Become A Featured Company

Cannabis, CBD Oil, and Autism: What Do We Know So Far?

Kelly Weimert

June 22nd, 2017

Policy, Top News

boy drawing

With medical marijuana becoming increasingly legal and accessible across the United States, more and more research is being done to learn its potential benefits when it comes to treatment for myriad illnesses and disorders.

Prominent among the disorders being looked at are Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). ASD are brain-based disorders that pose social-communication challenges as well as restricted repetitive behaviors, activities, and interests of people afflicted. Recently, researchers have been studying cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) oil, and how they might relieve some challenges for those with autism, and the results are promising.

While there are no verified clinical studies on the relationship between cannabis and autism yet, there is growing anecdotal evidence from both parents and healthcare providers as to its effectiveness in relieving autistic symptoms.

However, because there aren’t any clinical studies to reference as of now, doctors are hesitant to prescribe cannabis as a treatment option for autism. And given United States authorities’ strict regulations around clinical trials, with some waiting for many years for their trial to be approved, getting the necessary data is difficult.

Still, despite these research limitations, there do exist a multitude of studies that suggest cannabis and CBD as a helpful course of treatment for folks with autism.

Evidence Supporting CBDs for Autism

This is some of what we know so far based on anecdotal evidence.

Dr. Giovanni Martinez, a clinical psychologist based in Puerto Rico, began treating a child with autism so severe he couldn’t speak. After three weeks of treatment that involved the child spraying small doses of CBD oil into his mouth twice daily, he spoke his first words. His mother reported that once his communication improved so, too, did his irritable outbursts, which is likely a result of reduced frustration over trying to communicate his needs.

Moreover, a 2013 study conducted by Dr. Siniscalco suggests that compounds found in cannabis can help with treatment due to CB2 receptors being a therapeutic target for pharmacological management of care for autism.

Another study published in 2013 led Dr. Csaba Foldy found, “endocannabinoids are molecules that are critical regulators of normal neuron activity and are important for many brain functions. By conducting studies in mice, we found that neuroliginb-3, a protein that is mutated in some individuals with autism, is important for relaying signals that tone down communication between neurons.”

Additionally, there’s an increasing amount of evidence suggesting cannabis and CBD oil as effective treatment options for epilepsy. And because there are medical and biological parallels between epilepsy and autism, it’s led many professionals to believe that there could also be a cannabis treatment connection for autism.

Still, these studies are based only on anecdotal evidence and not hard data. If the goal is to get doctors on board with prescribing the drug for autism, it’s critical that there are clinical studies done on the subject. And there seems to be one researcher in particular leading the charge.

During January of this year began the first-ever clinical study on cannabis as a treatment option for autism. The pediatric neurologist leading the study, Israel-based Dr. Adi Aran, became interested in cannabis’ and CBD oil’s potential after an increasing number of studies showed anecdotal promise.

In Aran’s study, participants are given two types of cannabis oil formulas or a placebo and, so far, has been finding that some participants are experiencing a reduction in their symptoms and improvements in their behavior overall.

And while Aran cautions against premature conclusions about cannabis as an effective treatment option for autism, he feels optimistic about what he’s seen so far.

Bottom Line

Those interested in CBD oil and cannabis as a treatment option for autism should feel optimistic about their potential effectiveness, but more research needs to be done before any hard conclusions can be made.

This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.

About Kelly Weimert

Kelly is a full-time freelance writer based in Austin, TX. A happy hybrid of geek and hippie, when she's not nestled into her couch crankin' out crafty prose with her miscreant Chihuahua, you can find her frolicking outside to keep her sanity in check.

Network Partners

Follow Us on Social Media

LinkedIn

About CFN Media Group

CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN) owns and operates CFN Media Group, the premier agency and financial media network reaching executives, entrepreneurs and consumers worldwide. Through its proprietary content creation, video library, and distribution via www.CannabisFN.com, CFN has built an extensive database of cannabis interest, assisting many of the world’s largest cannabis firms and CBD brands to build awareness and thrive. For more information, please visit www.cfnenterprisesinc.com.

Disclaimer: Matters discussed on this website contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, may from time-to-time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and will increase or decrease such positions without notice. The Information contains forward-looking statements, i.e. statements or discussions that constitute predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates, or projections as indicated by such words as "expects", "will", "anticipates", and "estimates"; therefore, you should proceed with extreme caution in relying upon such statements and conduct a full investigation of the Information and the Profiled Issuer as well as any such forward-looking statements. Any forward looking statements we make in the Information are limited to the time period in which they are made, and we do not undertake to update forward looking statements that may change at any time; The Information is presented only as a brief "snapshot" of the Profiled Issuer and should only be used, at most, and if at all, as a starting point for you to conduct a thorough investigation of the Profiled Issuer and its securities and to consult your financial, legal or other adviser(s) and avail yourself of the filings and information that may be accessed at www.sec.gov, www.pinksheets.com, www.otcmarkets.com or other electronic sources, including: (a) reviewing SEC periodic reports (Forms 10-Q and 10-K), reports of material events (Form 8-K), insider reports (Forms 3, 4, 5 and Schedule 13D); (b) reviewing Information and Disclosure Statements and unaudited financial reports filed with the Pink Sheets or www.otcmarkets.com; (c) obtaining and reviewing publicly available information contained in commonlyknown search engines such as Google; and (d) consulting investment guides at www.sec.gov and www.finra.com. You should always be cognizant that the Profiled Issuers may not be current in their reporting obligations with the SEC and OTCMarkets and/or have negative signs at www.otcmarkets.com (See section below titled "Risks Related to the Profiled Issuers, which provides additional information pertaining thereto). For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice and that of their own professional advisers. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, may be compensated for its Services in the form of cash-based and/or equity-based compensation in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure, please visit: https://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/. A short time after we acquire the securities of the foregoing company, we may publish the (favorable) information about the issuer referenced above advising others, including you, to purchase; and while doing so, we may sell the securities we acquired. In addition, a third-party shareholder compensating us may sell his or her shares of the issuer while we are publishing favorable information about the issuer. Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this article contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and will increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice and that of their own professional advisers. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, may be compensated for its Services in the form of cash-based and/or equity- based compensation in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: https://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/.

Copyright © Accelerize Inc. · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Legal Disclaimer

loading