The cannabis plant contains dozens of cannabinoids, with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) being arguably the most well-known cannabinoid. Another cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), has grown in popularity in recent years due to its wellness properties.
CBD is being successfully used to treat a number of conditions around the globe, from arthritis to epilepsy. Many medical cannabis products containing CBD are derived from hemp, which is legal in more jurisdictions than non-hemp forms of cannabis.
A team of researchers in Brazil recently conducted a study involving CBD therapies and adolescents with autism. Below are the results of the Brazilian study via a news release from NORML:
Brasilia, Brazil: The administration of CBD-rich cannabis extracts is safe and effective in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to data from an observational study published in the journal Pharmaceuticals.
Brazilian investigators assessed the use of CBD-dominant extracts (CBD to THC ratio: 33 to 1) in a cohort of 30 children (mean age: 11 years) with moderate to severe ASD. Participants consumed cannabis extracts for six-months. Subjects were clinically assessed by their designated physicians. At the end of the treatment period, semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the participants’ parents and caregivers.
Consistent with prior studies, most subjects (70 percent) demonstrated clinical improvements following CBD therapy – particularly with respect to attention and communication skills. Seventy-four percent of subjects either reduced or ceased their use of at least one prescribed medication during the study.
Two-thirds (67 percent) of parents reported improvements in their child’s behavior in six of the 12 categories assessed. No parents reported that their child’s symptoms worsened over the course of the study.
The study’s authors concluded: “In the present study, we show that the benefits of treatment with full-spectrum CBD oil for non-syndromic individuals with ASD are not only noticeable to the clinical eye but are also perceived and experienced by the families and caregivers. In short, the findings corroborate that this treatment, combined with a gradual and individualized dosage regimen, is safe and efficient for broader treatment of central and comorbid symptoms associated with ASD, being able to improve aspects such as social interaction, communication and quality of life.”
The study’s findings are consistent with those of placebo-controlled trial data showing improvements in ASD patients’ symptoms following the use of cannabinoid products. Observational studies have also shown that the use of cannabis can provide benefits in adults with autism.
Full text of the study, “Clinical and family implications of cannabidiol (CBD)-dominant full-spectrum phytocannabinoid extracts in children and adolescents with moderate to severe non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder (ASD): An observational study on neurobehavioral management,” appears in Pharmaceuticals. Additional information on cannabinoids and ASD is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.
This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated here with special permission.
Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash
