by Adrianne Mae Guatno, CPhT
Original post on Wed. June 8th 2022, 11:48 PM – updated Sat. July 23rd 2022, 7:45 PM
Since the American government legalized the production of industrial hemp through the 2018 Farm Bill1, hemp and CBD products are becoming more popular in today’s markets- especially among teens. A study among 200 U.S. teenagers have showed that 4 in 10 teens have used CBD. With that information, it’s important to have a conversation with your kids about what hemp and CBD are, their facts and misconceptions, and if its uses are safe for your child to take altogether.
Here are 5 ways to talk to your kids about hemp and CBD:
1. Start by explaining to your kids what hemp and CBD are. First, explain to your kids that hemp is a plant that can be used to make different things like paper, rope and cloth. Explain to them that hemp is also a type of plant that’s related to marijuana, but has little to no levels of THC (which is the psychoactive compound that gets people “high”). On the other hand, CBD is a compound found in hemp plants that has been proven to have a variety of health benefits while not having psychoactive effects.
Below is a chart that depicts the differences between CBD and THC, and a comparison between the hemp plant vs the marijuana plant:
https://richmondmagazine.com/life-style/health/the-cannabis-conundrum
2. Explain what hemp and CBD products are used for. There are many uses for hemp that go beyond the range of just having products resulting from textiles. Hemp is the main source of CBD and CBD is usually an extract from hemp. Then, CBD extract usually turns into CBD oil to make natural remedy products so it can sell in markets today.
Moreover, CBD products have become increasingly popular within recent years as they come in many forms such as oils, tinctures, balms, and even edibles. These forms make CBD easier to consume for people to enjoy its benefits. People use these types of products for a variety of reasons, including reducing inflammation, relieving pain, and improving sleep. Some people also use them to ease anxiety and improve their mood.
3. Share some examples of health benefits from CBD through proven research. Despite having many positive results, there’s still a lot of scientific research that needs to be done on CBD. According to a Harvard health article, for instance, the strongest scientific evidence for the effectiveness of CBD is in treating some of “the cruelest childhood epilepsy syndromes”.
In the article, it states that CBD was able to reduce the amount of seizures, and sometimes stop seizures altogether by using the prescription medication Epidiolex. Epidiolex contains CBD and is the first cannabis-derived medicine that’s approved by the FDA for those specific conditions. The article states that there will be more clinical trials and studies in the future for CBD’s effects to help reduce symptoms of: anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, and addiction.
4. Do your own research as a parent on CBD products’ health benefits. Like mentioned above, there are many benefits to using hemp and CBD products especially through medical research. As a parent, you may want to dig deeper with your own research on CBD’s benefits because the FDA only has one CBD-derived medication. You can only get Epidiolex through a doctor’s prescription and its specific use is for treatment for seizures in epilepsy2.
On the other hand, many CBD products are already widely available via online markets, grocery stores, and some pharmacy chains- but are they reliable? How can we know?
The next step as a parent is to do research on trusted CBD brands and companies. There are many CBD companies out there that swear by their products’ quality through customer testimonials and first-party testing alone. But in order to find a reliable CBD brand with trusted results, results must come from third-party lab testing.
Reliable CBD companies pride themselves on their third-party lab results as third-party labs aren’t affiliated with them3. By that, a CBD brand’s third-party lab testing performs a full scientific analysis of a product to help separate the good from the bad in their contents. With this information, you can determine whether or not you and your child can use a CBD product safely.
5. Discuss the risks of using hemp and CBD products. With CBD’s many positive health benefits, CBD may also have some risks. These risks that pertain to CBD products are usually found in its effects due to their products’ quality and its origin. That’s why it’s very important to do your research on which CBD products to use and which companies to trust.
Remember, as a parent, it’s important to make sure you and your kids are only using products from reputable sources. Here are a few tips:
- First, check the label. Keep in mind that the FDA does not regulate hemp and CBD products, so there’s no way to know if they’re safe or not. If a label doesn’t list a company or contact information, it might not be a reputable product. Those products may contain harmful chemicals or contaminants that could be harmful to us and our children. That is why third-party lab testing is very crucial in determining which products and brands to rely on.
- Second, do more research. As always, do your research! Do a search on a specific CBD brand/company that you have in mind or have heard good news about. A quick Google search can tell you a lot about a company. Some CBD companies post up their third-party lab results in their sites to show evidence of no tampering in tests. Some companies have warnings given by the FDA because their products did not pass chemical content tests4.
- Third, ask around. Talk to other parents, teachers, or experts to get their opinion on a product. Following their tips may help you make sure you and your kids are only using products from reputable sources. This is important because you want them and yourself to be safe and healthy.
So, what’s the bottom line?
Following these 5 ways to talk to your kids about hemp/CBD will make them get a better understanding about it. It’s all about being open to your kids with discussion about topics like these that will get you closer to them. Again, always always do your research!