Breakthrough Studies Proving CBD’s Efficacy for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Breakthrough Studies Proving CBD’s Efficacy for Autism Spectrum Disorder

cbd for autism studies

Autism is such a tricky condition to treat, and these days conventional medicine still has not come up with one standard treatment.

There are many kinds and even a combination of treatments recommended for autism: some of these include behavioral management therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, joint attention therapy, physical therapy, speech-language therapy, and many more.

But by adding cannabidiol (CBD) to a treatment plan, patients have been able to enjoy tremendous benefits from the symptoms of this condition.

The latest study out of Brazil found that twice-daily use of cannabis-based CBD has resulted in significant improvements among adolescents with autism-spectrum disorder. The study, whose results were shared in the medical journal, Frontiers in Neurology, involved Brazilian researchers analyzing the impact of CBD-rich extracts containing 75:1 CBD:THC ratios among 15 patients.

The study took 6 months, and the participants’ ages ranged from 6-17 years. They also consumed between 50-100mg of CBD orally each day.

“Fourteen out of these 15 patients (93%) showed improvements equal to or above 30 percent in at least one symptom category. Most patients that adhered to the treatment had improvements in more than one symptom category: seven patients (47%) had improvements equal to or above 30 percent in four or more symptom categories; two patients (13%) presented improvements equal to or above 30 percent in two symptom categories, and five patients (33 percent) presented improvements equal to or above 30 percent in one symptom category,” report the authors.

The study concludes: “The findings presented here, taken together… indicate that CBD-enriched CE [cannabis extracts] yields positive effects in multiple autistic symptoms, without causing the typical side effects found in medicated ASD patients. Most patients in this study had improved symptoms even after supervised weaning of other neuropsychiatric drugs.”

Solid Scientific Proof

Earlier this year, another study from Israel this time, revealed similar findings. These are just among the latest of a growing body of evidence clearly proving how safe and effective CBD is for treating autism in both children and adults alike.

Israeli researchers administered plant-derived CBD extracts to 53 autism patients with a median age of 11 for at least one month. The extracts contained a 1:20 CBD:THC ratio, and the patients never used cannabinoid treatments before the study began.

They found that 75% of the patients reported “overall improvement” in their symptoms, particularly when it came to sleep, anxiety, and self-injury. “Children with ASD commonly have comorbid symptoms such as aggression, hyperactivity and anxiety. There is an increase in the use of cannabidiol in children with ASD. Based on parents’ reports, our findings suggest that cannabidiol may be effective in improving ASD comorbid symptoms,” conclude the researchers.

Another study from Israel, whose findings were released January 2019, revealed that cannabis-based CBD extracts are well-tolerated in patients with autism. The researchers analyzed both the safety and efficacy of the extracts which contained 1.5% THC and 30% CBD among 188 patients with autism.

The patients who continued the treatment for 6 months and gave feedback to the researchers revealed that 90% of them found improvements in various ASD symptoms including seizures, rage attacks, and restlessness. Meanwhile, around a third of the participants were able to reduce intake of pharmaceutical medications.

“Cannabis as a treatment for autism spectrum disorders patients appear to be well-tolerated, safe, and seemingly effective option to relieve symptoms, mainly: seizures, tics, depression, restlessness and rage attacks… We believe that double blind placebo-controlled trials are crucial for a better understanding of the cannabis effect on ASD patients.”

Safety Is Crucial

Considering that CBD has no major side effects on patients, this is particularly important when you factor in the extreme side effects of pharmaceutical medications. Doctors and clinicians are increasingly recommending drugs that can cause a wide array of unwanted side effects, such as weight gain.

And we aren’t talking about a few pounds. Most kids on autism medications are constantly hungry, even if it does help curb their ASD symptoms. In addition, kids with autism are more vulnerable to the side effects compared to adults. Aside from weight gain, other side effects of pharmaceutical autism medications include extreme irritability and anger, and causing issues when confronted by other people such as at school. This serious form of moodiness can have a severe impact that can haunt families for years to come, whereas CBD does not result in these same issues.