Ten-year-old Sadie Bohn has a brain disorder called Rett syndrome. Her mom, Stephanie Bohn, said she struggles with seizures, insomnia and anxiety.
About three years ago Sadie’s doctor recommended giving her a Cannabidiol or CBD tincture. CBD is derived from hemp plants. The tincture also contains trace amounts of THC — that’s the compound from cannabis plants that gives pot its high.
“Just a few weeks ago we celebrated her one year seizure-free (anni)versary and it was a remarkable milestone for her and for us. It allowed her to feel less afraid to leave the house to go to school,” Bohn said.
But Bohn is worried her daughter’s health may now be at risk. In September the state banned all hemp products containing any THC.
It can no longer be sold legally in California stores or purchased online from other states. Adults over 21 can still buy it at medical cannabis dispensaries.
Bohn said, she found something that worked for her daughter and now she can’t access it.
“It's not like, you show up and see what they have and any brand, any type will do. These are very specific types and brands and doses, and you cannot vary, especially when you're talking about pediatric population,” Bohn said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom initiated the ban because he said loopholes in the law have made it too easy for kids to access intoxicating products.
Since the U.S. legalized hemp in 2018, some have used the plant to create harmful synthetic THC called delta-8 . It is being added to edibles that anyone can buy. According to a study published in March by University of Southern California researchers, about 11% of 12th-grade students in the U.S. reported using delta-8-THC in the past year.
UC San Diego researcher Natasha Wade studies children who use CBD for health purposes including 700 kids in San Diego County. In her latest study, she found that nearly 3% of youth aged 11-15 have used commercial CBD products for medicinal or health-related purposes. Her research also shows THC is present in those CBD products.
“So even if the parents thought that they were giving just a pure CBD product to their kid, and that's all that those kids had ever used, 23% were still positive for THC,” Wade said.
Wade says her findings highlight the need for regulation of CBD. She says more research needs to be done to confirm hemp and THC do what sellers claim.
“The data has not panned out that it does all of those things, and we also have not had the ability to do the research. We need to see what it can actually effectively treat,” she said.
Bohn said, for her family, CBD has been life changing. She stockpiled tinctures when Newsom proposed the ban.
“Our life has almost restarted, and we can go on family adventures and not feel this kind of sense of panic. And that's because of CBD.”
The ban will last until March 2025.
