Pubdate: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser (HI) Copyright: 2015 Associated Press Contact: http://www.staradvertiser.com/info/Star-Advertiser_Letter_to_the_Editor.html Website: http://www.staradvertiser.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5154 GROUP OKS MEDICAL POT FOR SICK KIDS AS LAST RESORT (AP) - With virtually no hard proof that medical marijuana benefits sick children, and evidence that it could harm developing brains, the drug should only be used for severely ill kids who have no other treatment option, the nation's most influential pediatricians group says in a new policy. Some parents insist medical marijuana has cured their kids' troublesome seizures or led to other improvements, but the American Academy of Pediatrics' new policy says rigorous research is needed to verify those claims. The academy's qualified support might lead more pediatricians to prescribe medical marijuana, but the group says pediatric use should only be considered "for children with life-limiting or severely debilitating conditions and for whom current therapies are inadequate." The academy also repeated its previous advice against legalizing marijuana for recreational use by adults. Studies have linked recreational marijuana use in kids with ill effects on health and brain development, including problems with memory, concentration, attention, judgment and reaction time, the group's policy emphasizes. The policy was published online Monday in Pediatrics. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom