Updated on August 24th, 2023
Increasing numbers of parents are discovering the efficiency of CBD for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is the most common mental disorder in children. It is closely related to ADD, and diagnoses are increasing substantially.
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) the number of ADHD diagnoses has risen dramatically since 2003, up 43% by 2011. The increase was especially sharp amongst girls.
Approximately 11% of children between the ages of 4 and 17 have ADHD, but only 4.4% of adults have the condition. There are three times more boys with ADHD and ADD than girls. ADHD patients have difficulty controlling their impulses and are hyperactive. These children often have an altered activity level and lack of concentration that interferes with functioning and development.
According to Dr. Russell Barkley, parents of children with ADHD are three times more likely to separate or divorce than parents of children without it.
About 17.5% of diagnosed children receive neither medication nor mental health counseling. Although scientists have not been able to determine the root cause of ADD/ADHD affirmatively, they established some contributing factors:
- Genes – 40% of ADHD children have at least one parent with ADHD.
- Use of alcohol, tobacco, and/or narcotics during pregnancy
- Exposure to environmental toxins in the womb and at a young age
- Brain injuries
- Low birth weight
Full-spectrum CBD for preventing and reversing ADD/ADHD
There has been little scientific research on ADHD and ADD concerning cannabis and CBD. Most of the studies are related to THC and focus on ADHD symptoms that THC can cause in children/people without this diagnosis.
Scientists partly researched this effect in a 2007 study. Statistically, people with ADHD cause more car accidents. In the study, scientists discovered that subjects who showed abnormal driving behavior due to ADHD when sober showed average and above-average results related to driving after having taken THC. This is the opposite of how THC affects the driving ability of people without an ADHD diagnosis.
There is very little research on cannabidiol (CBD) concerning attention deficit disorders. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that CBD is better for the treatment of ADHD and ADD than THC. Some of the properties of cannabidiol are nerve restoration and CBD pain relief, CBD anxiety relief, relief of inflammation, and nausea.
Most of the regular ‘big pharma’ medications that doctors prescribe for ADD/ADHD are powerful (and very unhealthy) stimulants, such as amphetamine salts with severe side effects like:
- Decreased appetite / weight loss
- Sleep problems / insomnia
- Headaches
- Personality changes
- Irritability
- Social withdrawal
- Stomach aches
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Jitteriness
- Dizziness
Long-Term Side Effects:
- Severe weight loss / malnutrition
- Serious heart and blood pressure problems
- Irregular heartbeat
- ADDICTION
The rate of substance and alcohol abuse in teenagers and young adults who had ADHD as a child is much higher than with those that didn’t have the condition (and the addiction inducing treatment), according to webMD.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) says lack of dopamine is the cause of ADD/ADHD, and other sources have clinically proved that CBD promotes the production of dopamine naturally. The anecdotal success is, therefore, supported by scientific evidence.
Dr. David Bearman, M.D., explains that many patients have told him that school and university results greatly improved due to medical marijuana (CBD rich) as they could concentrate a lot better. CBD for workouts also helps sportspeople and athletes, both during and after exercise.
The only thing left to find out is what the best CBD oil for focus is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm-uL77evsA
According to Dr. David Bearman, M.D. “ADD/ADHD patients make very good CEO’s and entrepreneurs, and they are very creative”, quoting a NewsWeek article.
Clinical studies
A study carried out in 2013 amongst 2811 self-medicating CBD users indicates that CBD has helped manage impulsive and hyperactive behaviors.
A German study in 2015 amongst 30 participants showed that 22 of the 30 participants would prefer medical cannabis over pharmaceutical medication and were even ready to discontinue their prescribed medicine. The majority experienced reduced impulsivity and improved concentration and sleep.
In a 2017 study, 30 adults that were unresponsive to regular medication used cannabis. Sleep, concentration, and impulse control improved. The study concluded it could provide preliminary evidence supporting the self-medication theory of marijuana in ADHD patients.
CBD Oil Dosage for ADHD / ADD
ADD/ADHD studies also show that CBD has better results in combination with small quantities of THC. You can avoid any psychotropic effects due to the small amounts of THC and other health-promoting cannabinoids.
Full-spectrum CBD (cannabidiol) is therefore ideal, as, besides CBD, it contains tiny amounts of several other cannabinoids, contributing to the overall CBD health benefits.
Unlike many pharmaceutical drugs, cannabidiol cannot be overdosed and has virtually no side effects. However, why take too much if it is not necessary? We recommend establishing the minimum amount your body needs to get the desired results.
As with many diseases or disorders, ADD/ADHD symptoms can range from mild to severe. This means that you need to adjust the CBD dosing to the severity of the disease. Mild cases usually see good results after three weeks of taking 40 mg per day, while patients with severe ADD/ADHD have reported the need to take more than 100 mg per day.
Unlike cannabis oil dosing for CBD cancer treatment, there is no need to follow a strict roadmap to avoid strong cognitive impairing effects as CBD is not impairing, and you cannot overdose. A common question is “how to take CBD oil?”.
