Children and medical cannabis

Children and medicinal cannabis; it might seem like a strange combination. But research and practice show that there are many ailments in which children benefit from medical cannabis. In this article, our friends at Mediwietsite.nl, the leading Dutch forum about medical cannabis, dove a little deeper into this topic.

Normalization of medical cannabis

When people hear ‘children’ and ‘cannabis’ in one story, many feel disapproval. After all, you don’t give a child weed, do you? However, if a child is prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, it is considered much more normal.

This is strange, because this method of treatment often leads to unpleasant side effects. These side effects may manifest during and shortly after use. But also in the long run, problems can arise due to medication use.

With the use of medical cannabis, it’s different It works immediately in the here and now, and when used properly, it has no long-term side effects. By the way, children are mostly treated with a type of cannabis with a high CBD and low THC content. This means that there are no psychoactive effects.

Cannabis can have a very positive effect in treating children’s ailments , just as it does with adults.

Now that medical cannabis is increasingly socially accepted, it makes sense that parents of children who have a difficult-to-treat condition also seek information about the possible effect of medicinal cannabis on their child. There is good news for those parents. Cannabis can have a very positive effect in treating all kinds of children’s ailments, just like it does with adults.

It is therefore hoped that normalization of the use of medical cannabis for children will be faster than it went with adults.

Some examples of medical conditions

Before continuing on this topic, let’s take a look at a few conditions where cannabis is an option for children.

Cannabis and epilepsie

205This is one of the most important conditions that medical cannabis is currently used for in treating children. There are lots of stories known about children that are being treated with cannabis very effectively and where cannabis has been their salvation.

And by salvation we literally mean salvation, because these children can eventually die as a result of their severe and chronic epileptic seizures. Medical cannabis is the only medicine that (largely) suppresses epilepsy.

The anti-epileptics prescribed by a doctor are often unable to produce the same effect. In addition, children are exposed to a highly addictive effects and there are other very serious side effects. Because of these facts, more and more doctors, scientists, and researchers are advocating the use of medical cannabis in the treatment of children suffering from epilepsy.

Cannabis and autism

About 1 in 68 children suffer from an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Medical cannabis, especially with a high CBD content, has a positive effect on autism, according to lots of experience stories. Cannabis reduces the sensitivity to stimulation, an important symptom of autism.

The exact cause of autism is not yet known, but it is known that some symptoms arise from a low serotonin level. This is a mood regulator in the brain.

A so-called hyperconnectivity has been seen in the brain of children with autism. This means that the areas within the brain “communicate” with each other in a different way than that of someone without ASD. A clinical study will shortly be launched into the possible effect of CBD on autism.

ADHD and cannabis

This increasingly common diagnosis should not be missing from the list. The behavior of children with ADHD is often experienced as troublesome. Especially by the adults in the area. To suppress the “burden”, doctors prescribe methylphenidate, a drug closely related to amphetamine, a type of drug that is very bad for humans and much like hard drugs such as cocaine and speed. a result, children can lag behind in their growth, often suffer from palpitations and also the teeth suffer from this medication.

There are now many articles that describe the positive effect of cannabis on ADHD. While doctors often prefer to prescribe Ritalin to children with ADHD, parents increasingly decide to take a different path, that of medicinal cannabis. Children oftenly feel happier than before.

Cannabis as a pain medication

Cannabis has a positive effect on a wide range of medical conditions. Also on pain. You can think of simple headaches, pain from diseases such as cancer, nerve pain, muscle pain, rheumatic pain and psychological pain.

There is no other drug that has such a broad effect as medical cannabis. Besides that cannabis has an analgesic effect, it also has a healing effect. Regular pain medication has a dampening effect, cannabis has a healing effect: it tackles the cause of the pain. The terpenes and cannabinoids have an analgesic effect on adults, but also on children.

In addition, an ointment with a high dose of CBD (and if necessary THC) can be used externally for pain after, for example, a fall. By treating the area with the cannabis ointment, swelling will shrink faster and bruises will disappear or even be prevented.

Disrupted endocannabinoid system

Conclusion

As you read, there are a lot of positives when it comes to the use of medical cannabis in children. Increasingly, doctors worldwide are making the choice to use medical cannabis in pediatrics. Rightly so, because there are few medicines that are as safe as cannabis.

No human being, adult or child, has a significant risk to overdose or become addicted. Moreover, overdosing cannabis is almost impossible and death from an overdose is not possible. This is one of the reasons why cannabis is an excellent medicine to use in the treatment of disorders in children.

Tips for parents

Be aware that not every form of cannabis is the same. For children, CBD oil is preferred in the first instance, to see how it works. If the desired effect is not achieved, the choice can be made to (also) use a low dose of THC.

The psychoactive effect of THC will usually not be activated, because a combination is used with a much higher CBD dosage (which terminates the psychactive effect of THC). If this does happen, the effect is not harmful and is still much less intense than many side effects of regular medication.

Parents should also always consciously purchase a CBD oil that is provided with a test report and a possible quality mark (Skal). If you decide to use THC oil, let yourself be well informed. This can be done by asking a doctor for advice, reading in, or reach out to organizations that are specialized in medical cannabis that can inform you. Luckily there are more and more of these organizations worldwide.

Also always make sure that the percentage indicated on the bottle is correct. This is very important to give a correct dose to a child (or adult).

Unfortunately, there are no direct guidelines when it comes to how many drops per day you should administer for which condition. The bottom line is that you have to do your own research and observe the child well. One child will respond well to a drop of 5% CBD oil once a day, while another child will be more bathed by 1 drop of 2.5% 3x a day. Every body is different, so the dose also varies from child to child (and from adults to adults).

When you are consciously working on the combination of cannabis and child, you do not have to worry about woes. One of the nastiest things that could happen is that you give a drop of CBD oil late in the day and make it harder for the child to sleep.