A new clinical trial by Israeli researchers has showed encouraging results in terms of cannabis having major benefits for children with autism.
Researchers looked to assess the effect that a “whole-plant cannabis extract” (i.e. containing both CBD and THC at a ration of 20:1) would have on a control group of 150 young children diagnosed with autism.
Over the 12 weeks in which the trial took place, the participants were giving either the extract or a placebo, followed by “a 4-week washout and predetermined cross-over for another 12 weeks to further assess tolerability.”
Participants were measured for a marked change in ’disruptive behaviour’, with those who received the extract showing an improvement of 49%, versus 21% for those who received the placebo.
Their social responsiveness was also measured by scale over this trial period, showing an improvement of 14.9 points for those given the extract versus 3.6 points for those who were not.