We commonly hear about and regularly treat ailments like insomnia, arthritis, and anxiety with medical marijuana. But, when it comes to providing relief and comfort, medical marijuana and cannabis-derived products can provide relief for an incredibly diverse list of conditions. Among that list of conditions is autism, and it is one that has been at the center of hot-button conversations. When the topics of medical marijuana and autism come up together, the appropriateness of cannabis treatment for the condition often arises.
During the last 30 years, we’ve gone from considering autism to be a rare and unusual malady to a condition diagnosed in 1 in 50 people. To make things complicated, Autism has no single identified cause and doesn’t lend itself to one convenient path of treatment.
Autism is considered a spectrum disorder because it can cover a wide variety of ailments with core conditions that include intellectual disability, self-injurious behaviors, aggression, pain, anxiety, SPD, apraxia, dyspraxia, epilepsy/seizures, mood/sleeping disorders, gastrointestinal/feeding disorders, inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune dysfunctions.
As we pen this post, there are no medications designed to specifically treat autism. A number of products are available to treat core conditions and symptoms associated with them. When you scroll through the list of common ailments, you probably realize medical marijuana is a viable option for treatment for many of them.
States with Autism as a Qualifying Condition for a Medical Marijuana Card
In Oklahoma, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, autism qualifies as a justifiable condition for the use of medical marijuana. Both states are part of a group of several other states that recognize autism (or at least the related symptoms) as such. In fact, there are more states with legislation in the works to place autism under the accepted medical marijuana umbrella.
Is Medical Marijuana Effective for Treating Autism?
There’s a growing body of research that shows the effectiveness of medical cannabis in treating autism. We’ll let you read the details for yourself, but when Dr. Raphael Machoulam, the man considered to be the grandfather of medical marijuana research, says that there is benefit to it, we think it’s a good idea to listen.
Dr. Machoulam worked with other researchers at Ben Gurion University and Soroka University Medical Center to study the effectiveness of medical marijuana in treating the seizures, tics, depression, restlessness, and rage attacks in autistic patients within their sample group.
The results were encouraging, as they found that around 80% of their patients reported a significant increase in their mood, quality of life, and overall ability to perform regular daily tasks.
The government is getting into the mix as well, with the U.S. Defense Department and GW Pharmaceuticals working together on a clinical trial that examines the effectiveness of CBD in treating the irritability and repetitive behaviors in children with the autism spectrum disorder.
These aren’t the only studies, and trends suggest that as time goes on, we’ll continue to find that cannabis-derived products becoming more common weapons in the fight against this difficult disease.
Should You Give Medical Marijuana Treatment for Autism a Try?
One of the trickiest characteristics of autism is that it expresses itself differently in each patient. It’s never just one pathology, so making blanket statements about what works and what doesn’t is a futile exercise.
However, the research suggests that it’s a possibility, and we highly recommend that you initiate a conversation with your doctor about its effectiveness in your situation. There are always a number of cannabis-derived products to choose from, and we think it’s definitely worth a look.
When it’s time to reach out to a medical professional or find a dispensary as part of your search for healing, get in touch with Elevate Holistics and let us get you on the right path. Our network of professionals can quickly and efficiently help you find the treatment that works best for you.
