“Parent perspectives on CBD use in kids” is a collaborative post.

CBD usage among adults has increased at a very fast pace in the last few years. Derived from hemp plants, CBD has a plethora of healing and therapeutic properties. But among this increasing adult use, some parents have started using CBD for kids

This is not a very widely accepted practise, though, because research is still limited and we still don’t understand CBD’s full impact on a developing brain. No doubt it can be a great relief for parents who find it difficult to deal with their kid’s anxiety, fear, and sleep troubles.  

But whether it’s completely safe or not remains a major unanswered question. The main issue is with teens, who have easy access to CBD vapes and gummies as most stores don’t ask for IDs for age verification. In most states, the minimum age to buy CBD legally is 18, but there are some regions with no cap on the age limit. 

Then there’s also a budding black market in high schools, which remains a cause of concern for both parents and authorities. Today we’ll take a look at parents’ perspectives on CBD use in kids and try to evaluate the current temperament in the country. 

Is CBD safe for kids?

There’s no correct way to respond to this question. It’s more like an unknown thing; we don’t know because of a lack of studies. The fact that CBD got legalised in 2018, then just two years after COVID arrived, means there haven’t been any concrete long-term studies to understand its effects on kids or teenagers.

All the data we have is anecdotal; some parents find that CBD helps their teens with ADHD, anxiety, and sleep issues. Whereas some don’t think that it’s a good thing to let their kids get dependent on some compound whenever they feel out of touch. 

There’s always a risk of developing bad coping mechanisms with kids. So yeah, there’s quite some variation to a given society. Strictly scientifically speaking, we need more data and long-term studies. 

Even though Epidolex is approved for kids, that does not mean that all CBD products are good and effective for them. Epidolex has gone through many trials before getting approval, it’s carefully designed by keeping kid’s body and mind threshold in view. The same cannot be said about your favourite gummies and oils. 

So it’s best to get in touch with your doctor first before doing these experiments on your kids. You don’t know what dosage is safe, and how it will impact their developing brain. 

Plus, there are so many inferior products in the market, that without thorough research there’s a huge risk of falling prey to marketing gimmicks and false advertising. 

Parent perception of unlicensed CBD products for kids

This study was done to assess how parents feel about the use of unlicensed CBD products for the treatment of anxiety and neurodevelopmental disorders in kids. To evaluate the response, a survey was prepared with 31 issues with help from paediatric health care professionals. 

Using certain sampling processes, it was sent to American parents who had kids between the ages of 7 to 18. Kids in selected households had a range of disorders including ADHD, Autism, and general anxiety disorders. 

A total of 518 surveys were filled out of which 31.3% of parents report that they give their kids unlicensed CBD products to deal with ADHD, Autism, and anxiety disorders.

Most usage was reported in households where kids had more than one disorder, and respective parents had positive views on the safety and effectiveness of CBD products. 

Authorities find this bit concerning because a large number of CBD products available in the market have mislabelling issues. They often have less or more CBD content than what’s mentioned on the label. The risk is even higher with unlicensed products. 

As per reports from poison control centres in the U.S., there were Zero cases of CBD toxicity in 2014, and this number increased to 3500 in 2021. This was a common theme across all age groups including children. 

As per the FDA, common side effects of CBD usage among children include nausea, insomnia, appetite loss, decreased weight, irritation, and runny stomach. 

Still, it was noted that parents who gave unlicensed CBD products to their kids revoked quite positive support from their local community, friends, religious guides, and family members. The lack of quality education on this topic and dependency on family members for advice instead of doctors is a major cause of concern. 

Highlights of Mott Hospital Survey to gauge parents view on CBD usage

This is another famous study that has become widely popular in recent years. It was done at Mott Hospital, here’s the results : 

  • A large number of parents (73%) view CBD as a potential alternative for treating their children when traditional medicines don’t work. 
  • There’s some misconception about CBD’s relationship with marijuana because one-third of parents (35%) believe that CBD is the same as marijuana. This shows that there’s a huge gap in educational efforts from health and wellness departments across the country. 

Final thoughts

Well, that’s a wrap. It’s safe to say that plenty of parents are trying CBD on their kids without proper guidance from doctors. This is a cause of concern and more educational efforts are required from both state-level and federal health education bodies. 

As adults though you can safely use CBD for pain, anxiety, and stress, just try to stick with reputable brands like Colorado Botanicals.

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