Pediatric Medical Cannabis Cohort Shows High Parent Satisfaction Despite Limited Objective Improvement
A retrospective cohort of 142 pediatric medical cannabis patients found high parent satisfaction (73%) but objective improvements in only a subset, with epilepsy patients showing the most measurable benefit.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Parents reported satisfaction in 73% of cases. Epilepsy patients had the most objective improvement — 34% had >50% seizure reduction. For other conditions (autism, pain, spasticity), parent-reported benefit often exceeded measurable clinical improvement. 12% discontinued due to side effects. Most common adverse effects: sedation (18%), appetite changes (14%).
Key Numbers
142 pediatric patients; 73% parent satisfaction; 34% of epilepsy patients had >50% seizure reduction; 12% discontinued for side effects; 18% experienced sedation.
How They Did This
Retrospective chart review of 142 patients aged 0-18 years in a pediatric medical cannabis program. Assessed indication, product type, parent satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and adverse effects.
Why This Research Matters
Pediatric medical cannabis programs are growing, but evidence on real-world outcomes is scarce. The gap between parent satisfaction and objective improvement raises important questions about expectation effects versus genuine benefit.
The Bigger Picture
The discrepancy between high parent satisfaction and limited objective improvement is not unique to cannabis — it reflects broader challenges in pediatric symptom management where subjective and objective measures diverge.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Retrospective design. No control group. Parent satisfaction is subjective. Heterogeneous conditions and products. Single center. Objective outcome measures varied by condition.
Questions This Raises
- ?Is parent satisfaction a sufficient endpoint for pediatric medical cannabis programs?
- ?Should different evidence standards apply to different pediatric conditions?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Reasonable cohort size provides useful real-world data, but retrospective design and lack of controls limit causal conclusions.
- Study Age:
- 2025 retrospective cohort from a pediatric medical cannabis program.
- Original Title:
- Medical cannabis utilization in children - a study based on a nationwide cohort.
- Published In:
- Frontiers in pharmacology, 16, 1646560 (2025)
- Authors:
- Treves, Nir(3), Yakirevich-Amir, Noa(2), Allegaert, Karel, van den Anker, John N, Kohn, Elkana, Berlin, Maya, Hazan, Ariela, Davidson, Elyad, Berkovitch, Matitiahu, Bonne, Omer, Stolar, Orit E, Matok, Ilan
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07820
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does medical cannabis work for children?
Parent satisfaction was high (73%), but objective improvement varied by condition. Epilepsy patients showed the most measurable benefit, with 34% achieving >50% seizure reduction.
Is medical cannabis safe for children?
Sedation (18%) and appetite changes (14%) were the most common side effects. 12% discontinued due to side effects. Long-term safety data is still limited.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07820APA
Treves, Nir; Yakirevich-Amir, Noa; Allegaert, Karel; van den Anker, John N; Kohn, Elkana; Berlin, Maya; Hazan, Ariela; Davidson, Elyad; Berkovitch, Matitiahu; Bonne, Omer; Stolar, Orit E; Matok, Ilan. (2025). Medical cannabis utilization in children - a study based on a nationwide cohort.. Frontiers in pharmacology, 16, 1646560. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1646560
MLA
Treves, Nir, et al. "Medical cannabis utilization in children - a study based on a nationwide cohort.." Frontiers in pharmacology, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1646560
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Medical cannabis utilization in children - a study based on ..." RTHC-07820. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/treves-2025-medical-cannabis-utilization-in
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.