POT PEDIATRICS

Could the human body's own "marijuana" hold the key to a healthy and happy
childhood? Scientists in Israel have posed the question, and their answer
may surprise you.

Recently, researcher Ester Fride of the Behavioral Sciences Department of
Israel's College of Judea and Samaria published a pair of scientific papers
stating that the brain's cannabinoid receptors (receptors in the brain that
respond pharmacologically to various compounds in cannabis as well as other
endogenous compounds) and the naturally occurring messenger molecules that
activate and bind to them (so-called endocannabinoids) "are present from
the early stages of gestation" and may play "a number of vital roles" in
human prenatal and postnatal development.

Writing in Neuroendocrinology Letters and the European Journal of
Pharmacology, Fride suggests, "A role for the endocannabinoid system for
the human infant is likely."

She notes that in animals, the endogenous cannabinoid system fulfills
several important developmental functions, including: embryonal
implantation (which requires a temporary and localized reduction in the
production of the endocannabinoid anandamide), neural development,
neuroprotection, the development of memory and oral-motor skills, and the
initiation of suckling in newborns.

A dysfunctional endocannabinoid system, Fride speculates, may be
responsible for certain abnormalities in infants, particularly
"failure-to-thrive" syndrome, a condition in which newborns fail to
properly grow and gain weight. (In animal studies, mice fail to gain weight
and die within the first week of life when their cannabinoid receptors are
blocked.)

Nevertheless, the author does not recommend that pregnant mothers consume
cannabis, noting that a handful of studies have observed subtle cognitive
deficiencies in offspring with prenatal exposure to pot. (At present, there
exists little consensus within the scientific community as to whether
infrequent cannabis use may impair postnatal development, as various
studies have yielded conflicting results.)

Fride does, however, strongly recommend the use of cannabinoids in
pediatric medicine. She notes that "excellent clinical results" have been
reported in pediatric oncology and in case studies of children with severe
neurological diseases or brain trauma, and suggests that cannabis-derived
medicines could also play a role in the treatment of other childhood
syndromes, including the pain and gastrointestinal inflammation associated
with cystic fibrosis.

Because the development of the cannabinoid receptor system appears to occur
gradually over the course of childhood, "children may be less prone to the
psychoactive side effects of THC or endocannabinoids than adults," Fride
writes. "Therefore, it is suggested that children may respond positively to
the medicinal applications of cannabinoids without [psychoactive] effects."
She concludes, "The medical implications of these novel developments are
far reaching and suggest a promising future for cannabinoids in pediatric
medicine" for conditions including cachexia (severe weight loss), cystic
fibrosis, failure-to-thrive, anorexia, inflammation, and chronic pain.

"It's clear that the cannabinoid system is essential for complete human
development, and that cannabis medicines have a great potential to help
sick children," says University of Southern California professor Mitch
Earlywine, author of the book, Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the
Scientific Evidence. "Given the well established safety of the medication,
clinical trials for other disorders, particularly cystic fibrosis and
'failure-to-thrive,' seem a humane and essential next step."