Should children really take CBD gummies to treat their ADHD? Companies report a huge increase in demand from desperate parents - we speak to one mother who says they calmed her teenager's ADHD and sleep problems
With her teenage son unable to concentrate or still his mind enough to fall asleep, and his behaviour spiralling at school, Sarah Thomas became desperate for a solution. And she believes she found it.David was 14 when Sarah* started giving him CBD gummies - soft chews containing compounds found in the cannabis plant - last year and she says they have been transformative.By the time David was 11 his teachers were commenting on his inability to concentrate and his problem with sitting still and following instructions. He was also not getting the grades he was thought capable of.‘His mind would be racing and he couldn’t drop off at night,’ says Sarah.‘I tried everything - no screen time, lowering the lights, reading before bed - but he couldn’t sleep. He’d finally drop off in the early hours then be exhausted the next day, which only compounded his problem behaviour at school.’Suspecting he may have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), his teacher referred him to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services for an assessment.‘But it took ages,’ says Sarah, who lives in Lancashire with her husband; their older son, 16; and David.‘Other parents were waiting three years for a diagnosis - and I didn’t want to put David through that.’After two years on the waiting list - but with still no sign of an appointment - Sarah decided to give David a 25mg CBD gummy. Vicky Borman, owner of CBD Angel UK, says she's seeing more parents buy CBD products for their children‘That night he fell asleep by 10pm and slept through for the first time in years,’ she says. ‘He felt refreshed the next day.’She isn’t the only desperate parent to take such action - anecdotally, CBD companies report a huge increase in demand from parents wanting CBD gummies not for themselves, but for their children.Vicky Borman, owner of CBD Angel UK (cbd-angel.co.uk), which sells CBD products, told the Daily Mail: ‘I’m seeing more and more desperate parents come to me who are on waiting lists for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services diagnoses - or where traditional methods have failed for their neurodivergent children.‘They come to me at their wits’ ends desperate to try anything and have good results.’But some experts have concerns about this new trend.‘CBD products are often marketed as safe and natural, but that doesn’t mean they’re risk-free,’ says Thorrun Govind, a pharmacist based in Manchester.‘While CBD generally has a good safety profile, potential side-effects such as drowsiness, dry mouth and gastrointestinal upset are well documented.‘The UK’s Food Standards Agency and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advise that CBD should not be taken by those under 18 - which I would agree with. Children are more vulnerable to side-effects because their liver and brain are still developing,’ she says.‘And, most importantly, CBD can interact with prescribed medications.’Cannabis in its illegal form contains hundreds of compounds including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the compound that provides a ‘high’, and CBD (which is short for cannabidiol) - gummies will only contain the CBD, and this is normally extracted from hemp (a type of cannabis plant).‘CBD gummies usually contain cannabidiol along with a sweet, chewy base made from sugar, gelatine, flavourings and colouring,’ explains Thorrun Govind.‘Some products are made with “CBD isolate”, which contains only cannabidiol, while others are "broad spectrum" or "full spectrum", meaning they include other cannabinoids or plant compounds.’The body produces compounds similar to cannabinoids, known as endocannabinoids: these are chemical messengers that latch on to receptors found throughout the body, including in the brain and immune system.One of the roles of endocannabinoids is to respond to damage or calm inflammation. They are also thought to help moderate pain signals.The theory is that cannabinoids, such as CBD, mimic the effects of the endocannabinoid system - and CBD has been investigated for its possible calming and pain-reducing properties.‘CBD acts as a calmer,’ says Professor Mike Barnes, a consultant neurologist and chair of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, an independent community of medical cannabis prescribers.‘It helps sleep, reduces anxiety - and its main medical use is actually as an anti-convulsant; it is used in epilepsy treatment,’ he says.The evidence isn’t firm, however.While some trials find CBD does help with sleep or anxiety, for example, others do not.The gummies - which are readily available over-the-counter or online - contain only a fraction of the CBD found in medicinal cannabis products, which are used, for example, to treat complex epilepsy cases. Some prescription-only products do contain THC and other compounds of the cannabis plant.CBD gummies are categorised as food supplements, not medication. '[But] how does the consumer know how it should be used, and how much to have?’, asks Professor Barnes. CBD gummies usually contain cannabidiol along with a sweet, chewy base made from sugar, gelatine, flavourings and colouringAlthough CBD is not addictive and ‘has a good safety profile', Tom Freeman, a professor of psychology at the University of Bath, says ‘they should not be sold to under-18s’.In any event, ‘CBD gummies are consumer products and should not be used for medical purposes', he adds.‘They don’t have the standards required for medicines: efficacy, quality or safety - so the product standards vary a lot. They may contain different levels of CBD to what is on the label, and some may contain small amounts of THC.’Professor Barnes, however, maintains the CBD in gummies will be safe for children.‘Remember that Epidyolex [used for epilepsy] is a licensed medication that is virtually pure CBD - and children take that in doses usually between 1,000mg to 2,000mg,’ he says. By comparison, gummies typically come in dosages from 5mg to 120mg.‘Many product labels do say that caution needs to be exercised in children and GPs consulted - but these products are safe for most children.’Sarah herself had used CBD oil to ease the pain of migraines related to her menstrual cycle which she suffered with for years.‘I got migraines for three solid days every month and would be bed-ridden,’ she says.‘I tried all the migraine medications and painkillers, and nothing worked until I tried CBD five years ago. It took the edge off the pain.’It was the fact there was no other help on the horizon for her son that made Sarah wonder if it might be a solution for him, too.‘I read up on the ingredients and knew there was none of the actual cannabis THC that makes you “high” in there - and thought it would just have a calming, relaxing effect. I know what to look out for, what they should and shouldn’t contain and knew they were safe,’ says Sarah.Not only did the CBD gummies help David sleep better, says Sarah, but he now also has increased focus and ability to sit still, and exhibits less challenging behaviour.‘Most importantly, they seemed to work for David by giving him a good night’s sleep so he could focus at school.’But she has been met with puzzled reactions from other parents who thought CBD was a drug, like marijuana.‘I never hid that I was giving CBD gummies to my son,’ says Sarah.‘In fact, I’d talk calmly about it and educate people - and by the time I’d finished my conversation they’d have a completely different view of what CBD is.’Now David takes the gummies once or twice a week, or as needed.‘It certainly isn’t every day - just when he feels he needs to relax or can’t sleep,’ says Sarah.‘I’m telling my story so that parents can make their own decisions - CBD gummies are not like smoking pot, they don’t get you high and they’re not addictive. There needs to be more awareness of them.’*Some names have been changed
