Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40437694›Full record

SynthesisActa paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)2025

Cannabinoids for Medical Purposes in Children: A Living Systematic Review.

Manik Chhabra, Arun Paul, Omaymah Abulannaz, Mê-Linh Lê, Holly Mansell, Yaron Finkelstein, Richard J Huntsman, Lauren E Kelly

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Manik ChhabraDepartment of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8924-8242
Arun PaulDepartment of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Omaymah AbulannazDepartment of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Mê-Linh LêNeil John Maclean Health Sciences Library, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Holly MansellCollege of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
Yaron FinkelsteinDivisions of Emergency Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Richard J HuntsmanDivision of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Lauren E KellyDepartment of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

Funding

Canadian Cancer SocietyCIHR
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimWe 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.

methodsMEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to April 2023. Studies involving at least one child < 18 years who was administered plant-derived or pharmaceutical cannabinoids as an intervention or treatment for medical conditions were included.

resultsOf 37 189 identified citations, 276 studies were included: 84 interventional, 131 observational, 54 surveys, and 7 qualitative studies. Among interventional and observational studies, common indications for cannabinoids in children were refractory epilepsy (n = 146 studies, 188 726 participants), cancer and cancer symptoms (n = 30 studies, 208 753 participants), and autism spectrum disorder (n = 18 studies, 1285 participants). Common cannabinoids identified in interventional studies were purified cannabidiol (CBD) (78.6%, n = 66 studies, 5235 participants) with dose range of 2-50 mg/kg/day, tetrahydrocannabinol (6%, n = 5 studies, 148 participants) with dose range of 2.5-10 mg/day (max dose of tetrahydrocannabinol in nabiximols 32.4 mg) and nabilone (6%, n = 5 studies, 267 participants) with dose range of 0.5-2 mg/day. In randomised controlled trials, purified cannabidiol was reported to reduce seizure frequency ranging between 30% and 50%. Common adverse events (> 20% studies) in studies enrolling children were somnolence, diarrhoea, vomiting, and decreased appetite.

conclusionThese findings will continue to be updated to inform practice and reveal knowledge gaps for future research.

Indexed as

CannabinoidsAutism Spectrum DisorderChildHumansNeoplasmsCannabinoidsautism spectrum disordercannabidiolcannabinoidschemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomitingchildrenchronic pain; adverse eventsmedical cannabisrefractory epilepsy

Identifiers

PMID40437694
PMCPMC12336964

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.