The systems medicine of cannabinoids in pediatrics: the case for more pediatric studies

Abstract

Introduction: The legal and illicit use of cannabinoid-containing products is accelerating worldwide and is accompanied by increasing abuse problems. Due to legal issues, the USA will be entering a period of rapidly expanding recreational use of cannabinoids without the benefit of needed basic or clinical research. Most clinical cannabinoid research is focused on adults. However, the pediatric population is particularly vulnerable since the central nervous system is still undergoing developmental changes and is potentially susceptible to cannabinoid-induced alterations.

Research design and methods: This review focuses on the systems medicine of cannabinoids with emphasis on the need for future studies to include pediatric populations and mother-infant dyads.

Results and conclusion: Systems medicine integrates omics-derived data with traditional clinical medicine with the long-term goal of optimizing individualized patient care and providing proactive medical advice. Omics refers to large-scale data sets primarily derived from genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics.

Keywords: Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Marijuana; Omics; Pediatrics; Review; Systems medicine.