CBD oil can be taken in different ways, e.g., sublingual dropping (under the tongue) or mixing with food. You can use both of these methods for children.
It is best to split the daily dosing into two or three intakes a day and reduce the amount after three weeks if the symptoms have significantly reduced or vanished altogether. If you see only mediocre results after three weeks, consider increasing the dosing and continue for another three weeks.
In most cases, the maintenance dosing is enough to keep the symptoms at bay and lead a healthy life is 20 – 25 mg per day. Kids love gummies, and we have searched the market for the best CBD gummies out there.
So if your kid doesn’t like the taste of CBD oil or has an aversion to taking medicine, you’ll see that they will soon start reminding you that it is time for their daily CBD gummies.
There are many other CBD products for Kids, like drinks, for example. CBD white label drink mix offers shops and businesses the opportunity to put their own label on CBD products.
Once you have figured out how many milligrams CBD to take and have ordered your CBD bottle, it can still be a challenge to determine how many drops you must take. We have created a CBD percentage to mg calculator to help you.
Success Stories of ADD / ADHD Patients
We have carefully collected CBD testimonials for this particular condition to serve as proof and inspiration to others. Do not hesitate to record your own experience and share it with us so we can add it to this list and help thousands more patients.
Eye-opening Documentaries about ADHD
Overview of Scientific Studies and Reports
If you are interested in the medical proof and not scared of reading through some professional medical jargon, check out the studies below.
Scientific Research Studies on ADHD and ADD
- 2007 – Fitness to drive in spite (because) of THC
- 2010 – Oral delta 9-THC improved refractory Gilles de la Tourette syndrome in an adolescent by increasing intracortical inhibition
- 2012 – CBD and clozapine reverse MK-801-induced deficits in social interaction and hyperactivity in Sprague-Dawley rats
- 2013 – A Brain on Cannabinoids: The Role of Dopamine Release in Reward Seeking
- 2013 – Subtypes of ADHD and cannabis use
- 2014 – Childhood and current ADHD symptom dimensions are associated with more severe cannabis outcomes in college students
- 2014 – Searching for a Neurobiological Basis for Self-Medication Theory in ADHD Comorbid With Substance Use Disorders
- 2015 – German study on 30 patients unresponsive to Adderall or Ritalin using medical cannabis
- 2016 – A Qualitative Analysis of Online Forum Discussions on Cannabis Use and ADHD
- 2016 – Cannabidiol Counteracts Amphetamine-Induced Neuronal and Behavioral Sensitization of the Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway through a Novel mTOR/p70S6 Kinase Signaling Pathway
- 2017 – Cannabinoids in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A randomised-controlled trial.
Best CBD for ADD/ADHD
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the gummies you gave the link to are much cheaper than the full-spectrum oil I purchase (for the same dosage). I am skeptical, would these gummies really work just as well?
Hi, I do not recall which gummy link I gave, but I did point out in several ADHD comments to other people that we do not offer full-spectrum gummies on our website and that I am doubtful that such gummies exist. Maybe some company markets their gummies as full spectrum but they might turn out to be only pure CBD or something like that.
We therefore always recommend full-spectrum CBD oil like CBDPure 600 (https://idweeds.net/cbdpure-sb). Also for kids, sublingual administration of CBD oil drops is the best solution. So you are right to be skeptical about CBD gummies.
Please share with us the progress and results of the treatment as other people will benefit from it too.
Hi,
My son was diagnosed with mild ADD and I wanted to know what would be the best dosage/product to start with. He is 13 years old and weighs 105 lbs. He has a hard time remembering things and focusing in school. I want to try CBD before I try the pharmaceutical medications, but need some suggestions on how to get started, thank you in advance.
Hi, you made a wise choice to stay away from the pharmaceuticals. Start with 40 mg CBD a day, divided into 3 dosages of 13 mg, three times a day. Monitor the improvements and ask him about it. He should feel well, especially in the 2nd and 3rd week. After a few weeks, you can try if a higher dosage further improves symptoms. If so, stay on the higher dosage, if not go back to the 40 mg per day. We recommend a high-quality full-spectrum oil like CBDPure 600 (https://idweeds.net/cbdpure-sb).
Please share with us his progress and results, as other people will benefit from it too.
I have started my son on CBD. It has very low thc under 3% and is a lemon flavored coconut oil based drops.
He weighs 90 lbs and is 11 years old. He is diagnosed with aspergers ,(very mild form)
Add, and some mild anxiety. Ive been giving him 5 drops 3 times a day . I have no idea if that is correct or not. I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer. His greatest struggle is with his attention issues. Thank you
Hi Jane, Is it a full spectrum CBD oil you have? Than the THC content probably is 0.3%, which is the legal limit. Please check this, because 3% is too much for an 11-year-old boy. What brand are you using? In order to answer your question, I would need some additional info on the CBD content of the oil you have. What is the bottle size? What is the total percentage CBD or total milligrams CBD? (different brands indicate this differently). Please let me know this information because at this point I do not know how much CBD he is getting with 15 drops a day.
