A recent study has found that CBD-rich cannabis extract could be effective at managing behavioral problems associated with autism in adolescents.
In addition, the study states, “this treatment could be effective in managing the core symptoms of autism and cognitive functions” with “no significant side effects”.
Autism is a lifelong disability that affects how people communicate with others and their environment.
It’s estimated by the National Autistic Society that 1 in 100 people are on the autistic spectrum, with over 700,000 adults and children in the UK living with the condition.
The study
Researchers examined 33 adolescent patients over a two-year period. The patients had previously been diagnosed with mild to severe autism.
They were given an average daily dose of 0.7mg CBD over a median treatment duration of 6.5 months (3-28 months).
Researchers used full-spectrum cannabis extract which had less than 3% THC, with the ratio of CBD to THC being 20:1.
What they found
According to the children’s parents, there were improvements in cognition for the patients who continued to take the CBD-dominant cannabis for the full two-year period.
Only 6 (19.35%) patients reported no change at all.
These are the main findings that were reported by patients from the study:
- An increase in expressive language was reported by 7 patients (22.5%)
- An improvement in cognition was reported by 4 patients (12.9%)
- An increase in social interaction was reported by 3 patients (9.6%)
- A decrease in stereotypes was reported by 1 patient (3.2%)
- A decrease in behavioral problems was reported by 10 patients (32.2%)
Authors from the study also reported that, “The popularity of CBD-enriched cannabis for the treatment of autism is increasing. Scoping reviews were done to achieve a broad and thorough examination of the literature in this area.”
