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Israel Conducts First Clinical Trial to Treat Autism with CBD Oil

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CBD OilThe United States is slowly allowing medical cannabis to treat conditions such as epilepsy, glaucoma, Dravet syndrome and even autism, but many studies are needed before cannabis can become more widely accepted as a form of treatment. Israel has become the world’s first country to conduct a clinical trial with cannabis oil for those who have autism.

One of the study’s trial participants is Noa Shulman, a 17-year-old girl with autism whose mother, Yael, is helping her receive cannabis oil treatment. In the U.S., Noa was prescribed the two medications that are FDA approved to treat autism—neither of which seemed to work. When she was taking these medications, Yael noted that her daughter was “like a zombie. She would just sit there with her mouth wide open.”

Fortunately, Noa has been accepted as a participant in a study conducted by the Shaare Xedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. The study involves 120 children and young adults who range from ages five to 29 years of age and all of which suffer from mild to severe autism. The study began in January and will continue through the end of 2018. Study participants are provided with liquid drops that either contain one of two variations of cannabis, or a placebo.

One of the lead researchers of the study, pediatric neurologist Adi Aran, was one of many doctors who couldn’t recommend cannabis due to lack of clinical studies. “Many parents were asking for cannabis for their kids,” he recalled. “First I said, ‘No, there’s no data to support cannabis for autism, so we can’t give it to you.” However, as other studies began to shed light on the effectiveness of cannabis when used to treat seizures, he agreed that studies needed to be started.

Israel has risen as the leading country when it comes to cannabis research, so it’s no surprise that it will be embarking on another groundbreaking cannabis study. Not only was the country one of the first to allow medical cannabis consumption back in 1992, but it’s one of only three countries that currently has a government-sponsored medical cannabis program (Canada and the Netherlands are the other two). According to USA Today, it is less expensive to conduct cannabis research under Israel’s law.

U.S-based statistics report that autism affects one in every 68 children.

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