New Study Presents Encouraging Results for Cannabis Treatment for Autism

Curated and edited by Sechat, with information from Canex

Scientists in Israel have revealed the results of a recent study on the potential of cannabis formulations as a treatment option for autism disorder. The study aimed to understand how the two most common cannabis compounds - CBD and THC - can be helpful.

The researchers report that the findings of the study may contribute to a pivot in the direction of cannabis research. So far, most research on cannabis as a potential treatment for autism symptoms has primarily focused on CBD - the most common non-intoxicating compound found in the cannabis plant; however, THC may be a more promising option.

Previous studies have shown promising preliminary results for the potential of CBD, including another Israeli study that reported positive results for autistic patients primarily using CBD-based cannabis products. There is also growing anecdotal evidence that CBD use has consistently increased among people with autism.

However, this more recent study - conducted by researchers at Tel Aviv University - claims that THC may be significantly more effective.

Shani Poleg, one of the researchers of the study, told the Times of Israel: “Ongoing studies do not focus enough on the details of what is in cannabis that may be helping people.

“In our study, we analyzed the details and came to surprising and interesting findings.”

According to the study, THC was more effective than CBD in reducing behaviors associated with autism. While CBD was able to help the rats cope with repetitive compulsive behaviors, Poleg comments that “the main difference was that THC treatment also improved social behavior.”

Furthermore, although intoxication is a significant concern surrounding THC-based treatments, the results suggest that only very small amounts of the compound may be helpful.

Poleg continued: “Our study shows that when treating autism with medicinal cannabis oil, there is no need for high levels of CBD or THC.

“We observed a significant improvement in behavioral tests after treatments with cannabis oil containing small amounts of THC and did not observe long-term effects in cognitive or emotional tests conducted a month and a half after the start of treatment.”

Despite the promising results, the researchers caution that the findings are still preliminary and should not be considered treatment advice. As with all rodent studies, it is unclear whether the active treatment used may have similar effects in humans.

Additionally, researcher Poleg also notes that the mutation that caused autism in the rats of this study, Shank3, is responsible for only a small number of human autism cases. However, these results are expected to encourage an expansion of research on the potential of cannabis compounds in treating symptoms associated with autism.

There is growing anecdotal evidence supporting the use of cannabis products - including CBD - as an alternative treatment. In the U.S., medicinal cannabis has been available by prescription in 14 states since 2014. However, there is still little clinical research in this area.