There is little scientific evidence on how cannabis affects people with autism. Whether cannabinoids improve or worsen the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder is still under debate. But what is known so far about the effect of cannabis on people who have difficulty socialising and communicating with others? In this post we review the studies carried out on cannabis and autism, and look at the cases in which CBD or THC have proved effective for people with autism spectrum disorders.
What is autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are commonly referred to as autism. These disorders show as changes in behaviour, mainly difficulties relating to the environment and communicating with others. People with autism also often show inflexible behaviour and thinking: very repetitive habits with a very limited repertoire.
The causes of these disorders are not fully established , because, among other things, no two patients have the same set of symptoms. ASD shows great variability and we will not find two people with exactly the same type of autism or who show it in the same way. What is clear, however, is that it is a condition rooted in the brain and related to neurotransmitters.
It is also known to be closely linked to genetic predisposition, and that it usually appears in the first years of life and stays with the person for life, since no treatment has been found that can eradicate it completely.
How does cannabis act on autism?
As mentioned above, there are not enough clinical studies to establish how cannabis acts in people with autism. But there are preclinical studies and enough scientific literature suggesting that some cannabinoids could improve the symptoms of some cases of ASD.
This is due to the relationship between the cannabinoids produced by cannabis, such as CBD or THC, and our own body’s cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) such as anandamide. Taking active ingredients from cannabis helps activate the receptors of the endocannabinoid system, producing changes in the production of serotonin, dopamine, anandamide or oxytocin. Hormones, neurotransmitters and endocannabinoids, all of them closely linked to emotions and the human ability to relate well to others.
The relationship between cannabis and anandamide in patients with autism
The crux of the matter is that it has been shown (see this study) that cannabis use activates the receptors of the endocannabinoid system responsible for producing and conducting anandamide (an endocannabinoid, a cannabinoid produced by the human body) and oxytocin (a hormone). Both compounds are closely linked to affection, so activating them contributes to developing affection towards others, and therefore to socialisation.
Kalel Santiago: the first documented case of cannabis treatment for an autistic child in Puerto Rico in 2015
One of the first successful cases of cannabis in the treatment of autism occurred in Puerto Rico. There, Kalel Santiago spoke his first words after being given CBD oil daily, according to statements by his doctor to Forbes magazine. The cannabinoid was included in his treatment at the age of 9, years after he had been diagnosed with autism and after undergoing chemotherapy before the age of three for a type of brain cancer.
Promising results from a 2017 clinical study in Israel concluding that cannabis improved the social skills of children with autism
In 2017 a revealing study on cannabis was carried out with 150 children with autism at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. There, Dr Adi Aran, head of paediatric neurology, gave an extract of CBD and THC to a third of the patients, a placebo to another third and a whole cannabis extract (not just the two cannabinoids mentioned) to the remaining third. The children treated with CBD and THC showed reduced autism symptoms.
Establishing a medical basis requires many clinical studies involving thousands of patients in order to correctly determine the effects of a given drug on a population with certain symptoms. So when it comes to cannabis and autism , there is still a long medical road ahead, but results such as those of the study above shed light on future research into cannabinoids and ASD.
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