Success stories of medical marijuana use in children range from the treatment of disorders that affect classroom performance such as autism and ADHD to life-threatening conditions such as epilepsy and cancer. But while a growing number of doctors are beginning to consider medical marijuana as a legitimate form of clinical therapy, the vast majority remain wary of its impact in younger patients.

The underlying factor in the medical community’s resistance to cannabis seems to be the overall lack of clinical research that has been conducted so far, especially in children and adolescents. On the other hand, the absence of research happens to be only a recent phenomena, as a review of the medical literature reveals numerous reports and studies on the safety of marijuana commissioned over the past many decades.

What these studies demonstrate appears to echo what marijuana advocates have been saying for decades: Cannabis is an overwhelmingly harmless substance.

Safety Profile of Marijuana

Perhaps the earliest study to investigate the safety profile of marijuana comes from the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission — a research team ordered by the British government in 1893 to study the effects of ever-prevalent cannabis use in India. The Commission completed their report in 1894 — a lengthy 3,281 page document which demonstrated a clear lack of observable drawbacks associated with marijuana use.

“In regard to the physical effects, the Commission have come to the conclusion that the moderate use of hemp drugs is practically attended by no evil results at all… It has been the most striking feature in this inquiry to find how little the effects of hemp drugs have obtruded themselves on observation.”

Likewise, a report published by the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse in 1972 could find no fault with the use of cannabis, despite governmental pressure to prove otherwise.

“Marijuana has been used by man around the world for many centuries. Scientifically, more is known about marijuana’s effects than many other botanical substances used by man… Almost all chronic, heavy hashish smokers are indistinguishable from their peers in social behaviour, work performance, mental status and overall life style.”

Risks For Children/Teens

Despite significant evidence of marijuana’s lack of side effects, children and adolescents are treated with particular caution when it comes to any form of medical therapy, because of the developmental vulnerability that individuals face during their formative years.

In fact, one of the largest concerns of doctors and parents alike are the effects of drugs on a child’s developing brain. And while evidence of marijuana’s impact on neural development remains conflicted, some studies have managed to link early marijuana use with deficits in brain volume and intelligence (1).

Still, it’s important to note the lack of census among the medical community on these findings, as large-scale clinical trials have never been conducted. Furthermore, cannabis-based pharmaceuticals, such as Marinol, have already been approved by the FDA for childhood use (2). Marinol is a pure THC pill that shares a nearly identical side effect profile as medical marijuana (3).

However, the fact remains that the safety of marijuana use in children and adolescents remains a largely unknown variable, which also happens to be the most common reason given by doctors when explaining their lack of support for medical marijuana (4).

But while this is true for cannabis, it is also true for many other cancer medications and anti-psychotics that are regularly prescribed to children. As such, a minority of health practitioners have already begun to voice their support for the use of medical marijuana, even in child and adolescent patients.

Support For Medical Marijuana

Although still a subject of much debate, medical marijuana has become an increasingly popular form of treatment among the North American population — both for adults and children. In fact, a number of paediatricians, including Dr. Claudia Jensen, have started to recommend medical marijuana as an alternative treatment for conditions that have traditionally been dominated by the pharmaceutical industry such as ADHD (5).

In an interview with MSNBC, Dr. Jensen explained how medical marijuana could be used effectively as a treatment for ADHD without the mind-numbing side effects that are typically associated with cannabis use.

“They don’t have to get stoned — it’s dose-related. But they do get the benefit of being able to focus, pay attention, not be impulsive, not be angry, be peaceful and relaxed and pay attention in school, which helps them get better grades.”

Likewise, Harvard-trained psychiatrist Dr. Lester Grinspoon voiced his support for using medical marijuana to control childhood ADHD in a recent interview with Sphere (6).

“I’d have no hesitation giving a youngster with ADHD a trial of oral marijuana. For some kids, it appears to be more effective than traditional treatments. And marijuana certainly has fewer potential dangers than Ritalin.”

Indeed, while concerns continue to be expressed over the use of medical marijuana in society’s most vulnerable of patients, evidence of its relative safety seems more than obvious to those with an open mind towards non-traditional therapies.

As Dr. Grinspoon states, medical marijuana could very well be a safer treatment option for children with ADHD and, more than likely, many other conditions that afflict the younger generation of patients.

About the Author

Kent Mao is a contributor to Waking Times and the editor of TruthOnPot.com, an online resource for medical marijuana facts, information and research. TruthOnPot.com actively engages in the online discussion of marijuana research and policy. You can learn more by visiting www.truthonpot.com. Kent is also a contributor to Waking Times.

