Clinical Takeaway
Most of the current evidence on cannabinoid use in children comes from observational studies and surveys rather than controlled trials, reflecting the early and evolving state of this research. The available data spans plant-derived and pharmaceutical cannabinoids across a range of pediatric medical conditions, but the overall evidence base remains limited in rigor. Clinicians should interpret reported benefits and safety signals cautiously until higher-quality interventional data accumulates.
#2 Cannabinoids for Medical Purposes in Children: A Living Systematic Review.
Citation: Chhabra Manik et al.. Cannabinoids for Medical Purposes in Children: A Living Systematic Review.. Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). 2025. PMID: 40437694.
Design: 5 Journal: 0 N: 2 Recency: 2 Pop: 3 Human: 1 Risk: 0
This living systematic review addresses a critical evidence gap by continuously synthesizing safety and efficacy data for cannabinoid use in pediatric populations, where clinical evidence remains sparse and regulatory guidance unclear. The systematic mapping of reported benefits and adverse effects across multiple medical conditions enables clinicians to make more informed risk-benefit assessments when considering cannabinoids as therapeutic options for children with treatment-resistant conditions. As cannabinoid research evolves rapidly, the living review methodology ensures that clinical practice recommendations can be updated in real-time with emerging evidence, improving alignment between treatment decisions and the current evidence base.
Methodological Considerations:
- Small sample — underpowered for subgroup analysis
Abstract: AIM: We developed a living systematic review (LSR) that will continuously map the safety and reported benefit data related to cannabinoid use for medical purposes in children. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to April 2023. Studies involving at least one child 20% studies) in studies enrolling children were somnolence, diarrhoea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. CONCLUSION: These findings will continue to be updated to inform practice and reveal knowledge gaps for future research.
🧬 This living systematic review represents a valuable effort to continuously synthesize the pediatric cannabinoid evidence base, which remains sparse and heavily weighted toward seizure disorders rather than other conditions where families increasingly seek these treatments. The authors appropriately acknowledge that most included studies are observational or case reports with significant heterogeneity in cannabinoid formulations, dosing, and outcome measurement, limiting robust comparative conclusions. Important confounders include the difficulty isolating cannabinoid effects from concurrent medications (particularly in epilepsy populations), publication bias favoring positive outcomes, and the challenge of assessing long-term neurodevelopmental safety in a pediatric population. Clinicians should recognize that while preliminary data suggest potential benefit for refractory seizures, the evidence for other pediatric conditions remains preliminary, and family counseling must account for this uncertainty alongside legitimate parental concerns about developmental exposure. Given the dynamic nature of this review, practitioners should revisit it periodically when considering cannabinoids in pediatric patients, while maintaining realistic expectations about evidence quality and emphasizing