According to the CDC, about 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults in the United States have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In recent years, diagnosis rates among adults have been rising, particularly among young adults aged 26-34, where diagnoses have increased by 450% over the last decade. This growing awareness highlights the need for effective treatment options for people on the spectrum at every stage of life.
For many years, traditional medicines were the primary recourse for addressing autism symptoms. Unfortunately, these medications can sometimes be ineffective or come with undesirable side effects, forcing patients and their families to seek alternative solutions. Recent studies and a growing body of anecdotal evidence have shown that medical cannabis can be a highly effective alternative treatment for both children and adults with ASD.
What is autism? Is it curable? And how can medicinal marijuana help treat ASD? We’ll answer these questions and more below.
What is Autism?
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurological and developmental disorder characterized by a wide range of conditions. Patients with ASD often experience persistent challenges with social skills, communication, and repetitive behaviors. The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms and varying degrees of severity.
Autism typically presents early in life but can also be diagnosed later in adulthood as challenges with work, relationships, and daily life become more apparent. Common autism symptoms include difficulty with eye contact, delayed speech, challenges with nonverbal cues, sensitivity to light or sound, repetitive behaviors, and anxiety. These signs can manifest differently from person to person, which is why a personalized approach to care is so vital.
Is Autism Curable?
While there is no known cure for autism, there are numerous treatments that can help manage symptoms and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Treatment for autism symptoms often involves a combination of therapies tailored to the individual’s specific needs.
Common treatment options include:
- Pharmaceuticals: Prescription medications like antipsychotics, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety drugs are often used to manage specific symptoms.
- Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA): A comprehensive therapy that structures behavioral plans to address social and behavioral challenges.
- Psychological Therapy: Counseling to help patients and families navigate the emotional and social aspects of ASD.
- Occupational and Physical Therapy: Designed to improve motor skills and assist with daily living activities.
- Speech and Language Therapy: Focuses on improving verbal and nonverbal communication skills.
For many years, a combination of these treatments was the only option. However, as the medical community’s understanding of ASD has evolved, so have the treatment alternatives. When traditional methods fall short, medicinal marijuana is proving to be an effective and often less harmful alternative for managing many common autism symptoms.
How Can Medicinal Marijuana Help Treat Autism Symptoms?
Traditional pharmaceuticals are not always effective at managing all symptoms of ASD. For example, a study found that the risk of antipsychotic treatment failure is double in young patients with both psychosis and ASD compared to their peers without ASD. This is just one of many reasons why patients and their families are actively seeking new and effective alternatives. Fortunately, both practical evidence and scientific studies have shown that medical cannabis can successfully help manage symptoms even in treatment-resistant ASD patients.
To understand how medical cannabis can help, it’s important to understand how the autistic brain works differently. An autistic brain has anatomical differences that can affect how different areas are connected and communicate. This reduced neurological connectivity can impact essential human functions.
This is where the cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant come in. Our bodies have a natural endocannabinoid system (ECS) that helps regulate a variety of functions, but when this system is impaired, medicinal marijuana’s cannabinoids can interact with it to help regulate the release of neurotransmitters. This role can positively impact essential functions like circadian rhythms, emotional responses, learning, memory, and pain control.
Many patients and families who have used medical cannabis report overwhelmingly positive results. The administration of compounds combining cannabinoids such as CBD and THC has been shown to improve mood, increase the ability to focus, and significantly reduce symptoms like anxiety, aggression, hyperactivity, and self-injuries. By effectively managing these symptoms, many patients have also been able to reduce or even stop using traditional pharmaceuticals and their undesirable side effects.
Autism and Cannabis: Is it Legal?
For a long time, the positive effects of medical cannabis on autism were known, but the legal landscape made it difficult to access. This forced many families to either use the black market or move to a state where medical cannabis was legal.
In the U.S., a growing number of states are recognizing autism as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis programs. This legal access is a game-changer for countless families, eliminating the risk and stigma of accessing illegal substances and providing peace of mind by ensuring products are safe and regulated.
The use of medical cannabis under a physician’s supervision makes a world of difference. A cannabis-specialized physician can identify which strains are best for particular symptoms and determine the appropriate dosage, effectively providing a customized care plan for each patient. Given the wide range of symptoms and intensities across the autism spectrum, a customized treatment plan significantly increases the chance of success, in clear contrast to the “one-size-fits-all” approach of many traditional medications.
For many years, patients and their families struggled to find the appropriate solution to treat autism symptoms, often dealing with treatment-resistance and negative side effects. Thankfully, research, medical, and legal advances have provided a new alternative by including medical cannabis as a viable and highly successful treatment option.
At Texas Cannabis Clinic (TCC), we believe in providing personalized care that can dramatically improve the quality of life for patients and their families. We constantly witness success stories where the right treatment with medical cannabis helps to reduce meltdowns, aggression, insomnia, and anxiety.
Important Notice: As of June 1, 2025, TCC will no longer be accepting new patients under the age of 21. If you have questions about how medicinal marijuana can help manage your or your family member’s specific symptoms, please contact us.
