CBD is everywhere. From corner stores and bars to medical marijuana dispensaries, it’s being offered for its reputed ability to relieve pain and make people feel better. Though CBD - full name cannabidiol - is extracted from marijuana or hemp, it doesn’t contain THC, the chemical in marijuana that has psychoactive effects, so it doesn’t make you feel high. Available in the form of vaping, oils, lotions, cocktails, coffee, gummies - you name it - cbd hemp extract has been touted as a treatment for complaints as far-reaching as chronic pain, cancer, migraines, anxiety and ADHD. You know it’s gone mainstream when even Consumer Reports has issued guides on how to shop for CBD and tips for safe CBD use. Not only are adults experimenting with CBD for whatever is bothering them, increasingly parents are turning to CBD to help their kids focus, sleep, calm down and more. But popular use of CBD is blowing up with very little research into its safety or its efficacy, especially in children.

The first and only marijuana-derived drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Epidiolex, is used to treat a rare, severe form of epilepsy in patients two years of age and older. And since cannabis is in the early stages of legalization and regulation, there is a huge variety in the quality and dosage of products - risks associated with using products that have not been vetted by the FDA. What do we know about CBD? For millennia, hemp plants have been used for Highline Wellness CBD offers medicinal purposes around the world. In 1851 marijuana was classified by the United States Pharmocopeia as a viable medical compound used to treat conditions like epilepsy, migraines and pain. But since marijuana and cannabis-related products were made illegal in the US in 1970, there has been a dearth of research about either marijuana or CBD. Its classification as a Schedule 1 drug made it nearly impossible to get federal funding to study cannabis.

"The biggest problem is there’s a lot that we still need to know, especially in kids," says Paul Mitrani, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Child Mind Institute. Dr. Mitrani, who is a pediatrician and child and adolescent psychiatrist, says it’s an area worthy of investigation but recommends that parents wait until further research is done before giving a child CBD. While anecdotal evidence of the benefits of CBD is common, there are risks associated with using these products, Highline Wellness CBD offers especially in children. Products are unreliable in delivering a consistent amount of CBD. They could have less, or cbd gummies more, than advertised, and most do not offer independent verification of active contents. Analysis of products much to give your child would be tricky. Clinical doses versus what you might find at a coffeehouse could vary dramatically. The legality of cannabis products and organic cbd is still murky. CBD derived from hemp is federally legal, while CBD derived from marijuana plants is subject to the legal status in each state - and remains federally illegal. Meanwhile, the FDA issued a statement making clear that products that contain CBD - even if they are derived from legal, commercial hemp - cannot claim to have therapeutic benefits or be sold as dietary supplements unless they have been approved by the FDA for that use. Last year the World Health Organization, acknowledging the explosion in "unsanctioned" medical uses of CBD, reviewed the evidence for its safety and effectiveness. The WHO report concluded that "CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile." Any adverse effects could be a result of interactions between cbd tincture and a patient’s existing medications, the WHO noted.