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Autism Treatment UK: Can Cannabis ‘treat’ autism?

Autism Treatment UK

Autism treatment in the UK is a hotbed for debate. Studies and anecdotes suggest that cannabis may have therapeutic effects on people living with autism, but there is not enough evidence to support this.

Autistic people’s brains develop differently from those of people without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Therefore, autistic people may act differently, interact differently, and learn differently than people without ASD.

Social interaction can be difficult when you have ASD due to a focus on, or desire for, repetitive patterns of behaviour. Among other things, ASD may delay language development, cause hyperactivity, and cause seizures.

People with ASD may consider medicinal cannabis if these symptoms affect their quality of life.

There is a lot of stigma around treating autism. Generally speaking, autism specialists do not believe there is a ‘cure’ for the disorder.

A person with autism may believe that there is no need for treatment or even management and that it is better to embrace their way of life and ignore societal norms.

Autism Treatment UK: Fighting the symptoms

Meanwhile, researchers continue to explore the therapeutic uses of cannabis. According to a 2018 review, there is conclusive evidence that cannabis can treat:

  • pain in adults
  • nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy
  • muscle spasms and tightness connected with multiple sclerosis
  • secondary sleep disturbances

While this review didn’t mention ASD, research conducted in 2019 analysed existing peer-reviewed literature regarding cannabis as a treatment for ASD. To better understand the risks and possible benefits, the team calls for large-scale studies.

Anecdotal accounts and other studies suggest that cannabis may benefit people with certain ASD symptoms. Another study from 2021 concluded that cannabis and its natural compounds, called cannabinoids, are effective alternative treatments for ASD symptoms.

Autism treatment UK

Cannabis is not a cure-all, but it's a start

In this specific review, the authors determined that cannabis products reduced a range of symptoms, such as:

  • hyperactivity
  • attacks of self-mutilation and anger
  • sleep problems
  • anxiety
  • restlessness
  • psychomotor agitation involves activity without purpose, such as pacing the room or tapping the toes
  • irritability
  • aggressiveness
  • depression

They also found evidence that cannabis may improve:

  • cognition
  • sensitivity of the senses
  • attention
  • social interaction
  • language

53 children with autism spectrum disorder who were 11 years old were studied in 2019 to see what effects cannabidiol (CBD) had on them. Nurse practitioners taught the parents how to administer oral CBD oil. The children received the treatment for an average of 66 days. 

The team found that almost 70% of the children who experienced seizures, aggressiveness, or irritability, demonstrated an improvement in this symptom.

Similarly, around 70% of the children who experienced hyperactivity also showed improvements. And of the 21 children with sleep problems, over 70% showed improvement. Almost half of the 17 children with anxiety demonstrated a reduction following CBD use.

Most researchers agree that drawing clear conclusions about the effects of cannabis on ASD requires large-scale, high-quality clinical trials.

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