A team of Israeli doctors has shown that cannabis extract reduces disruptive behaviors related to ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).
The study published earlier this month in the biomedical journal Molecular Autism evaluated the efficacy of CBD-predominant whole plant extracts —in a 20: 1 ratio of THC— as a treatment for autistic disorder in 150 patients aged 5 to 21 years (mean age 11.8). Over the course of 12 weeks, they administered a combination of placebo and extract at different times in the trial so that the results could be compared.
The researchers reported that no serious adverse effects that could be associated with cannabis therapy were detected. On the contrary, it was observed that with cannabis-based treatment disruptive behaviors were significantly reduced compared to placebo. Specifically, these behaviors —measured with the CGI-I clinical scale— decreased an average of 49% when administering cannabis extract, compared to the reduction of 21% associated with placebo.
Another fact highlighted by the clinical trial is the decrease in the body mass index of overweight patients undergoing cannabis-based treatment, which implies an improvement with respect to the effects caused by antipsychotics, the usual pharmacological cure.
The Israeli team concludes the clinical trial with the following words: “In this study, we have shown for the first […] that cannabinoid treatment has the potential to decrease disruptive behaviors associated with ASD, with acceptable tolerability. This is especially important for the many people with ASD who are overweight, as cannabinoid treatment was associated with a net weight loss in contrast to the substantial weight gain that antipsychotics typically produce. […] These data suggest that cannabinoids should be investigated further in ASD. “
The findings of this study corroborate several previous observational trials. For example, a 2019 study at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx revealed that in some of the animal models that are similar to autism, CBD supported social functioning. Improvements were seen in decreased seizures, increased cognitive function, and reduced compulsive or repetitive behavior.
Source of intense debate, treatment with cannabis or CBD in people with autism is and should continue to be the main subject of medical research on ASD. The legalization and normalization, in many countries, of the medical use of cannabinoids opens a hopeful path.
