CBD Extract Autism Trial Results In Australia Are Encouraging
One of the most promising areas of cannabis research in recent years involves cannabidiol (CBD) and autism. A number of peer-reviewed studies have found that CBD can be an effective treatment for people diagnosed with autism, including children.
The topic of cannabis and children is unfortunately the target of significant stigma. To some degree, concern regarding cannabis and children is understandable given that some cannabinoids can yield psychoactive effects, however, CBD is not one of those.
Every suffering patient deserves to have safe access to effective forms of medicine, and that includes children and CBD if a medical professional and the children’s parents determine that CBD is part of a proper medication strategy. A recent study in Australia found promising results for CBD and children diagnosed with autism. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:
Melbourne, Australia: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show significant improvements in their symptoms following the use of plant-derived CBD dominant extracts, according to phase 1 trial results reported by Australian media.
Patients in the trial consumed extracts containing CBD and other non-THC phyto-cannabinoids twice daily for a period of at least two months. Researchers affiliated with the study said that patients experienced significant changes in communication and socialization skills, among other symptom improvements. Side-effects were minimal.
The findings are consistent with several other studies similarly reporting improvements in pediatric patients’ ASD symptoms following the use of cannabinoid products, particularly CBD-rich extracts. Survey data published in 2021 by Autism Parenting Magazine reported that 22 percent of US caregivers or parents have provided CBD to an autistic child. Survey data from the United Kingdom recently reported that autistic adults were nearly four times as likely as controls to report having used CBD within the past year.
Additional information on cannabis and ASD is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.