Regular recreational use of THC is not beneficial for teenagers (20), but CBD is not psychoactive like THC and does not seem to act on the brain in the same harmful way.
CBD-rich pharmaceutical-grade medical marijuana preparations have been shown to help treat seizures in children who suffer from rare forms of epilepsy . So much so that they were recently approved by the FDA. (21)
But the research on those drugs was based on pharmaceutical-grade cannabis preparations, not what medical professionals call artisanal preparations. Those made by small companies or by individuals who may or may not be capable of or willing to make sure that their product is free of potentially harmful impurities.
In addition to the case report of palliative care use with a 14-year-old mentioned earlier, two physicians published a case report in the fall of 2016 in The Permanente Journal that discussed the use of CBD oil to treat the post-traumatic stress disorder–related anxiety and insomnia of a 10-year-old girl. After five months of treatment, the girl reported less anxiety and significantly improved sleep; she did not report any adverse or side effects. (10)
In California, emancipated minors may apply for medical marijuana cards. (22)
But the American Academy of Pediatrics says that it opposes medical marijuana outside of products that have been or can be approved by the FDA, citing recreational marijuana’s serious effects on adolescent health and development, such as reduced educational attainment. (23)
How Can Marijuana Affect Me in the Long Term?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the regular recreational use of marijuana may cause negative .
Psychiatric disorders such as psychosis or mania may be worsened by chronic use of marijuana. It may also worsen the effects of depression, according to the University of Washington’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute.
