Doctors of Natural Medicine

Medical Marijuana For Autism Spectrum Disorder

In this article we hope to help you understand how medical marijuana can help you or your loved one’s Autism. As you already know, Autism has no known cure . This being said, we’re here to show you how in what situations medical marijuana could be helpful.

First – What is Medical Marijuana?

Medical Marijuana refers to a product that is derived from the cannabis plant. This can come from several different parts of the plant such as the dried flowers, resins and oils – and in order for it to be medical, it has to be recommended by a doctor and grown under strict medical guidelines. If you need such a recommendation and you live in the state of Colorado, please consider booking and appointment with one of our state accredited medical marijuana doctors.

Medical marijuana can be taken in several forms including directly or infused into foods, lozenges and candies. It has slowly become a popular method of alternative treatment for patients with autism spectrum disorder due to the fact that it treats insomnia, epilepsy, and chronic pain: to name a few symptoms.

What Scientists Know About Medical Marijuana

Medical marijuana has over 100 different compounds. The most popular of these two compounds are CBD and THC. They are the most studied and where we can see the most science to back up whether or not medical marijuana is helpful for autism.

CBD & THC Treat autism Symptoms

CBD & THC have been now known to treat rare forms of epilepsy. In addition to treating epilepsy, they have been said to treat seizures and the core symptoms of ASD. The important fact that should be noted is that we need to be careful where we get our marijuana from, as mentioned in Autism Parenting Magazine.  This is why it is recommended to get a medical card, as medical marijuana has strict guidelines which insure quality.

Do you need your MEd Card?

Our State-Licensed Doctors are here to help.

Fda approved Cannabinoid

Cannabis has been so effective at treating Autism Spectrum Disorder that the FDA has approved an active cannabinoid for the market. This cannabinoid is called Epidiolex.

CBD Based medicine

Epidiolex is a CBD based medicine approved by the FDA. CBD has shown to help with anxiety and reearchers have begun to think that it can also help patients with ASD. Epidiolex is now treating patients with epilepsy.

What ASD symptoms are treated with Medical Marijuana?

Doing our research, and from anecdotal evidence we have received in our clinic, we want to go over what symptoms have been improved for patients with ASD.

  • Anxiety
  • Seizures
  • Tics
  • Depression
  • Restlessness
  • Rage Attacks

Where is the proof?

Although medical marijuana is still in the beginning stages of being researched, there are other countries that have a head start on studying the benefits and are already using it to treat ASD!

One such country is Israel. In Israel, a small study was conducted and determined that cannabis oil was deemed “safe and effective” for managing ASD symptoms. Israel has been studying medical cannabis for years now and is using it to treat a sleuth of conditions.

Over 50% of Parents Self-Reported Improvement

In the study over 50% of parents reported an improvement in their children with ASD. They saw an improvement in their mood and reported positive behavior changes.

This was not the only conducted. Another study which was conducted with 60 children with ASD, over 80% saw an improvement in their lifestyle. Although, these trials are small and more large-scale trials need to be done, we can see that there is hope for ASD as we progress into the future and research with medical marijuana.

Medical Marijuana for Autism – Long term Effects

Finally, and most importantly, the long term effects of medical marijuana is still unknown. We advise you approach treating your or your loved one’s ASD symptoms carefully. Always consult with a medical professional for the best long-term treatment plan. 

If you are looking to get your medical marijuana card, consider booking an appointment with one of our qualified medical marijuana doctors.