You have been reading a little about CBD and all the ways in which it can help with chronic conditions, but you are perhaps a parent who wants to use CBD to help your child. This is not uncommon because CBD is so helpful with issues like autism, ADHD, and more severe problems that may be associated with pain. Some parents who have children with muscular dystrophy, for example, have used CBD products to help their child with seizures and painful muscle spasms that can be a part of the disease.

Initially, when medical marijuana came into favor again, in 1996, in the state of California, families began flocking to that state. Since other states have legalized marijuana, those states have also become inundated with people moving there, in a mass exodus from the other states that will not allow them to use medical marijuana for their children’s needs.

Luckily, another option is available for people in those states that lack the understanding of how marijuana can help people and isn’t the addictive drug they’ve been brainwashed into thinking that it is. Marijuana is incredibly good for you, truth be told. There is just a lot of misinformation that exists out there. Thankfully, science has come to the rescue and ways of extracting the parts of the hemp plant that provide medicinal benefits are now able to be extracted, without the psychoactive ingredient, tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC).

CBD Oil Extraction Has Changed Lives

CBD (cannabidiol) is a compound that is found within the hemp plant. THC is another compound that is found naturally occurring in the hemp plant. These are referred to as phytocompounds. “Phyto” means “plant” so the entire word specifically refers to a plant compound. There are approximately 65 different phytocompounds in the hemp plant and there is research being conducted on those other compounds as well. It may turn-out that one of these compounds is also found to be a medical significance. 

CBD oil is extracted from the hemp plant, not the same plants that are used for growing the buds for medical marijuana. Those plants are sativa strains of cannabis that are bred to have high values of THC and types of THC that benefit medical users, often more potent than prescription drugs.

Hemp plants have been industrialized and grown selectively to contain less THC to begin with. There will always be some THC, but CBD oil, once extracted, must contain less than .03% THC. This is considered a trace amount. CBD batches are tested by the companies who produce them and by third party companies who are impartial. The CBD test results are generally available on the websites of the companies that are marketing the products for sale. Responsible sellers want you to be clear that you are getting the best oils that meet federal guidelines.

How Does This Effect Age Requirements?

Because there is no THC in CBD products that are marketed to the public, you do not need a prescription to purchase them. There is not a federal guideline for legal age to purchase CBD products. Some local municipalities and states have set their own guidelines so you should check locally and see what your city and state have to say about this. There is nothing that states that a parent cannot give the products to children, however. In fact, there are products specifically marketed for children, as well as CBD for pets.

There is relatively little regulation on the CBD industry yet so ‘do you have to be 18 to buy CBD?’ is a question that can’t be answered across the board. For now, it depends upon where you live and what your local laws are.

The products are streaming onto the market right now as if hemp plants exploded and dropped products everywhere the pieces fell. The industry is pumping different types of products, with flavors and variations in the methods for onboarding the CBD, which can include everything from sprays, lotions, and sublingual drops. In fact, drinks, coffees, gummy candies and even flavored vaping oils with CBD are now available. There’s no limit on the way that CBD can be take.

The most important regulations are in the percentage of THC that was part of the compromise to legalize CBD in the first place. This happened in 2017. With few exceptions, CBD is legal everywhere. It’s a good idea to check your local city and state regulations. It may be in your best interest to keep your use of CBD oil private, depending on where you live and how conservative your school district is. There are many people who simply have no earthly idea of any facts, regarding CBD.

There have been accounts of raids and arrests that were misguided. Even a local sheriff who raided a holistic shop and confiscated the CBD oils, shut the shop down, and arrested the owner. When asked by a reporter ‘why’ he did this, the sheriff responded that it was ‘because people use this stuff to get high’ which proves he had no idea at all how CBD works. It is impossible to get high from CBD.

This will get worked-out in time, there is no doubt. It is also extremely likely that lawsuits will happen, and regulations of all sorts will be challenged in the court system. Eventually, there may be age restrictions placed on the sale of CBD products that take effect nationwide. For now, adults over the age of 21 are safe everywhere that CBD is legal. Some places stipulate that you must be over the age of 16.

While there are no age regulations that are firmly in place, and they all vary from place to place, check for what your township or city says. Do your homework and know your local laws. You may find that there are none. That is also quite typical right now. On the other hand, you may find that your entire county has regulations that no one even knows about because they are so new. In matters related to cannabinoids, always do your homework because the odds are that no one else will know either.

Ways That Young People May Take CBD

If you have small children suffering from night terrors and lack of sleep, a few drops of CBD oil in their bedtime snack might be exactly what you need to help them sleep through the night. CBD has been shown to be a remarkably effective sleep-aid.

Children who are school age, from pre-school and older, who are having issues with attention and focus, whether diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or not, can greatly improve their ability to concentrate and calm down. This is a relief of enormity for many parents. If you have ever sent your child to school and gotten used to checking for notes from the teachers that are sent home in the backpack every single day, then you may want to try doing a dose of CBD each day. Some students do wonderfully with one dose per day. Other children might need a little dose when they get home from school as well. If you find that your child is still having some issues later in the afternoon at school, try to increase the morning dose just a bit. It is necessary to adjust doses sometimes and with CBD oil, you don’t have to worry with doing this. CBD is non-addictive and very safe. The only side-effects that can occur for some is diarrhea if the dose is too high initially, or possible headaches or cramps for the same reason. It is best to start with a small dose and build from there. A few drops are adequate to start for most.

