Title:Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol with a Focus on
Children and Adolescents in the Treatment of Psychiatric
Symptoms and Disorders
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Author(s): Amanda Yuan Sun*, Aimee Sullivan, Jarrod M Leffler, Christopher J Hammond, Leslie Hulvershorn and Leslie Miller
Affiliation:
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, ML, United States
Keywords:
Cannabidiol, efficacy, adverse effects, child and adolescent psychiatry, mental health, clinical psychiatry, epilepsy.
Abstract: Cannabidiol (CBD) is a plant-derived cannabinoid found in cannabis and
hemp plants with broad psychopharmacologic effects and poorly understood
mechanisms of action that may include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties and central nervous system (CNS) modulation of endocannabinoid,
glutamatergic, and serotonergic neurotransmission. This article reviews existing
data on the safety and efficacy of CBD for mental and physical health indications in
the pediatric population and for psychiatric disorders in adults, with a focus on
clinical trials. Searches of PubMed and PsycINFO for articles through October
2021 focused on clinical trials on “cannabidiol” and “seizure” or “psychiatry” in
youth and adults, identifying 686 articles that were then screened and evaluated for
relevance. Research into the safety and efficacy of CBD led to the United States
Food and Drug Administration's approval of Epidolex, a purified pharmaceuticalgrade
CBD medicine, for treating drug-resistant seizures in Dravet syndrome,
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and tuberous sclerosis complex. Beyond treatment for
rare seizure disorders, CBD has received growing public interest in recent years as
a “natural” treatment for various other medical and psychiatric conditions, resulting
in a rapidly expanding multi-billion-dollar US market for CBD dietary/health
supplements and a growing number of Americans reporting regular use. However,
the growing demand and broad claims of purported benefits have greatly outpaced
the body of literature substantiating its use. Further, limited safety data in pediatric
populations, drug-to-drug interactions between CBD and prescribed medications,
and issues related to mislabeling and contamination have blunted enthusiasm for
CBD in the pediatric healthcare community and indicate a need for additional
research.
