CHAPTER 6 ~

CANNABIS AND SMALL CHILDREN

This chapter covers the following sections:

v  The importance of the work of Professor Ester Fride in paediatrics.

v  The effect of THC on small children.

v  Cannabis as a natural vaccination for 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 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. I have noticed that little children are much better at dealing with suffering, and I 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, continuing throughout pregnancy and beyond to ensure overall optimal health of the living human being. [89] (Meccariello et al 2014)

Professor Ester Fride Ph.D. passed away on 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 Raphael 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 my opinion, Professor Ester Fride died mysteriously in her search for the truth of how Cannabis can heal small children, and I would love to dedicate this chapter to the honour of her paediatric Cannabis work. Because to me it seems very odd that such a young women who was a known athlete and who most certainly knew the health benefits of Cannabis medicine would perish so young due to lung cancer.

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 in which she released research that 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 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 in adults and children with Cannabis medicine because the research results are so successful.  [90]  (Fride, 2004 )

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. 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 mother’s breast, a new-born human is already experiencing an activation of its EC system. This 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, is attributed to an under-developed EC system.

Once the baby starts suckling, the Anandamide and 2-AG from the maternal milk automatically increase these levels in the brain and this stimulates feeding. Professor Ester’s theory proves that blockages of Cannabinoid receptors contribute to infant failure to thrive 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 practice.

Every day we hear miraculous stories of what Cannabis can do for children, especially in respect of many types of cancers, as well as, for example, epilepsy and autism. It was Professor Fride’s studies that revealed that our natural THC, Anandamide, displayed a neuro-protective role in 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 the end of life THC is required to ensure healthy human brain development. 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 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. There are 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. [91] (Abrahamov et al 1995)

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.  [92]  (Fride et al 2009)

Over the past twenty years we have seen excellent clinical results from Cannabis treatment in small children and young adults, especially in paediatric oncology cases, and where children have been suffering from 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 is 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 of Cannabinoids in human brain development. [93] (Mechoulam et al 1996) To my mind this natural paediatric expression of the human EC system is clearly and 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 studies where 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 are 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.

Can Cannabis replace vaccines?

It is my 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 a lot of other related conditions. Cannabis is already being investigated as a potential healing solution for most of these conditions, and this is more evidence of Cannabis taking on the absolute character of being our true human companion plant, starting from the point of our conception. Human beings need Cannabis even before they are born.

The truth is that when you vaccinate a child you not only activate the immune system, but you also turn on the brains’ immune system. 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. [94] (Mercola.com) In the old days and still to this day, many traditional people continue to put their babies into a bath of water filled with various herbs as the traditional way of vaccinating children.

We know that some vaccinations contain MSG, mercury, aluminium, nagalase and other dangerous metals all which we know can cause serious neurological damage. [95] (BBC News 2018) Another truth is that, if we were to find natural cures for health issues, the pharmaceutical companies would lose a lot of money. Vaccinations undoubtedly set the immune system and brain on fire, and Cannabis medicine is exactly the type of relief moms need the few nights after vaccination day.

In Cannabis, we have a natural medicine that helps to reduce, treat and manage any side-effects that do result from vaccinations, including autism, encephalitis, seizures, fever, anxiety, irritability, nausea, vomiting and all the other negative things that are associated with vaccinations. [96] (Baker MD PhD 2007)

It is through Professor Fride’s work that we know how Cannabis affects children, from the unborn baby to postnatal development and beyond to adulthood. I would really like doctors, nurses, parents, grandparents and caregivers to feel a little more comfortable in knowing that we are not harming our children, and to 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 all of our physiological systems throughout human life, that I am convinced that Cannabis will eventually 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 I have seen thousands of babies benefit from the pain relief that Cannabis medicine can offer. Cannabis is the most researched plant medicine, and there is far more research on Cannabis medicine than there is available on any pharmaceutical drug. Cannabis has presented itself to be the most impressive immune stimulator designed to work via our highly advanced receptor system. In the future I would love to see people thanking Cannabis for their good night of sleep and parents of sick children will rejoice. Oh! Did I mention that Cannabis babies sleep much better? Happy baby happy mom!