Can kids under 18 years of age take CBD? The short answer is yes, at the parent’s discretion. Please note that you must be over 18 to purchase CBD in the Carolinas. However, when asked about children and CBD we always ask why the parent or caregiver feels the child could benefit from CBD. Many have shared their desire to try CBD for ADHD, ADD, SPD, spectrum-related disorders, stress and anxiety, occasionally I’ll hear it’s for seizure disorders and other more chronic diseases. Parents are often looking for another alternative to Adderall and other harmful medications for these aliments that can have serious side effects. The Adderall epidemic is just as bad among students as opioids are for adults.

There are many studies showings the effects of CBD on children, but there are more addressing THC on the growing child’s brain. THC is the psychoactive compound found in the marijuana plant. In today’s hi-bred marijuana market the THC has gone from a 10% ratio to up near 90% ratio for both street marijuana as well as medical. For that reason, it is not recommended for children to have THC products due to their potential to have a much higher potency which can trigger anxiety attacks and even psychotic episodes. Though there are conflicting reports on if THC causes brain growth issues in users under 25 years of age, we believe the real issue is with potency raising the question do we need to be causing psychoactive results for minors?

So why has CBD derived from hemp gained so much attention in the past year? The hemp plants’ cousin, marijuana, has undergone genetic changes making it more potent in THC, up near 90% more potent. Hemp has also undergone genetic changes to be low in THC and high in CBD, CBN, CBG, CBD-A and various other cannabinoids that have shown extreme health benefits and new studies are being published every day. Below we have linked to a few articles that broach this topic with further detail opening the doors or possibility for parents and children alike to have a more natural alternative to previously a big pharmaceutical solution world. As more and more families look for alternatives with less side effects, CBD and cannabinoids, in general, are making more of a footprint on our medical use landscape. In the end, when it comes to our children, work with your clinicians to monitor and find the best solution for your family’s health.

Good reference articles:

https://www.consumerreports.org/cbd/can-cbd-help-your-child/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5101100/