A new study published in Scientific Reports is showing significant improvement in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) when treated with strains that are low in THC and high in CBD.
The study, Real Life Experience Of Medical Cannabis Treatment in Autism: Analysis of Safety and Efficacy, revolved around 188 children of various ages who were diagnosed with ASD. During the study, the children received personalized doses of a proprietary Tikun Olam cannabis oil containing 30 percent CBD and 1.5 percent THC at the company’s clinics in Israel.
At the beginning of the study, restlessness (90.4%), rage attacks (79.8%), and agitation (78.7%) were the most common patient symptoms. Six months into the study, 80.1% of patients reported an improvement in symptoms with daily cannabis oil administration.
“Autism is a leading condition of concern worldwide, so this study couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Tikun Olam Science Director Annabelle Manalo, Ph.D in a press release. “The data shows that autism patients can improve their overall quality of life utilizing a high CBD strain, and most importantly, that young users can safely and effectively benefit from medical cannabis.”
The study reported other benefits as well with 24 out of 27 epileptic patients showing a reduction or disappearance of symptoms. Thirty-four percent of patients reduced their medication use, and 20 percent stopped using antipsychotic medication entirely.
Patients reported few side effects, with the most common ones being restlessness (6.6%), sleepiness (3.2%), and psychoactive effect (3.2%).
