Janet Opila-Lehman 'Effectiveness of Cannabidiol Oil for Pediatric Anxiety and Insomnia as Part of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report'
3. Dana Barchel, Orit Stolar, Matitiahu Berkovitch et al. 'Oral Cannabidiol Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder to Treat Related Symptoms and Co-morbidities'
4. Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider, Raphael Mechoulam, Victor Novack et al. Real life Experience of Medical Cannabis Treatment in Autism: Analysis of Safety and Efficacy'
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