As more parents turn to CBD oil to help their children, a new study reveals that nearly 3% of healthy adolescents aged 11-15 have used commercial CBD products, raising questions about the lack of regulation for CBD as well as the compound’s effects on young people. Photo Credit: ArtistGNDphotography/iStock Since cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating component of cannabis, was legalized in the United States by the 2018 Farm Bill , products containing the compound have flooded the consumer health sector. While there is a single FDA-approved medication containing CBD which can be used to treat rare forms of epilepsy, evidence for the efficacy of commercial CBD products, which generally contain low doses of CBD, is limited. However, this has not stopped their widespread and growing use.
Now, a new study published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research reveals that nearly 3% of healthy adolescents aged 11-15 have used commercial CBD products for medicinal or health-related reasons. The study, led by Natasha Wade, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine, is the first to investigate the prevalence and predictors of commercial CBD use in young, healthy adolescents.
"While this study documents that about 3% of young teens have been given CBD for medicinal reasons, we believe this is likely an underreport," said Wade. "Parents might not be comfortable saying they’re giving CBD to their kids, even though they’re trying to help them."
The new study analyzed data from more than 11,000 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, a large, longitudinal study of healthy adolescents in the United States. The researchers found that 2.8% of participants had used commercial CBD products, with the most common methods of administration being oil/tincture, topical/transdermal, and edible/capsule/pill. None reported prescription CBD use.
The study also identified several predictors of commercial CBD use, including older age, having parents with some college education, and certain health conditions, such as sleep problems, mental health symptoms, and physical pain. Additionally, the researchers found that youth with more lenient parental attitudes towards cannabis use were more likely to use commercial CBD products.
The researchers also found […]
Nearly 3% of Healthy Adolescents use Commercial CBD Products, Study Finds
