A recent study has found that cannabidiol (CBD), a compound found in cannabis, may help reduce anxiety and improve social behavior in children and teenagers with autism. CBD is a non-intoxicating part of cannabis, meaning it doesn’t cause the “high” feeling typically associated with marijuana.
The study was presented at the European Congress of Psychiatry in Madrid and was led by Dr. Lara Branco, a psychiatrist at the University of São Paulo in Brazil. Dr. Branco and her team looked at data from three earlier clinical trials that studied CBD’s effects on a total of 276 children with autism, most of them aged between 10 and 12.
The results showed that children who received CBD became more socially responsive and experienced fewer episodes of disruptive behavior. They also appeared to feel less anxious overall. Some children even slept better, though those sleep-related findings were not strong enough to be considered scientifically significant.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects how people communicate, interact, and behave. It can be a challenging condition not only for the children but also for their families and doctors who are trying to find effective treatments. As more children are being diagnosed with autism around the world, the need for new and effective treatment options has become more urgent.
CBD is gaining attention because it interacts with special receptors in the brain and body called cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are part of a system that helps regulate mood, sleep, pain, and immune responses. Unlike THC—the part of cannabis that causes a high—CBD does not alter a person’s mental state, which makes it more appealing for use in children.
Dr. Branco said that while these early findings are encouraging, more research is needed. She stressed that scientists need to conduct larger and more detailed studies to confirm how safe and effective CBD really is for managing autism symptoms.
Dr. Geert Dom, president of the European Psychiatric Association and a professor of psychiatry in Belgium, also welcomed the findings. He said that families and healthcare professionals often struggle to find treatments that work well for children with autism.
The positive results from this study offer hope, but he agreed that more research is essential before CBD can be widely recommended.
It’s important to remember that the findings are still considered preliminary because they were shared at a medical conference and have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. That means experts have not yet fully reviewed the study for quality and accuracy.
In conclusion, this new research suggests that CBD might one day offer a helpful treatment option for children with autism, especially in easing anxiety and improving social interaction. But for now, doctors and families are advised to wait for more evidence before turning to CBD as a routine treatment.
If you care about autism, please read studies that cats may help decrease anxiety for kids with autism and new study may develop better treatment for autism
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how to eat your way to a healthy brain, and results showing this type of food may contribute to autism.
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