Should You Give Your Kid CBD?

CBD is becoming more and more popular with every passing day. People are consuming it in the form of gummies, oils, capsules, vapes, lotions, and even beverages. It’s promoted as a natural and safe compound to deal with multiple health issues.

Unlike the intoxicating cannabinoid THC, CBD doesn’t have any intoxicating effects. Its non-addictive nature and lack of side effects, even at higher doses, have made it quite popular among people of all age groups.

In most CBD legal states, the minimum age to buy CBD is either 18 or 21. Yet, there are some states where there are no age criteria for buying CBD products, and as a result, its usage among school kids has increased in some places.

The question is, whether CBD is safe for kidsor not. In some places, families are increasingly learning about adding CBD to their kids’ routines, especially those who are suffering from ADHD, bullying trauma, and sleep issues.

Let’s understand this in detail to determine whether it’s a safe practice or not and what precautions you should take as a parent.

Is CBD safe for your kid?

There’s no clear answer to this question. Most studies done to study the healing and therapeutic effects of this naturally occurring compound are done on adult participants. For a very long time, CBD was on the list of controlled substances, so it was quite difficult to study its impact, especially on kids.

Legalization and widespread use have occurred in the last few years only after the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill. As of now, there are only a very limited number of studies that show the safety and side effects of CBD dosing for kids.

For understanding long-term safety and effects, more research on huge sample sizes is required over time, for which getting permission, especially in conservative states, remains a difficult task.

Another risk with CBD products for kids is a lack of regulations. The FDA doesn’t check the ingredients in CBD products for safety, and as a result, news of mislabeled and poor-quality products keeps popping up.

Some brands give false information on labels, and many products are found with way more or less cannabinoid content in lab tests than what’s written on the label. Traces of heavy metals and chemical residue are also problematic in the unregulated CBD market, which can make it risky for your kid.

As of now, CBD is the only FDA-approved CBD medication, that is also deemed safe for kids‘ use. It’s used to treat severe seizure disorders like epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Dravet syndrome.

According to FDA approval standards, Epidxolex can be safely given to kids as young as 2 years old. Still, the medicine got approval very recently in 2018, so long-term effects are still not very well understood. So yeah, the answer is tricky, only give CBD to your kid in severe situations, otherwise stick to medicine recommended by a certified doctor.

What are parents’ views on giving CBD to their kids?

This data is a bit hard to gather, not many parents are comfortable in openly talking about giving their kids CBD. Here’s what a 2021 poll conducted on 1992 parents having kids between the ages of three to eighteen found.

Survey results showed that 7% of parents have given or considered giving their child a CBD product, mainly for issues like anxiety (51%), sleep problems (40%), and ADHD (33%). Less common reasons include muscle pain (20%), autism (19%), and general well-being (13%).

Surprisingly, less than a third of these parents have discussed CBD use with their child’s healthcare provider. While 75% of parents believe CBD for children should require a doctor’s prescription, only 63% consider their child’s doctor’s recommendation a strong factor in their decision-making process.

This disconnect highlights a potential gap in communication between parents and healthcare professionals regarding CBD use in children. The poll was conducted by C.S. Children’s Hospital, and the pediatric doctor Sarah Clark observed that the majority of parents have very limited knowledge about CBD products.

This is a worrisome issue, and experts believe that parents must ask their doctor’s view before pushing CBD oil down their kid’s throat.

Are there any Side Effects of CBD for kids?

Yes, CBD does cause some side effects when given to kids. The intensity is not severe, but a kid’s body is not as strong as an adult human’s to manage the cannabinoid action on the endocannabinoid system effectively.

Studies done during Epidiolex trials found that CBD given to kids leads to an increase in liver enzyme production, heavy sedation, suicidal thoughts, reduced appetite, diarrhea, sleep troubles, diminishing energy, irritation, and restlessness.

Hence, dosage plays a crucial role, and at home, it’s very difficult to determine accurate CBD dosage for your kid. Several studies are going on to develop safe and effective CBD medications for kids, but there’s still a long way to go.

Summary

To sum it up, it might not be a good idea to give your kid CBD without consulting your doctor. There are not enough long-term studies yet to determine whether CBD is perfectly safe for kids or not.

Some parents do give for helping their kids with sleep, anxiety, and ADHD, but it’s not preferred by doctors. It may also lead to certain side effects like restlessness, appetite loss, low energy, and sleep troubles.

But for your own anxiety, pain, and stress management, you can use CBD legally as an adult; just make sure to buy it from well-tested brands like Colorado Botanicals.