Brasilia, Brazil: The twice-daily administration of plant-derived CBD-dominant extracts is associated with symptom improvement in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to observational data published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology.
Brazilian investigators assessed the use of CBD-enriched cannabis extracts (75 to 1 ratio CBD to THC) in 15 ASD patients over at least six months. Study participants were between the ages of six and 17 years and subjects consumed between 50 to 100mg of oral CBD capsules daily.
Authors reported, "Fourteen out of these 15 patients (93 percent) showed improvements equal to or above 30 percent in at least one symptom category. Most patients that adhered to the treatment had improvements in more than one symptom category: seven patients (47 percent) had improvements equal to or above 30 percent in four or more symptom categories; two patients (13 percent) presented improvements equal to or above 30 percent in two symptom categories, and five patients (33 percent) presented improvements equal to or above 30 percent in one symptom category."
They concluded, "The findings presented here, taken together … indicate that CBD-enriched CE [cannabis extracts] yields positive effects in multiple autistic symptoms, without causing the typical side effects found in medicated ASD patients. Most patients in this study had improved symptoms even after supervised weaning of other neuropsychiatric drugs."
The findings are similar to those of other recent trials — including those here, here, here, and here — reporting that the use of CBD-dominant extracts reduces symptoms of ASD and is well-tolerated by most patients.
Full text of the study, "Effects of CBD-enriched cannabis sativa extract on autism spectrum disorder symptoms: An observational study of 18 participants undergoing compassionate use," appears in Frontiers in Neurology.