Article – Cannabis Effectiveness and Benefits for Kids

Medical cannabis can be a big help for kids

Many people would be surprised that there is no “legal age limit” for patients using medical cannabis. I have treated patients as young as 5 years old and the results that I’ve seen using cannabis for kids have been amazing.

Some parents have expressed their concerns that cannabis may have an effect on their children’s brain development. I see no signs of cannabis being detrimental in this way and encourage parents to try using it on their children on the following qualifying conditions.

AUTISM

Autism is one of the most common conditions for young patients. I had a mother bring in an autistic child who was 5 years old and in the mid-range of the autism spectrum. She was experiencing many difficulties associated with autism but the main problem that was causing havoc with the entire family is that the girl just would not sleep. She was started on medical cannabis and she finally started sleeping. The cannabis worked so well the mom was ecstatic. As a result of getting sleep the child became much more responsive to people and she started talking more.

We are now treating her with homeopathy and she has made even more improvements. The only pharmaceuticals available for autism are simply for symptom relief and I feel that cannabis may be able to do a better job for symptom relief. Homeopathy may produce deeper and more lasting improvement.

I’ve treated autistic kids who went to college who reported a huge improvement in their grades and they have attributed it solely on cannabis. I have treated some autistic teenagers who scored on the lower side of the spectrum for many years. They tell me that cannabis allows them to keep their cool, keep their reactions in check and therefore they have done much better in school. These teenagers also say that they feel more prepared for life in general.

TOURETTE’S SYNDROME

I had a boy of 9 who started with cannabis to control Tourette’s. After being on cannabis for many months with good improvement, he was started on homeopathy. He is now doing quite well. The symptoms of Tourette’s are well under control.

PTSD

Yes, kids can suffer from PTSD just like adults. And the children I have treated for PTSD have had the same benefits from cannabis treatments as the adults. They sleep better, are much less anxious, have better appetites and are able to be much more social as a result of cannabis. Over a period of time, some PTSD patients eventually move to homeopathy and then are able to go off of cannabis.

EPILEPSY/seizures

Epilepsy in children is fairly common. For kids who experience epilepsy, cannabis is very effective. Some forms of epilepsy do not respond well to medications. But cannabis is usually effective in preventing seizures.

CANCER/CHEMO SIDE EFFECTS

I have never treated any kids who have cancer with cannabis, but if a child was on chemo and was experiencing the side effects of nausea and vomiting cannabis would be the best thing to use to mitigate those side effects. In most cases cannabis has virtually no side effects which is not the case with most pharmaceuticals that may be used for chemo side effects.

If you or your child is interested in being certified for medical cannabis in Minnesota here is the list of qualifying conditions:

• Cancer associated with severe/chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting.
• Alzheimer’s disease.
• Glaucoma.
• HIV/AIDS.
• Tourette's Syndrome.
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
• Seizures, including those characteristic of Epilepsy.
• Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of Multiple Sclerosis.
• Chronic or Intractable Pain.
• Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease.
• erminal illness, with a probable life expectancy of less than one year.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD.
• Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• Sleep Apnea: sleep study required.