Sources:

(6) http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/doctors-recommend-medical-marjiuana-minors-adhd-california-article-1.419585

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of WakingTimes or its staff.

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America is a deeply disturbed nation and it often seems that the myths that define our culture are in drastic conflict with the current motives and actions of our government.

On July 4th, we celebrate ‘freedom,’ or at least a version of freedom that had more relevance to a young nation who 200 years ago was tossing off the shackles of British Colonial rule.  But the irony of celebrating our ‘freedom’ at at time when government agents grope our genitals before boarding an airplane is so absurd that its easier for the common person to wave an imported flag than make a genuine attempt to process the cognitive dissonance involved in lying to yourself about something so obvious and so important.

Yet, Americans continue to jump when told, only asking how high.

And today we are to celebrate Memorial day, which is supposedly an opportunity to pay reverence to the courage and honor of all the young men and women who have given their lives in military service to the United States.

Like many readers, my Grandfathers served in WWII, and as a child growing up I used to sit on their knees and listen captivated to stories of comradery, brotherhood, honor, courage, and righteous violence.  And like so many other Americans, I grew up believing in the benevolence of our nation and it’s foreign entanglements.  I was proud because of what they did, only to learn later in life that there was more to each war than the simple black-and-white rationale of good versus evil.  Someone at the top always got to walk away with a bag full of cash while the tombstones of our neighbors, friends and family members multiplied.

But growing older and wiser means that one has to individuate, to find his unique self, in order to live a genuine life.  And like many other Americans, this journey of personal awakening and revelation has illuminated many not-so-hidden horrible truths about the people and institutions that have goaded some of our best and brightest onto the battlefield.  There is no purity left in this institution we call America and the motives for sending our troops to kill and be killed are too questionable to jump on this bandwagon and pretend to mourn for its fodder while tanking lite beer and gnawing on BBQ’d factory foods.

I often wonder…  If so many of our courageous and honorable young people had not been killed at such an early age, before they could apply their ingenuity to serve our communities, how much greater would our nation be right now?

I know that I’m not alone with this sentiment on Memorial day.  As today’s veterans gather amidst the machinery of a Police State to return their battlefield medals of honor, like they did during Vietnam, and as the war on terror sucks down the blood of it’s first generation, I know that deep down, behind the Iron Media Curtain, many Americans also weep the stupidity and unjustness of continuing this charade of honor while the vampire of Nationalism feasts endlessly on our young people, our wealth, and the lands of others.

Waving the flag and celebrating the deaths of many tens of thousands of our best young people is unacceptable because it does more to honor the system and institutions that make war into a lucrative business and peace an impossibility, than it does to preserve the memory of our soldiers.

Now that we know that the State is capable of forever creating wars for us to ‘serve’ in, perhaps it is time for our definition of courage to evolve a bit, so that the Americans taking risks by exposing the lies and corruption of a war hungry government are remembered and honored as well.

Watch this must see video about what we truly should be remembering today.  Remember.

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As worldwide protests against the avarice of the banking elite and the brutality of conflict-driven governments escalate globally, we see how all too often this results in violent conflict between the forces of the State and its own unarmed citizens.  Sadly, this is the norm, and we wonder if peaceful revolution is even possible in a time when police state technology and organization is as robust and fearsome as it is.

So, what does effective peaceful revolution look like?

Last weekend in the economic center of the European Union, Frankfurt, Germany, 20,000 peaceful protestors marching against austerity measures, achieved a small yet meaningful victory in this emerging global struggle.

Defying government orders not to assemble, activists and dissidents showed up to defiantly occupy St. Paul’s square and disobey recent laws aimed at outlawing protest.  Early on during the day it seemed as though police would do what they are paid to, which is harass and brutally oppress dissenters, as a few confrontations erupted.  However, later in the day when the police were ordered to move the protestors out of the square, they were met by a defiant peaceful charge, which caused the police to back down and abandon the crackdown.

In the video below, footage from this protest emerges showing first the typical modern design of a militarized metropolitan including checkpoints, helicopters, police boats, and thousands of hired riot police fully adorned in body armor and military style clothing.

However, in an inspiring anomaly, many of these militarized riot cops have removed their headgear, taken up relaxed formations and in some instances even appear to be escorting protestors in a casual manner.  The faces of police officers can actually be seen and they appear, for a change, as normal people, although oddly clad in black BDU’s and protective gear.

If the majority of people in the world are to create a new order where the interests of people are considered before the interest of blatantly corrupt institutions and governments, then it is absolutely necessary that the police lay down their arms and join with their protectorate in recognition of solidarity with the peoples of their own nations and communities.

Is this is what a successful peaceful protest looks like?

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