One of the most common questions we get asked at Spirit of Hemp is whether it is safe for children to take CBD oil. So, we thought we’d dedicate this blog post to what we know so far about the safety of CBD for children.

CBD, otherwise known as cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring compound in hemp. Over the last ten years, CBD has been getting increasing amounts of media attention due to a succession of high profile stories where children’s lives have been turned around after taking CBD oil.

While most research has been carried out using a 99% purified version of CBD which is different to most full spectrum CBD oils on the market, the fact that it was found relatively free from side effects, suggests CBD is safe in children.

Any side effects were relatively mild and included sleepiness, diarrhoea, and lack of appetite. One should also bear in mind that the CBD doses given to children during these trials (20mg per kilo of bodyweight) were far higher than those taken by children taking CBD oil as a nutritional supplement, which could explain the higher incidence of side effects.

The World Health Organization has also recognised CBD’s good safety profile and lack of toxicity in a recent report.

CBD Is Not Intoxicating

Many people confuse the effects of hemp with marijuana. Hemp only contains trace levels of THC, the compound responsible for the high sensation. Instead hemp is abundant in CBD, which does not interact with the same receptors in the brain and central nervous system, and is consequently not intoxicating.

If you would like to try a hemp product that’s totally THC free, we recommend our hemp flower tea; high in CBDA and full of hemp goodness.

Caution: CBD May Interact With Certain Medications

Thanks again to the research carried out by GW Pharma into its purified CBD epilepsy drug, Epidiolex, scientists discovered that CBD can cause higher levels of certain prescribed medication to remain in blood plasma, in particular the epilepsy medication, Clobazam. This is because CBD inhibits the production of cytochrome P450 enzymes which break certain drugs down in the body. It is advisable then, if you are considering giving CBD oil to your child and they are already taking prescription medication, to inform you doctor.

As there is still so much to be learned about CBD and children, if you are considering giving CBD to your child as a nutritional supplement we recommend discussing it first with your GP or pediatrician.