There are candies that are made with CBD infused in them and you’ll know exactly how many milligrams you are giving. Some parents prefer this method and the children don’t know they are even taking medication to help them. Results will vary and doses need to be adjusted routinely, but most parents prefer using the CBD products in this way because they do not have the additional poor side-effects that are long-term issues.

Children who suffer with chronic conditions of all sorts can find help in the form of CBD. A child with psoriasis can benefit in two ways. Used topically, the oil can help directly at the flare, bringing itch and pain relief. Taken orally, CBD can work to stop the signals in the body that are causing the psoriatic condition to flare at all. CBD works in the neural pathways, block signals from reaching the brain. This leads to fewer pain signals, fewer negative thoughts for those with anxiety, fewer messages that cause seizures, tremors, allergic reactions, depression, and much more.

More research is necessary and will happen, no doubt. For now, people are experimenting freely with using CBD to help symptoms of all sorts of illnesses, diseases, auto-immune diseases and disorders, and even as supplements for the complex fatty acids that are known to prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, and arterial blockages that lead to cardiac conditions later. In fact, there aren’t really any disadvantages to using CBD products for anyone.

A Short List of Conditions Children Might Take CBD Oil For:

• Epilepsy
• Autism
• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Cancer
• Leukemia
• Insomnia
• Stomach aches
• Cold and Flu symptoms
• Depression
• Separation anxiety (with little ones first starting school or staying with a sitter)
• Neurological conditions
• Muscular Dystrophy

This is a short list of things that people are using CBD products for and they are having a great deal of success. There is no shortage of information that you can find to read because these parents are very vocal about the benefits that their children are getting out of CBD use. Some parents have turned to cannabinoids out of pure desperation, because man-made medications either have not worked or because the cost, in the way of side-effects, has been too great a price to pay.

Why It Works

What so many do not know is that the body has a system that works with cannabinoids. Just like your endocrine system, your body as something called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which basically translates to ‘your internal cannabinoid processing center’ and it honestly works with cannabis for your benefit. When you take this into consideration, using cannabinoids begins to feel very natural indeed.

This system is made-up of receptors all over your body. There are two types of receptors – CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are located primarily in the brain. They react to THC. CB2 receptors are located all over the body, some in the brain too. They interact with CBD and when they get CBD, they can work wonders in your body to march out blockers that travel along your neural pathways as if it is an interstate system. The nervous system reaches all parts of the body and the body is reliant upon that system to give it signals and messages. Somino CBD would be a good option.

For example, you step on a tack and it hurts because the nerves in your foot send the signal to the brain that you are wounded. The brain sends messages to the heart to increase rate and pump more blood, the lungs are told to breathe more rapidly to oxygenate that blood for the heart to be effective. The plasma in the blood carries platelets to the wound and help fight infection. The plasma in the blood is filled with white blood cells that heal and prevent infection.

Sometimes the nervous system doesn’t work properly, and it sends mixed messages or too many messages. This causes the body to work against itself. In cases like diabetes fibromyalgia, this causes problems to arise. These are labeled as autoimmune diseases because the body is fighting itself. CBD helps because it blocks these bad signals from reaching the brain, which causes the brain to not react (and over-react) so relief from the disease is the benefit.

CBD is shown to block the barrage of negative thought patterns that cause anxiety, PTSD, and depression. CBD slows the mind down by blocking the constant thoughts that affect the mind of someone with ADHD, autism, and bipolar. CBD blocks pain impulses to help those who are in constant, chronic pain from things like cancer or muscular dystrophy.

In fact, the applications of CBD oil are expanded daily. While some tout it as a miracle cure, it doesn’t cure anything and parents should be realistic and understand that CBD is not a cure for anything as of right now. What is does do is give relief of symptoms. It seems to slow the progression of some diseases and cancer cell growth slows dramatically with certain types of cancer. It’s quite possible that cannabinoids will help scientists find a cure for cancer, or other auto-immune diseases.

Is it Harmful to Children?

There is zero evidence that using CBD products is harmful to children. No, it will not make them want marijuana. It will not cause them to seek other drugs. CBD is not addictive, it is not psychoactive, and won’t cause any long-term effects that are harmful.

CBD oil from reputable sources is pure. This product is vegan friendly, with no additives. You can take it in an enormous amount of ways and forms, from candies to vaping oils that you breathe. The only thing that it is recommended that you not do is use it as cooking oil because it breaks down rapidly and loses its nutrients and benefits. Heating it to that extent essentially kills it. Otherwise, you can use CBD oil in any way that works for you.

CBD is so safe that you can give it to the family pet. If you have a dog that suffers from extreme separation anxiety, then you realize how that pets suffer emotionally. You are also aware of how destructive they can be. A few drops of CBD oil on their food can help them emotionally and it will also benefit their health, skin, coat and digestive tract.

CBD is so safe that you don’t have to be in a constant state of worry by having it in the house. If you have a toddler and they manage to get some CBD oil in their mouth, you don’t have to call poison control. It will not harm them. If they consume a large amount, you might be advised to seek some advice from a doctor to see if you should be concerned about the diarrhea or tummy upset that they will probably get. This isn’t the case with prescribed medications that cause you to have their stomach pumped and could cause brain damage.

Using natural products when you can, help the environment and they add more safety to your life. Children and pets cannot be watched every single second, especially if you have two or three of them running around your house at the same time. Parents know this. You can try, and you can do a great job, but eventually someone gets into something. You can make sure that everyone is safe when you use CBD for everyone’s health needs.

Sources:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5473390/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569602/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/