Aran, A., Cassuto, H., Lubotzky, A. et al. (2019). Brief Report: Cannabidiol-Rich Cannabis in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Severe Behavioral Problems—A Retrospective Feasibility Study. J Autism Dev Disord 49, 1284–1288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3808-2.
Rationale: About 40% of children with autism spectrum disorder are not helped by standard treatments. (Adler, 2015) Some people claim that cannabis can help those on the autism spectrum, but there is little evidence to support this contention.
Method: Researchers conducted a study of 60 children diagnosed with ASD, most of whom had severe behavioral difficulties. Patients were prescribed medical cannabis that contained a 20:1 CBD to THC ratio treatment for 7-13 months before assessment. Researchers tracked autism symptoms and experiences using several validated questionnaires.
Results: The results of this study were mixed. Some parents reported improvements in their children’s symptoms, others reported no changes, and others reported worsening symptoms. About 27% of parents took their children off of the drug because they didn’t think it was working or their children exhibited side effects such as increased irritability.
Meaning: The results of this study assessing the effect of predominantly cannabidiol on autism spectrum disorder were inconclusive. While some children seemed to improve, the results were not consistent, and there was a fairly high incidence of adverse side effects.