Holy shit that’s alot lol
I would like to start my son on cbd oil for his severe ADD/ADHD. He has gotten kicked out of school several times this year and the school year just started. He has been on 2 different medications and they did not work. What mg would be best for my son hes only 5 years old. And weighs 38 pounds. Please help!! Hes alot to handle but I manage I would just like to help him. I dont want him taking medications for the rest of his life..
Hi Sasha, You are right about the meds. If they are working or not working is even less important than their side-effects. Look up the side effects for the meds he was using (https://www.drugs.com/condition/attention-deficit-disorder.html). CBD should help him. You just need to find the right dosage level for him. You cannot overdose CBD, so don’t be afraid to try different dosage levels.
People with similar children and rather severe symptoms have started with 20mg CBD per day in two or three takings. They start low and work their way up. After 4 days monitoring increase unless his symptoms have normalized. The amount you increase depends on how the 20mg worked for him. If you see only mild improvements, increase by 10mg daily, If you see moderate improvement increase by 5mg. Monitor again for 4 days and increase if necessary according to the same principle. A full-spectrum oil like CBDPure 600 is recommended.
All the best and please share with us his progress and results, as well as dosage level that works for him.
Hello-
My 19 year old daughter was diagnosed with ADD when she was 13 years old. We chose not to medicate and she managed her symptoms well through high school, etc. Fast forward to now, she started driving later than her peers – the thoughts of having to drive gave her anxiety. Now she is driving, but she has days when she refuses to get behind the wheel because she says she feels foggy and can’t concentrate. We thought that maybe CBD oil can help her with that but we don’t know which one to get. My husbad got her Care By Design 18:1 CBD oil and we gave her 4 drops (.38 mg /drop of CBD and .02 THC/ drop) but it made her very tired. Is there another, better CBD oil that we can get for her that won’t make her tired, but will help with brain fogginess? She says she isn’t anxious anymore.. But she cannot concentrate and is very distracted most of the time. Thank you for taking the time to help me with this.
I am interested in starting my son on a CBD regiment. First of all I need guidance as to where I can find the “full spectrum” CBD in the gummies. I looked at the products listed here but do not see if they are full spectrum or not. Also, I have no idea what to dose him, from what I am reading the lowest is a good start which would be 25mg per gummie. He is on 15mg of adderrol daily now so I’m not sure how that equates if at all. My other concern is school, if he has to take s second dose during the day I honestly do not know if they would administer this or not. I would appreciate any help you can give me.
Best
Ariel
Hi Ariel, How old is your son? The Extreme Strength worms and gummies do have tiny amounts of CBN and CBDV, but no THC in them. But they are strong and you would have to cut them into pieces. None of the other gummies we market have THC in them either.
You could also consider gel-caps, like CBDPure: https://idweeds.net/cbdpure-softgels-750mg. They are full-spectrum and of excellent quality.
The best thing you can do is start with half a gummy before school and half a gummy after school and monitor the results for at least 4 days. If the improvements are not enough then give one whole gummy before, and one after school. This avoids your concerns of school having to give him CBD. Besides that, Full-Spectrum CBD is perfectly legal in every state. I wouldn’t worry about it. Many kids take their CBD at school. This happens more and more.
Please share with us your sons’ progress and results. It will help other people around the world as well.
Thank you so much for getting back to me. My son is nine and a half, he has been on adderrol for almost 2 years. He was a preemie by 10 weeks so they had warned us we may see long term effects from that and this could be one. He is so bright and beautiful and sweet, it hurts me to see him feel out of place all the time.
I think we want to definitely try this. To clarify, the gummies recommended on your site are full spectrum? I read that is best for ADHD. Thank you again, and have a wonderful day!
Best
Hi Ariel, You are welcome. Basically, none of the gummies on our website are full-spectrum. Gummies are typical with isolated CBD, so you’ll probably have a hard time finding full-spectrum CBD gummies. And if you find gummies that are called full-spectrum, chances are that they are no where near as effective as the CBDPure 600 that we often recommend (because of extremely low concentrations of the other cannabinoids). Therefore it is better to reconsider giving him gummies. There are plenty of other ways of giving your son the CBD. Often parents bake brownies and insert CBD oil, like CBDPure 600, in them (https://idweeds.net/cbdpure-600mg). You can also take a teaspoon with honey and drop the oil on it. The honey will camouflage the taste. If he likes salad, add the drops as a dressing. But as he is already a big boy of 9 he could also take them sublingually, I’m sure. He will hardly feel the taste if he keeps the drops under his tongue, with his mouth closed and without talking or moving the saliva around. And after at least a minute, immediately after swallowing he should drink a glass of water. The sublingual method (last mentioned) has the advantage that a good part of the CBD is directly absorbed by his blood through the mouth glands. This gives a quicker effect than oral intake (which can take up to 4 hours before he feels it). The absorption rate is also better. The CBD should have a good effect on him, calming him down and improving his focus/concentration.
All the best and please let us know how it goes, what intake method you decided to use and how your son is coping taking it, his dosing, progress, and result. It will be interesting for other parents all over the world.
Beautiful. He will live this so much! I am very excited to start. I will keep you posted on our progress. Thank you so much again!
Best
Ariel