Two Children Used Cannabis-Based Medicine for Tourette Syndrome for Five to Six Years
Two adolescents with treatment-resistant Tourette syndrome used cannabis-based medicine for five and six years respectively, with this being among the first long-term pediatric reports.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Long-term cannabis-based medicine use in two children with Tourette syndrome starting at ages 8 and 12 provided sustained benefit, representing rare pediatric long-term follow-up data.
Key Numbers
2 patients followed for 5 and 6 years respectively, starting cannabis-based medicine at ages 8 and 12.
How They Did This
Case report following two male adolescents with treatment-resistant Tourette syndrome over five and six years of cannabis-based medicine use, initiated at ages 8 and 12.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis-based medicine is recommended for treatment-resistant adult Tourette syndrome, but virtually no long-term data exists for children. These cases help fill a critical evidence gap for pediatric use.
The Bigger Picture
Pediatric use of cannabis-based medicines remains controversial due to concerns about developing brains. Long-term case data, while limited, helps clinicians and families weigh risks and benefits when conventional treatments fail.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Only two patients — cannot generalize. Case reports lack controls and are subject to bias. Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes would require larger, controlled studies.
Questions This Raises
- ?What are the long-term neurodevelopmental effects of cannabis-based medicine initiated in childhood?
- ?Could controlled pediatric trials be ethically designed for treatment-resistant cases?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Case report of only two patients — valuable for hypothesis generation and clinical awareness but cannot establish efficacy or safety.
- Study Age:
- Recent case report addressing a significant gap in long-term pediatric cannabis medicine data.
- Original Title:
- Long-term use of cannabis-based medicines in two children with Tourette syndrome: a case report.
- Published In:
- Frontiers in psychiatry, 16, 1647969 (2025)
- Authors:
- Woerner, Lara-Katharina, Szejko, Natalia(8), Fremer, Carolin(7), Schmitt, Simon, Müller Vahl, Kirsten R
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07960
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cannabis-based medicine approved for children with Tourette syndrome?
Not formally approved for pediatric use in most jurisdictions. It's sometimes used off-label in treatment-resistant cases when conventional medications have failed.
Were there any adverse effects reported?
The case report covers long-term follow-up; specific adverse effects would be detailed in the full text. Long-term safety in developing brains remains a key concern.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07960APA
Woerner, Lara-Katharina; Szejko, Natalia; Fremer, Carolin; Schmitt, Simon; Müller Vahl, Kirsten R. (2025). Long-term use of cannabis-based medicines in two children with Tourette syndrome: a case report.. Frontiers in psychiatry, 16, 1647969. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1647969
MLA
Woerner, Lara-Katharina, et al. "Long-term use of cannabis-based medicines in two children with Tourette syndrome: a case report.." Frontiers in psychiatry, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1647969
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Long-term use of cannabis-based medicines in two children wi..." RTHC-07960. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/woerner-2025-longterm-use-of-cannabisbased
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.