Clinical Takeaway
Existing clinical evidence on cannabinoid use in children spans hundreds of studies across multiple designs, reflecting growing but still evolving data on both safety and effectiveness. The breadth of study types included, from interventional trials to surveys, highlights that much of the current evidence base relies on observational and self-reported data rather than high-quality controlled trials. Clinicians should interpret pediatric cannabinoid outcomes cautiously and prioritize shared decision-making grounded in the best available evidence for each specific condition.
#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 provides the first continuously updated synthesis of safety and efficacy data for cannabinoid use in pediatric populations, addressing a critical evidence gap as clinical cannabinoid prescribing in children expands without robust safety surveillance. By systematically collating data across multiple databases on adverse effects and therapeutic outcomes across pediatric indications, this framework enables clinicians to make evidence-informed decisions about cannabinoid therapy while identifying priority areas for future randomized controlled trials. The living methodology ensures that pediatric practitioners can access updated safety signals and emerging clinical evidence as new studies are published, which is particularly important given the potential for cannabinoids to affect neurodevelopment in this vulnerable population.
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 provides a contemporary mapping of cannabinoid safety and efficacy data in pediatric populations, addressing a knowledge gap in an area where clinical demand often outpaces robust evidence. While the authors cast a wide net across multiple databases to capture plant-derived and pharmaceutical cannabinoids used for various pediatric conditions, the heterogeneity of study designs, patient populations, and outcome measures typical in this literature makes drawing definitive conclusions challenging, and publication bias toward positive outcomes remains a significant confounder. Notably, the review’s inclusion of both observational and experimental studies means that efficacy signals may reflect reporting bias rather than true therapeutic benefit, particularly for conditions where families seek cannabis as a last resort. For clinicians, the practical takeaway is that while this resource can help track emerging safety signals and organize scattered evidence, any individual prescribing decision in pediatrics should still rest on disease severity, exhaustion of conventional therapies, and frank discussion of remaining uncertainties with families.