Examining the Potential Of CBD Autism Treatment

The breadth of information regarding the potential medicinal use of cannabidiol, or CBD, seems to increase daily. Though the federal illegality of cannabis in the United States makes studying the diverse plant and its most prevalent compounds difficult, there are a number of studies from other countries like Israel that provide a glimpse into the plant’s potential medicinal uses. One study, published at the beginning of 2019, suggested that that CBD autism treatment in children may be successful. The study suggested that oral CBD use has the potential to help lessen some of the negative symptoms of autism in children.

How CBD Can Help Autistic Children

The study, which was conducted by a group of researchers in Israel, was licensed by the Israeli Ministry of Health. It consisted of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)  giving drops of cannabidiol to their children daily as instructed by a nurse practitioner. Bi-weekly interviews were conducted between parents, children, and nurses to monitor patient safety and program success.

During the study, 53 children between the ages of 4 and 22 received orally administered CBD oil from a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 588 days. At its conclusion, the results of the study were incredibly promising. According to the study’s authors, “Self-injury and rage attacks improved in 67.6% and worsened in 8.8% (of the participants), and hyperactivity symptoms improved in 68.4%, did not change in 28.9% and worsened in 2.6%.” Additionally, sleep problems were improved in 71.4% of the children and worsened in only 4.7%.

The remarkably promising results of the Israeli study are exciting for a number of reasons. The improvement of symptoms in a majority of children is the most eye-opening aspect of this study. However, this study is also important because CBD is a perfect treatment for children. It does not cause any psychoactive effects like THC does and has very few side effects. CBD is also only toxic at astronomically high doses.

Importance of Increasing Research Opportunities

While Israel has been a key country furthering research into the medicinal properties of cannabis, the United States has not always been. The Israeli study makes clear that there is a potential for CBD as a life-improving treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder. It is clearly important for the United States federal government to reclassify cannabis and allow its best medical and scientific minds to make solid conclusions about the efficacy of CBD autism treatment.

Lane is based in Southern California and is a content curator for Medical Marijuana 411. He spends his free time playing guitar and walking on the beach. He focuses his research into finding informative stories that can help medical marijuana patients better understand their diverse medicine.

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