Experience with Daughter Inspires Brazilian Scientist to Lead Innovative Study on Cannabis for Autism

Science has many faces. Sometimes it wears a lab coat and spends hours immersed in books and confirmatory tests, and sometimes it carries a child who doesn't sleep, doesn't speak, doesn't make eye contact, forcing us to chase many cures. 

It was in this way, between sleepless nights and maternal doubts, that Brazilian researcher Micheline Donato decided to turn her pain into research. Today, she is preparing to present to the world an unprecedented achievement: the first clinical study on medicinal cannabis in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), conducted in Brazil, with support from the Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA) and sponsorship from the company Revivid.

It's a milestone. But beyond the scientific importance, it is also a declaration of affection. “Cannabis revolutionized my daughter's life. It reduced the use of other medications, improved her quality of life, her self-awareness, and her self-regulation. And that's what I hope to bring to other mothers, other children, other adults who have lived invisibly for so long. I'm here to be a bridge. With care, with science, and mainly with love,” Micheline declares.

The Support That Transforms Lives

For studies like Micheline's to gain ground, more than good ideas are needed: investment, commitment, and sensitivity are required. 

“Scientific research is a bridge between innovation, credibility, and social transformation, and that is precisely why Revivid makes a point of supporting studies like Dr. Micheline's,” says CEO Daiane Zappe. 

“We are a women-led company, with a team committed and sensitive to the reality of thousands of families who fight daily for access to medicinal cannabis. Many of these struggles have a mother's face,” she declares.

According to her, supporting science is also a way to amplify historically silenced voices and promote real regulatory change. 

“We believe that science, care, and support can and should walk together. The strengthening of the market will only be possible if it is sustained by evidence, humanity, and voices with purpose. This is Revivid's DNA: science with a soul.”

A Brazilian Bridge on American Soil

The research led by Dr. Micheline Donato involved 14 adult autistic participants with late diagnosis, aged 18-60, where she used fixed doses of cannabidiol (CBD), specifically the CBD Revivid product, over 150 days. 

The results, measured by clinical protocols and tools like the Vineland-3 Scale, were significant: over 34% of participants reported improved sleep, 15.3% reported improved mood, and there was a reduction in symptoms of anxiety, depression, social isolation, and repetitive movements. 

Tolerability was considered excellent, with minimal and temporary side effects. This is an unprecedented study, especially for focusing on adults with ASD, a population still invisible in most research, and it reinforces the potential of cannabis as a safe and effective therapeutic alternative in improving quality of life and emotional regulation.

Presenting the data from a Brazilian study at one of the largest international congresses on scientific cannabis, the International Society of Cannabis Research (ICRS), held this month in Indiana (USA), is a symbolic and practical milestone. 
 

“I am the first Brazilian to present this type of study in this society, which brings together the scientists who mapped the endocannabinoid system. This shows how relevant our research is,” states the researcher.

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