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Medical marijuana has been proven to be effective in treating some conditions in children, such as seizures and chemotherapy nausea symptoms. However, the researchers urge caution when administering it to such a young demographic.

The study was recently published in the Pediatrics journal. In total, the researchers took a detailed look at 22 relevant studies having to do with the use of medical marijuana on minors in order to come to their conclusion.

Specifically, out of the many chemical components it contains, they determined that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the most abundant cannabinoid the plant contains, improved the nausea and vomiting symptoms for young chemotherapy patients.

Cannabidiol (CBD) was determined to be another chemical of interest. Namely, the researchers determined it has an effect on seizures. Certain advocates of using marijuana in a medical setting have hailed the results of this research as additional proof of its effectiveness, especially in the cases where children haven’t responded well to other forms of traditional treatments.

Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, believes that cannabinoids can play a role in pediatric care, according to the results of these programs. This is especially true in cases when the doctors have to treat life-threatening seizures, and medical marijuana allows them to do so in a manner that is safer and more effective than what the conventional methods allow for.

Still, the question remains: is administering medical marijuana to kids and adolescents a good practice?

Even though the results of the study definitely look promising, it should be noted that the treatment is not effective in all cases, at least when it comes to treating other conditions the younger patients are suffering from.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a correlation between using medical marijuana for the purposes of treating PTSD, neuropathic pain, or Tourette’s syndrome in young patients. Furthermore, other health organizations have issued a warning that using medical marijuana on this age group represents several health-related risks.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warned that doing this may introduce certain complications like depression, a weakened motor skill control, mental health issues, and a worse performing memory function.

According to Dr. Shane Shucheng Wong from Harvard’s department of psychiatry and a lead study author, children who keep using recreational marijuana, experience a negative effect on memory, learning, and attention. Furthermore, their problem-solving ability is negatively affected as well. This is especially true for using high-potency cannabis over long periods of time.

Therefore, using the correct dosage of medical marijuana is of utmost importance when it comes to younger patients.

The FDA currently only approves the following two synthesized cannabinoids as medications: nabilone and dronabilone, with both of them used to treat the vomiting and nausea symptoms in children as well as adults.

Dr. Wong said the academy recognizes them as an option for treating debilitating conditions, which includes treating the symptoms of epilepsy conditions.

Another arising challenge is the varying potency and chemical makeup of these products, which makes it that much more challenging to find the dosing suitable for young patients.

Also, depending on the state your kids are being treated in, a signed consent form from a legal guardian (plus the physician) may be required in order to start the treatment.

Even though the classical cigarettes are often associated with giving you a certain sex appeal, when it comes to raising one’s libido, the weed may actually take the crown.

On Friday, the Journal of Sexual Medicine published a study that suggest that people who smoke more weed are more sexually active than those who smoke less of it or none at all. However, it’s still unknown whether this is the cause or the effect.

The findings are based on the survey data of 50,000 participants between the years of 2002 and 2015. According to Dr. Michael Eisenberg, the study’s author and a urologist at Stanford University Medical Center, they reported the frequency of their smoking habits, classifying it as daily, weekly, or monthly. Apart from that, the survey also asked them how often they’ve had sex last month.

Put in concrete terms, those who smoke marijuana, compared to non-smokers, had roughly 20% more sex. Female marijuana smokers had sex 7.1 times a month on average, while the male ones averaged at 6.9. Female non-smokers engaged in sexual activities 6 times a month on average, while the male ones had a monthly average of 5.6 times.

The researchers considered other factors such as alcohol consumption, age, religion, having kids, but the pattern remained the same no matter what group they chose to analyze.

On the other hand, other experts claim that marijuana may not be directly responsible for a heightened sex drive. Mitch Earleywine, a psychologist working at the University at Albany, seems to believe that certain personality types are more inclined towards looking for a thrill or trying out new things. In other words, weed smokers may have certain character traits that make them lustier than non-smokers.

Eisenberg acknowledges the possibility of this being connected to weed directly, arguing it makes individuals more interested in sex. Mentioning another study, he noted that by injecting cannabinoid into the rats, they were able to induce sexual behavior in them.

A study from 2012 made the link between women watching erotic films and a heightened sexual arousal when they had cannabinoids in their system. However, this may be due to heightened sensory experiences overall that are associated with that state.

Whatever the case may be, Eisenberg made a point that, unlike tobacco that is known to depress libido and performance, marijuana certainly doesn’t decrease one’s sex drive.

Overall, there is a lot of conflicting views regarding this issue in the world of science. Dr. Rany Shamloul, an Ottawa Hospital researcher, noted it may be harder to get an erection while under the influence of marijuana. Even though the brain’s sexual arousal frequency may become increased because of it, the erectile function in the male reproductive organ might get decreased.

Another thing that may play a role in cannabis‘ potential as a love enabler is dry mouth, a side effect of frequent usage, and it may not be the only thing that gets dry as a result of it. Ironically, certain lubricants contain THC or cannabinoids.