Autism and Cannabis

Autism Spectrum Disorder, commonly known as autism, is a heritable, genetic neurodevelopmental challenge that impacts about 1% of the world’s human population. This means there are somewhere around 80 million people with this condition. There is a huge gradient of expression of autism by individuals. This is where the phrase “being on the spectrum” comes from. The spectrum of behaviors related to autism ranges from quirky deficits in social skills and repetitive patterns of movements to extreme and dangerous presentations of anger, self-mutilation, uncontrolled hyperactivity, and other harmful activities.

Autism is a lifelong, unpreventable condition that needs to be accommodated because it can’t be cured. According to the National Autism Association, “the mortality risk among individuals with autism is twice as high as the general population, in large part due to drowning and other accidents.”

Healthcare professionals try to mitigate the negative aspects of harmful behaviors related to autism by nonpharmacological (no use of drugs) interventions such as behavioral therapy, speech and language therapy, and other cognitive awareness counseling methods.

When nonpharmacological interventions fail to mitigate the negative and harmful behaviors of a child with autism, doctors and parents often turn to pharmacological (use of drugs) interventions. People with autism are often prescribed psychotropic (mood altering) drugs that were originally intended to treat other mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. By some estimates, around half of the children in the US who are diagnosed with autism are prescribed one or more psychotropic drugs. The problem with using psychotropic drugs to mitigate behaviors related to autism is that their effectiveness is highly variable – sometimes they work, other times they don’t. Also, these psychotropic drugs often have highly negative side effects such as weight gain, and problems with kidney and liver functions.

About 40% of children with autism do not respond well to either nonpharmacological or pharmacological therapy. Parents and caregivers of people with autism are understandably desperate for resources that can mitigate the more extreme and harmful behaviors associated with autism.

In 2012, Dr. R. B. Khalil published a short paper where he posed the idea that cannabidiol, or CBD along with other chemicals from cannabis, might have the potential to mitigate extreme and dangerous behaviors related to autism. His theory was based on how CBD interacted with complex brain and nervous system chemistry.

During the past decade, there have been only nine research studies that examined whether CBD can mitigate the troubling behavioral effects of autism. The results of these studies, which were conducted in Austria, Brazil, England, Israel, and the United States, provide preliminary evidence that CBD can help mitigate the behavioral challenges of people with autism. Most of these studies showed that CBD can reduce the prevalence of autism symptoms such as hyperactivity, self-mutilation, pervasive aggressiveness, sleep disorders, and depression.

These nine studies show promise and potential for CBD to mitigate extreme and dangerous autism behaviors. However, this is a tiny body of research. All the studies were basically “before and after comparisons,” which is a weak and uncontrolled way to gain new knowledge. None of these nine studies used a clinical, controlled experimental approach like those required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to test the effectiveness of drugs and determine if a particular drug can be prescribed for a particular symptom or condition.

We have anecdotal evidence – studies based on small sample sizes or case studies involving a single person – that CBD can reduce extreme and harmful behaviors related to autism. What we don’t have is rigorous clinical evidence – studies based on controlled experiments that pass muster with agencies such as the FDA – that CBD can mitigate extreme and harmful behaviors related to autism. It will probably be decades before we have definitive data about the effects of CBD on people with autism.

Anecdotal evidence is, however, better than no evidence when it involves dealing with a challenge. This is especially true for the relationship between CBD and people with autism. Parents and caregivers of people with autism do not have the luxury of waiting decades for definitive data on how and why CBD can help with autism. The good news is that people who care for those with autism aren’t waiting for an FDA-level study on CBD.

Organizations such as Autism Parenting Magazine (autismparentingmagazine.com) provide practical information on using CBD oil to mitigate behaviors associated with autism. See, for example, the free publication “CBD Oil for Autism: Benefits and Usage Guide” on their website.

Unfortunately, there is not much information on the precise dosage of CBD oil for mitigating the effects of autism. Fortunately, an informed pediatrician can help guide a parent of a child with autism about how to start with CBD dosing and monitor how the child responds. Most experts think that you can’t overdose on CBD oil; however, some people claim that excess CBD dosing can result in nausea and diarrhea.

Therapy using CBD to mitigate the harmful and often dangerous activities expressed by people with autism is not a miracle cure nor a silver bullet for helping reduce harmful behaviors that are sometimes a function of this challenging neurological condition. There is no cure for autism. But, cannabis therapy may help people with autism and their caregivers cope with overwhelming circumstances. Cannabis may give people dealing with autism a glimmer of hope.

Lenny Brennan is a Rhode Island native who recently returned to the Ocean State after a 45-year career as a wildlife researcher and professor.