Cannabis and Children

How is it possible that a substance like THC has almost no effect on small children?

Caring for a sick child is a lot like carrying the unbearable weight of a giant boulder uphill even though the child often weighs less than a small stone. In my experience there is a difference between adult suffering and child suffering in terms of how each handles their pain and sorrow in sickness. And ii have noticed that little children are much better at dealing with sufferance and ii am convinced that this has a lot to do with receptor expression. Some scientists now accept that the role of the EC system begins at conception and continues throughout pregnancy and beyond to ensure overall optimal health of the living human being.

Professor Ester Fride Ph.D. passed away 1 January 2010 age 56. She was the Dutch born Israeli scientist who worked with Professor Mechoulam in the 1990’s and became known for revealing the fact that a new born mammal cannot suckle and survive without a functional EC system. She worked closely with Professor Mechoulam and the two shared a lab. He graced her with the title of Chairperson at the Department of Behavioural Sciences and the Department of Molecular Biology at The College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel Israel. In 2000 she was given her own lab and began researching the role of the EC system in the infant suckling process.

Thanks to her research we now have scientific proof that the activation of our Cannabinoid receptors by our natural Endocannabinoids is crucial to the suckling response in new born babies. She co-authored over 40 research papers where she released research which suggested a very promising future for the study of Cannabinoids in paediatric medicine. It was Professor Fride’s research going back to 2004 which proved that our own Endocannabinoids were naturally present in human breast milk and that Cannabinoids are necessary to stimulate the suckling process in new born mammals. Part of this research also revealed that Endocannabinoids help to stimulate the tongue muscles and this is why today we remain confident in going forward and treating various swallowing difficulties with Cannabis medicine in adults and children because the research results are so successful.

Professor Ester referred to Endocannabinoids as “extremely vital for proper human development”  and some of her later work revealed that Endocannabinoids play a major role in the development of the foetal brain and she also discovered that Endocannabinoids can be altered when a pregnant mother is under stress regardless of whether the mother consumes Cannabis or not. From the very first feed a human baby is offered from its mothers breast a new born human is already experiencing an activation of its EC system which is the start of building its own immune system and other physiological systems in the body. Possibly of greatest importance is that Professor Fride’s work proved that in infants growth failure due to the inability to take up food was attributed to an under developed EC system. Once the baby starts suckling, the Anandamide and 2-AG from the maternal milk automatically increases these levels in the brain which in turn stimulates feeding. 

Professor Ester’s theory proves that blockages of Cannabinoid receptors contribute to infant failure to thrive conditions because of the failure to stimulate the suckling response in infants. This is one of the reasons she strongly advocated the use of Cannabinoids in paediatric practise.

Every new day we hear positive stories of what Cannabis can do for children especially in respect of many types of cancers, epilepsy, autism for example. It was Professor Fride’s studies which also revealed that our natural THC, Anandamide displayed a neuro-protective role on the post-natal brain. The fact that our Cannabis receptors are present in the white matter regions of the pre and post-natal nervous system proves that the EC system plays a specific role in early brain development. Throughout our lives from conception to end of life THC is required to ensure healthy human brain development and this is why we need the Cannabis plant in our daily lives.

How is it possible that a substance like THC has almost no effect on small children?

Professor Fride’s work proved that Cannabinoid receptors develop very slowly during the post-natal stage. This ties up with observations that small children appear to be insensitive to the psychoactive effects of controlled Cannabinoid treatment and specifically to THC. Because of Professor Fride’s revelation we now know that this gradual increase of EC system activity in the human body is also accompanied by a gradual maturation in the response to the psychoactive properties of THC. In studies of post-natal mice a gradual increase in the density of THC receptors was recorded in the brain and this led to the important discovery that small children can benefit from Cannabis medicine without any harsh side effects. My personal research has brought up numerous studies from Hebrew University in Israel where children between the ages of 3 and 13 undergoing chemotherapy were administered high THC doses, approximately 0.64 mg/kg per treatment. Some of these children were given doses for long periods of time up to 114 treatments based on 4 treatments per 24 hour period. The anti-emetic effects were also impressive with no real side effects at all. And in another of her studies eight children between the ages of 3 and 14 years with severe neurological damage were treated with between 0.04 – 0.12 mg/kg per day.  Across the board improvements in behaviour included reduced spasticity, improved dystonia (muscle movements), increased interest in surroundings and anti-epileptic activity, all with no notable side effects. This same study included the case of an 11 year old girl who after a motor accident suffered a spinal contusion with total paraplegia and a frontal skull fracture. The patient suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder, mood disturbances and lack of appetite. The daily THC dose administered improved her appetite and mood as well as her spasticity with no side effects.

Over the past twenty years we have seen really excellent clinical results of Cannabis treatment in small children and young adults especially in paediatric oncology cases and where children have been suffering with serious neurological conditions and brain trauma such as epilepsy. All of these healings become possible because of the now scientifically proven fact that Cannabinoid receptor expression is different in children. 

It is interesting to note that only a temporary presence of receptors are expressed during development but not during adulthood in certain regions of the brain at the Corpus Callosum and the anterior commissure which connects the neuronal pathways between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. These expressions were noted between gestational day 21 and post-natal day 5 and this proves the important role for Cannabinoids in human brain development. This natural paediatric expression of the human EC system is in my mind so clearly and so obviously designed to be a biologically adaptive defence mechanism designed to protect children from illness because children are not supposed to be ill.

