Patient Patient Education Education ►
►
Children
and Medical Marijuana
In Missouri , patients under 18 can receive a doctor ’ s recommendation for medical cannabis ...
by Peter Kershaw , contributing writer
One of the most heartbreaking experiences a parent could ever encounter is witnessing the suffering of their own child due to a debilitating disease . Identifying a pediatric doctor who can diagnose the malady isn ’ t usually challenging . The hard part is finding a doctor who is competent at accurately diagnosing the underlying cause of that disease . This is the norm in allopathic medicine — ignore the cause of disease while treating only symptoms . The goal is efficiency — get the patient in and out of the office as quickly as possible by treating symptoms with pharmaceutical drugs . Digging deeper into identifying underlying causes of disease requires far greater knowledge , not to mention time in consultation with the patient . That simply isn ’ t efficient , let alone maximizing profits for the doctor .
The most venerated maxim in the history of medical ethics is Primum On Nocere — First , Do No Harm . This comes from the Hippocratic Oath , “ I will do no harm or injustice ” to my patients . But herein lies the first of many “ First , do no harm ” contradictions within the medical establishment — its over-reliance on pharmaceutical drugs and the so-called “ side effects ” they include that , in far too many cases , are indeed harmful . So-called “ adverse drug events ” from pharmaceuticals are commonplace with adult patients . Any resulting injuries and deaths from pharmaceuticals are chalked up to “ medication errors .” The risks incurred with pharmaceuticals only increase , sometimes dramatically , the younger the patient . 1 This has apparently not escaped the notice of The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics , which has omitted entirely “ First , do no harm ” from its position statements . 2 Nothing more clearly demonstrates the medical establishment ’ s abandonment of any moral compass than that they would subject children to drugs that aren ’ t even proven safe for adults to use .
Too many parents have worn themselves out taking their suffering child from one pediatrician to another , from one “ specialist ” to another , only to see their child ’ s health further decline . Often , that continued decline is attributable to the side effects of the prescribed drugs . Should a parent discover that medical cannabis is dramatically safer and more effective in treating a particular disease than any pharmaceutical , they may ask their pediatrician what they think of cannabis . Odds are extremely high that the doctor will employ scare tactics to dissuade the parent from giving it any further thought .
The same industry , which long ago abandoned its moral compass , ignoring its obligations of fully informed consent in warning patients of the potential risks of the drugs they prescribe , also thinks it is its moral obligation to scare the public with , “ Marijuana is dangerous , addictive , and has no proven medical benefits .” It has been perpetrating Reefer Madness fraud for many decades . All that propaganda has had a chilling effect , even on cannabis-friendly physicians who enthusiastically recommend cannabis — at least for their adult patients . The science and their own practical experience confirm that cannabis is dramatically safer than pharmaceutical drugs and , quite often , far more effective in treating a broad spectrum of physical and even psychological maladies , and with none of the harmful side effects so common with pharmaceuticals . Gratefully , millions of Americans have come to see for themselves the hypocrisy and mendacity of the medical establishment . Nevertheless , when it concerns the medicinal application of cannabis for treating childhood diseases , we still have quite a way to go .
So-called “ recreational use ” of cannabis ( i . e ., “ adult use ”) by children is universally denounced ( and against the law ), and for the same reasons as alcohol and other “ recreational ” drugs . But thanks to the efforts of Big Pharma , this also extends to the medicinal use of cannabis in pediatric medicine . Never underestimate the power of Big Pharma ’ s propaganda machine and political capture .
The argument against allowing pediatric use of medical marijuana stems largely around concerns about its potential to impede the development of young brains . 3 Such concerns aren ’ t without merit , especially when THC-dominant strains ( with little to no CBD to “ buffer ” the THC ) can be heavily abused daily . 4 This is where the hypocrisy of the medical establishment becomes glaringly apparent . These same doctors express few , if any , such concerns about the rampant , if not reckless , prescribing of mind and mood-altering pharmaceuticals such as Ritalin and Adderall to children . What makes cocaine bad for kids but Ritalin acceptable when MRI scans show their methods of action in the brain are almost identical ? 5 Much the same can be said of amphetamine and Adderall .
In Missouri , patients under 18 can receive a doctor ’ s recommendation for medical cannabis , provided they have the consent of their parent or legal guardian . The parent or legal guardian must also register as the minor patient ’ s medical cannabis caregiver . After receiving a doctor ’ s recommendation letter , applying with the Missouri DHSS for these is a relatively simple process .
Though cannabis-friendly pediatricians aren ’ t necessarily easy to identify , they do exist . Much easier to identify are cannabis-friendly general practice doctors who will be willing to give their medical cannabis recommendation letter for a minor patient . Such doctors , however , may have only treated adult patients and have little to no experience giving cannabis dosage recommendations for children . Even among cannabis-friendly pediatricians , dosing may require some experimentation : “ Despite many therapeutic claims , there are few rigorous studies to inform the dosing , safety , and efficacy of medical cannabis in pediatric clinical practice .” 6 Though overdosing a child with cannabis isn ’ t physically harmful , it can still be an emotionally
24 February 2025