Pediatrics & Autism: Cannabinoid Research Clinician Packet (Nationwide Edition)

A 14-page, doctor-facing review of the cannabinoid evidence in pediatrics and autism, from prescription cannabidiol for epilepsy to autism trials and chemotherapy nausea, with strong, balanced cautions on the adolescent brain and accidental ingestion.

Includes:

• Pediatric epilepsy: the Epidiolex label, the phase 3 trials, liver and sedation signals, and why store-bought CBD is different
• Autism spectrum disorder: the randomized trials and systematic reviews
• Chemotherapy nausea in children: Cochrane, the nabilone trial and label limits for minors
• Cautions: the adolescent brain (mood, psychosis, IQ, school, hemp-derived THC)
• Cautions: accidental ingestion by young children (poison center data, edibles, safe storage)
• Arizona in focus (minors in the card program, under-21 rules, child-resistant packaging), grandparents and older caregivers, and medicines to flag for pharmacist review
• A family-conversation checklist and a 50-state + DC program table (NCSL, October 2026)

Same clean format, 61 verified sources, same rules: no doses, no product recommendations, and nothing recommends cannabis for any child.

Education only. These guides are a research-navigation aid. They are not medical, legal or prescribing advice. They do not diagnose, prescribe, recommend products, set doses or titration, or give drug-interaction verdicts. Findings are summarized for orientation only. Read the original sources before relying on any of them. Clinical decisions remain with the treating clinician. Confirm all laws and program rules on official state sites. For use with licensed, state-regulated medical cannabis programs and FDA-approved drugs only.

Sources include FDA drug labels, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2017), Cochrane reviews, studies and poison center analyses indexed in PubMed, Poison Control, the Federal Register, Arizona statutes, rules and ADHS forms, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and official state program sites. This is an independent guide and is not endorsed by any cited source. Prepared by Annie Romelfanger, author of Medical Cannabis Handbook: A Friendly Guide to Safe, Simple Healing. Last reviewed: October 2026. Corrections: romelfanger@proton.me.