What about Human studies?

In her human studies Professor Ester confirmed the results of past mice studies and Cannabinoid receptors were identified in the human embryo at week 14 of gestation. In the 20^th week of gestation in the human embryo a selective (lesser) expression of the receptors was identified in the hippocampus compared with a much wider expression in the adult human brain. An advanced increase in the concentration of these Cannabinoid receptors was found in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia and cerebellum between the foetal period and adulthood. 

This proves that these receptors are functionally active at all stages of human development. So in other words the receptor concentration in these parts of the brain increased progressively only as the human progressed and grew. We can clearly see how nature has accommodated small children by ensuring only progressive development of the highly evolved EC system. The most important finding was that the psychoactive effects of Cannabinoid treatment is virtually absent or extremely reduced in children (in controlled studies) and now we know that this is because of the lower concentrations of the actual receptors at younger ages.

Is Cannabis the Human Vaccination Plant?

It is my personal belief that Professor Fride’s work was leading towards revealing the truth that Cannabis can very well replace vaccinations in small children. This is a controversial topic especially as certain vaccinations are blamed for the probable cause of many neurological disorders manifesting in small children such as ADD (Attention deficit disorder), ADDH (Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity), epilepsy, autism and so many other related conditions. And the fact that Cannabis is already being investigated as potential healing solutions for most of these conditions is more evidence in the case of this plant taking on the absolute character of being our true human companion plant starting from the point of our conception. The truth is that when you vaccinate a child you not only activate the immune system you also turn on the brains’ immune system. The reality is through vaccination the immune reaction goes on for years, non-stop, resulting in an inflamed brain that will not calm down and this is what contributes to brain dysfunction in small children after being vaccinated.

It is also shocking to learn that most vaccinations contain MSG, mercury, aluminium, nagalase and other dangerous metals all which we know can cause serious neurological damage. And ii know of many Jewish and Muslim families who do not vaccinate because there is pig product in the gelatine used in vaccination drugs. It’s interesting when reading doctors’ reports where they use descriptions like ‘the patient’s brain was on fire’ and ii always wonder how do they know that this is what it feels like to have an inflamed brain?  The only reason they could know this is because trial tests were actually performed and they know that this is a side effect of these vaccinations explaining the strong connection between autism and vaccinations. The truth is that if we were to find natural cures for health issues this would result in less profits for the pharmaceutical and related industries. And sadly a lot of false evidence is presented to the medical field especially to child psychiatrists and paediatricians.

Scientists seem to have this type of power to guarantee the products of large corporations in exchange for financial rewards. The supporters of vaccinations simply state that they are safe without any evidence at all and we all just have to accept it without asking questions about safety. They make false statements that mercury is safe and increases the IQ, and we must just accept this as truth when in reality it is lies and the complete opposite is truth. So a lot of doctors are intentionally misled about the safety of some of these drugs which are actually toxic. But the minute people stand up and suggest that excessive vaccination can increase the risk of not only autism, but also schizophrenia and other neurodegenerative disorders then they are the ones screaming for evidence. 

And despite inundating them with thousands of studies they always proclaim that such studies are insufficient or unacceptable. Mostly they just ignore the evidence. Most of the evidence presented to governments include cell culture studies, mixed cell cultures, organotypic tissue studies, in vivo animal studies using multiple species and even human studies. So for the wardens of vaccine safety the evidence provided by the opponents is never accepted and probably never will be.

It is through Professor Fride’s work that we now know how Cannabis affects children from the unborn baby to postnatal development and beyond to adulthood and so ii would like doctors, nurses, parents, grandparents and caregivers to feel a little more comfortable in knowing that we are not harming our children and come closer to accepting that Cannabis is quite possibly a medicine intended to cure all childhood illnesses. It is because we all have natural dedicated Cannabinoid receptors regulating our nervous and immune systems throughout human life that ii am convinced that the Cannabis plant will also become known as The Human Vaccination Plant. 

Cannabis is a powerful pain killer and anti-inflammatory and this is the first plant property required by babies suffering the harsh side effects of vaccinations. In my research ii have seen thousands of babies benefit from the pain relief which Cannabis medicine can offer. Vaccinations undoubtedly set the immune system and the brain on fire and Cannabis medicine is exactly the type of relief moms need the next few nights after vaccination day. In Cannabis we have a natural medicine which helps to reduce, treat and manage any side effects which do result from vaccinations including autism, encephalitis, seizures, fever, anxiety, irritability, nausea, vomiting and all the other horrible things that are associated with vaccinations. They always say that more research is needed but the truth is that Cannabis is the most researched plant and there is by far more research on Cannabis medicine than there is available on any pharmaceutical drug. 

In a 1982 research study by Medical Assistant Katherine Tennes 756 pregnant moms were studied and 34% consumed Cannabis. This study found NO developmental difference in infants of moms who consumed Cannabis during pregnancy and breastfeeding. So Cannabis really has presented itself to be the most impressive immune stimulator specifically designed to work via our highly advanced receptor system. Oh! Did ii mention that Cannabis babies sleep much better? Happy baby happy mom!