CBD has been touted as a miracle compound that can help alleviate the symptoms of many different conditions. Products containing CBD have been gaining popularity among seniors and individuals with chronic conditions for a decade now. Its popularity is likely to continue growing as more people discover the numerous benefits of this compound.
One area where there has been an increased interest over the years is the safety of using CBD to treat conditions in children. Which leads us to the question “is CBD oil safe for kids”. let’s take a deeper look at this topic and examine the evidence surrounding it.
Table of Contents
What Is CBD?
Before we get into the suitability of CBD for kids, it’s important to examine what exactly CBD is and why it is viewed as such an important compound.
CBD stands for cannabidiol, which is one of the active compounds found in cannabis. It is often associated with marijauana; however, another member of the cannabis family known as hemp also contains CBD.
When people think of cannabis plants and products derived from them, they usually think of marijuana and its usage as a recreational substance. However, CBD itself does not produce the psychoactive “high” associated with marijuana. The substance that does produce those effects is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.
CBD is often found alongside THC in marijuana and marijuana products; however, THC is largely absent in hemp and hemp-derived products.
What Is CBD Used For?
While CBD may not offer the recreational effects of THC, it does provide various therapeutic benefits, which makes it useful for alleviating the symptoms of many different conditions. Some of the benefits of CBD are listed below:
Relieving Chronic Pain
Studies have found that CBD may be able to help treat chronic pain for patients suffering from certain health conditions such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis. This compound is non-addictive, which may make it a useful alternative for pain-killers that patients can get addicted to.
Helping With Depression And Anxiety
CBD is believed to offer calming properties, which can assist people with anxiety.
CBD may also be able reduce some of the symptoms associated with depression. It is believed that CBD accomplishes this by affecting the brain’s serotonin receptors; however, additional studies may be required to conclusively state whether or not CBD is effective for this purpose.
Epilepsy
One area where the effects of CBD have been extensively studied is in treating epilepsy. Researchers have found that taking CBD reduced the frequency of seizures in many epileptic patients.
CBD’s usefulness in combating seizures received widespread attention several years ago, when it was found that oil extracted from a special variety of cannabis with a high concentration of CBD and a very low concentration of THC successfully reduced the frequency of seizures in a 5 year old girl with severe epilepsy.
This variety of cannabis was named “Charlotte’s Web” after the young girl Charlotte Figi who was being treated with it.
Is CBD Effective On Kids?
Charlotte Figi’s success with CBD oil has generated plenty of interest among parents who wish to treat their children’s health conditions with CBD.
Despite the growing number of studies confirming the health benefits of CBD, very few studies involving children have been conducted. However, the evidence that does exist appears to be promising.
A 2018 study found that children with autism spectrum disorder exhibited fewer behavioral problems after being administered an oral compound containing a 20:1 ratio of CBD to THC. However, the study did not assess whether any children experienced any effects during the study.
Many would like to assume that the effects of CBD would be the same for children as they are for adults. However, the effects of CBD on a child’s developing brain are not yet understood. For this reason, parents should exercise caution before giving their CBD without prior approval from a medical professional.
Side Effects Of CBD
If you do plan to treat your child’s health conditions with help of CBD, you should familiarize yourself with the possible side effects of taking this substance.
Taking small doses of CBD is not currently known to produce dangerous side effects on its own. However, adult users have reported nausea, drowsiness, and irritability.
CBD may also interact with other medications such as blood thinners, but this may not be a problem for young children who are not taking such medication.
Taking large doses of CBD may also cause liver damage. However, this effect has been observed only in mice so far.
Is CBD Legal?
CBD is legal on a federal level; however, some states may still have restrictions on the sale and possession of CBD products.
If you live in a state where recreational marijuana is not legal, you may still be able to purchase and use CBD products that are derived from hemp as long as they contain less than 0.3% THC. On the other hand, CBD products derived from marijuana will be illegal as they may contain a concentration of THC that is higher than 0.3%.
Are CBD Products Reliable?
A lot of the recent controversy around CBD products is focused on the variation in product quality between manufacturers. The FDA recently found that a high number of CBD products did not contain the concentration of CBD advertised by manufacturers.
Parents will need to be careful about purchasing reliable hemp-derived CBD products if they intend to use them for their children. Always purchase CBD products such as CBD oil pills or CBD oil tincture from reputable sellers such as Nothing But Hemp.
The Bottom Line: Is CBD Oil Safe For Kids?
As we’ve examined, there is plenty of evidence pointing to the various health benefits of CBD. However, there is limited evidence to suggest that CBD is completely safe to give to children.
With the exception of Epidolex there are no CBD products that are currently approved by the FDA. For this reason, parents will need to exercise caution before giving their children any CBD products.
Where Can I Purchase CBD Oil?
Nothing But Hemp is one of the leading suppliers of premium-quality hemp-derived CBD oil in the country. Visit their website to see their wide range of hemp derived products, or call (651) 330-9810 to speak with one of their CBD experts.
