Living life with Autism: How Cannabis Can Help?

Living life with Autism

Living with autism can be difficult, especially with more severe behavioral issues. There is currently no cure but scientists have been hard at work trying to find a way to help to make the symptoms more manageable. Cannabis has become popular among the autistic community and their families as a way to treat conditions like insomnia, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Whether you or someone close to you is looking for a bit of relief cannabis might be the answer. How It Can Help There is no cure for autism which has sparked interest in finding a lasting way to make life more manageable. Because autistic behaviors usually include rejecting physical or eye contact it commonly leads to social isolation. Common treatments include behavioral and speech therapy combined with medications to ease anxiety and depression. Cannabis may not be a cure-all but it is a more natural, effective, and long-term solution than pharmaceuticals. Researchers were originally led to marijuana because of the similarities between epilepsy and autism. The best drug to treat epilepsy is something called Epidiolex (essentially medical CBD) and it has been so successful over the years that it is legal globally. Autism does not lead to seizures but there is still similar, unusual electrical activity in the brain. Research has shown that when someone with autism is given an anticonvulsant the electrical activity decreases and irritability and disruptive behaviors get better. This could be a breakthrough to improve aggression, self-injury, or temper tantrums.

Jeremy, 47, is a political writer in Washington who writes and directs screenplays- is also autistic. He has found a way to live life more fully by smoking marijuana. It not only helps him with his emotional issues but also physical symptoms which were causing chronic pain. With his anxiety, he clenches and holds his muscles and marijuana improves both of these things. Without the heavyweight of debilitating physical and mental pain, he can enjoy life more fully. Another benefit he has noticed is that he was able to escape from his negative thought patterns. 

"Marijuana is powerful because it restarts various synapses that stop firing," he says. "This is super powerful for autism because part of the problem is that you get stuck in patterns and routines because your brain stops seeing the other pathways.” 

Studies

A study done by researchers from Ben-Gurion University gave 188 people with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) medical cannabis over 2 years. After 6 months they were ecstatic to report that 80% of the participants had seen improvement. Most people involved in the study took a cannabis oil containing 30% CBD and 1.5% THC. The study looked at the benefits of using cannabis to improve quality of life. 

• Good Quality of life: Improved by 31.3% after 3 months. It jumps to 66.8% after 6 months. Independence: Before the study, 26.4% of participants could shower or dress alone. After 6 months that number grows to 42.9%. 

• Sleep and Concentration: At the beginning of the study 3.3% said they slept well and 0% had high levels of concentration. At the end of the study, these numbers were 24.7% and 14%. 

A second study observed 150 children with autism. They split the children into three different groups, one received a placebo, another was given a full-spectrum oil, and the last received a pure blend of CBD and THC at a 20-1 ratio. The study aimed to reduce disruptive behavior while improving their social responsiveness. The kids that took either cannabis extract showed massive improvement compared to the ones that had taken the placebo. The participants were treated for four weeks then took a four-week break and continued in the study for another 4 weeks. The groups that were not given the placebo improved by about 50% while those on the placebo only improved by 20%. 

Is Cannabis right for me?

Always talk with your doctor if you are already on medications. Certain medications may interact poorly with cannabis. Anything that is labeled with a grapefruit warning will probably poorly interact. If you are currently at a loss at how to improve your life or the life of someone you know it may be the key. Always make sure to research the product before you purchase and read reviews. Happy CB-Days!