New Study Reveals How Cannabis Can Improve Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms in Children

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap] significant new study on using cannabis to treat autism in children using Tikun Olam’s legendary “high-less” cannabis variety Avidekel™ was recently completed in Israel. Tikun Olam’s press release describes that the study focuses on how children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) see a ‘significant” improvement in symptoms and start to rely less on other medications after treatment with Tikun Olam’s Avidekel™ medical cannabis.

The two-year study, “Real Life Experience Of Medical Cannabis Treatment In Autism: Analysis Of Safety And Efficacy,” observed 188 children diagnosed with ASD. The average age was 13. The patients were treated with Tikun Olam’s high-CBD, low-THC medical cannabis strains, which have been intentionally cultivated to provide symptom relief for ASD and related conditions with minimal psychoactive effects.

At the beginning of the study, the most common patient symptoms were restlessness at 90.4 percent, rage attacks  at 79.8 percent and agitation at 78.7 percent. After six months of daily cannabis treatment at Tikun Olam clinics in Israel, 80.1 percent of patients reported improvement of their symptoms, with 30.1 percent reporting “significant” improvement. Other key findings include:

• Out of 27 patients who had epilepsy, 24 reported improved or disappearance of symptoms
• 34 percent of patients decreased other medications
• 20 percent of patients stopped using antipsychotic medication
• Side effects to cannabis treatment were minimal, with the most common at six months reported as restlessness at 6.6 percent, sleepiness at 3.2 percent and psychoactive effects at 3.2 percent

“Autism is a leading condition of concern worldwide, so this study couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Dr. Annabelle Manalo, PhD, Tikun Olam’s science director. “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.”

With this study, cannabis is shown to be an effective treatment choice for parents looking for the safest and most neuroprotective treatment.