Prescribing marijuana to kids
Debate is raging over the use of medicinal marijuana to treat childhood ADHD and autism
Is medical marijuana for kids a prescription for abuse?
(Corbis/Gerd Ludwig)
The battle over medical marijuana has a new focus: children. After some parents confessed to feeding kids as young as 9 pot-infused cookies as a last resort to help them cope with autism, The New York Times reported that California clinics have been prescribing pot to patients as young as 14 to treat ADHD symptoms. Proponents of cannabis for kids say it can also help treat cancer and AIDS symptoms. Opponents? “How many ways can one say ‘one of the worst ideas of all time?’” asks UC Berkeley psychologist Stephen Hinshaw. Is there ever a valid reason to prescribe pot for kids? (Watch one family’s success treating autism with marijuana.)
This takes a defensible idea too far: Doctors should be given leeway to treat their patients as they see best, says Nathaniel French in the Southern Methodist University Daily Campus, including—where legal—with medical marijuana. “But there are limits to that liberality,” and giving pot to minors crosses the line. “We do not let children smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol; why should we let them take a mind-altering drug”?
“California takes medical marijuana too far”
Marijuana is safer than Ritalin: Given that we already prescribe kids “stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall,” whose side effects—including sudden death—are much worse than marijuana’s, says a spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy Project in Opposing Views, the “infrequent” instances in which marijuana is prescribed to minors shouldn’t shock anyone; science and anecdotal evidence suggest it does help with childhood ADHD and autism. We need less outrage and more studies.
“The debate over marijuana treatment for ADHD, autistic kids”
Welcome to the slippery slope of 'medical anarchy': “Marijuana has clear medical uses,” says Wesley J. Smith in First Things. But if advocates “continue to act this irresponsibly,” they’ll just "blow up” their cause.
“Medical anarchy: Giving medical marijuana to teenagers”
Pot can work medically, but it can also blur formative years: I generally "trust the doctors who are carefully treating young patients” with marijuana, says Russ Belleville at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). That said, I personally don’t recommend “non-medical use” for kids under 18—not out of mental or physical health concerns but simply because teenage emotions “should be felt fully and unaltered.” The teenage years are "when your personality and character are formed."
“Using medical marijuana to treat ADHD in teenagers”
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SEE THE WEEK'S LATEST COVERAGE OF THE MARIJUANA DEBATE:
• Does America really need 'marijuana cafes'?
• Obama's medical marijuana truce
• Marijuana as medicine
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188 Comments
Posted by Slippery Sloper, Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 6:19 pm Hilarious. What is it in ten years? Medical crack cocaine for kids with chronic pain or nonaddictive personalities? We all now have front row seats to the total destruction of America. What person in their right mind would think a nation stoned will produce better quality products for sale? Methamphetamine increases productivity dramatically why not prescribe meth to kids? Whatever helps right now right, not a care about longterm damage at all.
Posted by caution498, Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 6:35 pm Meth IS being presribed to kids, but they call it ritalin to avoid the whole 'stigma' thing. Stay sober and stay in school, kids!
Posted by Sister Mary, Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 7:01 pm How about lobotomies?? Try it all on the children. ARE THESE PEOPLE NUTS?? As if these kids need to be screwed up any more than they already are!? They need a crack across the fingers with a ruler to get and keep their attention. Old school, not drugs.
Posted by M*rsh, Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 7:02 pm As a Nurse, I know there are drawbacks to any pharmaceutical treatment of any disease. Given the choice, I think I'd try marijuana if i had to treat my own child with ADHD before Ritalion or Concerta or Strattera or etc... But I would not administer it to be smoked, too risky for the lungs. It's available in pill form at measured doses, or, as the article suggests, brownies, cookies, tea, etc.
Posted by Johnforamerica, Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 7:05 pm How appropriate of you Slippery Sloper! Because all marijuana users the tens of millions of them also smoke crack and do meth. People like you are the reason that nonviolent offenders clog our prisons while those that do REAL harm continue as CEOs.
Posted by Rebecca, Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 7:18 pm I love how people make their judgments on Marijuana MJ based on assumptions and ignorance. Yes it is true that drugs are bad. But, comparing MJ to Crack, Meth or any other hard drug that is chemically created, addictive, and potentially lethal is totally ridiculous. In fact, MJ wasn't made illegal because it was discovered to be dangerous or addictive look it up. All this mindaltering drug does is make you relaxed, hungry, and happy. ADHD prescription medication is mindaltering with more harmful side effects than MJ.
Posted by Michael, Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 7:39 pm The operative word is Prescribed by a doctor. Medical marijuana is indeed probably less harmful than Ritalin and all the other Pharma drugs. Let's not let our paranoia blind us to the good that this drug could do to help these kids. Properly prescribed and taken in pill form it is no different to any other 'drug'. Bundling it together with Meth and crack is ridiculous and shows an ignorance of the true facts.
Posted by Dano, Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 8:26 pm I thought we were trying to get rid of methamphetamine/speed? Why are we spending so much money to bust up meth labs and put these people in jail if we are giving it legally to little kids???Ritalin is a methamphetamine! So, it is ok to prescribe a highly addictive methamphetamine to an 8 year old for a disorder that is highly questionable, but not try a substance that is nonaddictive and wont lead to any long term consequences. Beyond stupidity!
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