Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Cannabis and Autism


Cannabis and Autism




With the rise of knowledge gained about cannabis and it's effects on the endocannabinoid system, people who once doubted marijuana's integrity have now come to realize the major benefit of the herb and how it can help save their lives. Many patients with neuro-diseases are looking into the therapeutic effects that cannabis compounds, know as cannabinoids, (as well as possibly other psychedelics) have to offer in aiding the endocannabinoid's disrupted system.
It is important for us to understand the benefits of all healing plants and how they can offer us natural healing, without the dangerous side effects that come from pharmaceutical drugs. While cannabis may not be for everyone, and should be used cautiously, many people have found this miraculous herb to help heal, or at least tolerate, their ailments.
I have looked at various sites, research studies, videos and social groups to gather some information for parents who are looking into using cannabis to help their children who may have certain behavior showing signs of autism. It is important to talk to a trusted professional to determine if your child does or does not have ASD. It is also vital to find a trusted Pediatrician, who has experience using cannabis on children.
This may or may not be in your state depending on your states rules and regulations for medical marijuana. But don't let this slow you down! Find someone, find support, get the answers, and if you need to get access to safe medicine for your child, become an advocate to your state legislatures for safe access to medical marijuana. 
This blog focuses mainly on the benefits of cannabis for children with severe forms of autism. I offer cited research, websites, videos and FaceBook groups to connect with. If you are reading this and want to add information pertaining to Cannabis and Autism research, websites, videos, or social groups to connect with, please feel free to leave it in the comments section.
I sincerely hope this information helps any struggling parents to find help and a peace of life for their children. My heart and prayers go out to you!




The Science behind Autism and the Endocannabinoid System


“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex behavioral condition with onset during early childhood and a lifelong course in the vast majority of cases. It is characterized by deficits in communication and social interaction, as well as by stereotypic behaviors, restricted patterns of interest, and abnormal sensory issues.

Two essential features distinguish ASD from most other behavioral disorders: 1) an impressive clinical and pathogenetic heterogeneity, which has led to the designation, by the term “autisms”, of a set of neurodevelopmental disorders with early onset in life, sharing autism as a common feature, but produced through distinct processes; 2) the distribution of autistic features as a dimensional continuum in the general population, which fully justifies referring to the “autism spectrum” rather than to a categorical distinction between “affected” and “unaffected.”

Frequently, comorbid conditions include intellectual disability, seizures, and different forms of sleep problems; psychiatric comorbidities, that include anxiety disorders, obsessive–compulsive disorders, and depression. Altered neurodevelopment during early pregnancy represents the neuropathological cause of ASD.

Neurodevelopmental mechanisms extending into late prenatal/postnatal life include reduced synapse formation and delayed myelination. The latter result in abnormal neuronal wiring has been shown to be a highly individualized mix of hyper- and hypoconnectivity specific to each single patient with ASD. These abnormalities have been associated with deficits in multiple behavioral tasks that relate to social behavior, such as empathy, theory of mind, joint attention, and face and emotion processing. Many of these observed behavioral features suggest a deficit in the social reward processing system in ASD.

The neurocognitive phenotype in ASD stems from a complex and highly heterogeneous array of genetic and environmental causes, with patients ranging from “purely genetic” cases due to known ASD-causing chromosomal aberrations or mutations to “purely environmental” cases due to rare prenatal exposure to specific viral agents, drugs, and toxins. Neuroinflammation is also a frequent finding in postmortem brains of autistic individuals.

It is now clear that endocannabinoid system is altered in several neurodegenerative diseases and, very interestingly, that distinct elements of the endocannabinoid system in peripheral blood mirror these perturbations, providing novel and noninvasive diagnostic tools for several neuroinflammatory diseases. In addition, the endocannabinoid system controls emotional responses, behavioral reactivity to context, and social interaction. Thus, it can be hypothesized that alterations in this endogenous circuitry may contribute to the autistic phenotype.

Endocannabinoids act principally through type-1 and type-2 (CB1 and CB2) cannabinoid receptors. Interestingly, CB1 but not CB2 resides within lipid rafts, and their interaction with these specialized microdomains influences signal transduction thereof. Additionally, endocannabinoids are also able to interact with non-CB1/non-CB2 targets. By interacting with these receptors, endocannabinoids trigger a multiplicity of signaling pathways that are involved in both physiological and pathological conditions. On a final note, the existence of compounds structurally related to endocannabinoids, and collectively known as “endocannabinoid-like” substances, should be recalled because of their “entourage effect”. These compounds potentiate endocannabinoid activity at their receptors by increasing binding affinity or by inhibiting endocannabinoid hydrolysis.

Accumulated evidence suggests that the endocannabinoid system constitutes a relatively less investigated piece of a puzzle that brings together 4 phenotypic features known to be atypical in autism: 1) social reward responsivity; 2) neural development; 3) circadian rhythm; and 4) anxiety-related symptoms.”

Endocannabinoid Signaling in Autism - Chakrabarti, B., Persico, A., Battista, N. et al. Neurotherapeutics (2015) 12: 837. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-015-0371-9



April is Autism Awareness Month, also April 20th is Cannabis' not yet national Holiday, 420! Coincidence? I think not...



 Cannabis Historical Uses

"In the early 1960's, Dr. Bernard Rimland, an experimental psychologist with an autistic son, pioneered research into childhood autism and disproved accepted theories about the disorder. Rimland was an early advocate of the use of cannabis with autism. According to his Autism Research Institute, cannabis has successfully reduced some autistic children's aggression, anxiety, panic disorders, tantrums, and self-injurious behavior." 

Taken from the book- Cannabis Pharmacy, The Guide to Medical Marijuana, Michael Backes, Foreword by Andrew Weil, M.D., Jack D. McCue, M.D., Medical Editor


Can Hemp Oil Reduce Seizures Related to Autism?

Developmental pediatrician Daniel Coury, medical director of Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (AS-ATN). Dr. Coury is the chief of developmental-behavioral pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in Columbus, Ohio. He writes on AutismSpeaks.org
“At this time, there are nearly 400 clinical studies with marijuana listed in ClinicalTrials.gov. But none are looking at the treatment of epilepsy or autism. Still, there have been some case reports of children being treated with marijuana or its active components for epilepsy that did not respond to standard medical treatments. Encouragingly, some responded well to medical marijuana. They experienced fewer seizures.
What about CBD? 
Recently, researchers used an online survey to get information from 19 parents who were using a CBD-enriched strain of marijuana to treat children with severe epilepsy disorders. The parents frequented a Facebook page on the subject. Sixteen reported that their children had improved on the treatment. There’s some evidence from animal studies to support this observation. These studies have shown that a compound similar to CBD has anticonvulsant properties in mice and rats.
There’s also an experimental medicine containing CBD currently being studied for treatment of epilepsy associated with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Both are extremely rare conditions associated with treatment-resistant epilepsy and severe developmental delay.


So, should you try hemp oil to reduce seizures in a child or adult with autism? 
Clearly, we lack the safety and efficacy studies to guide such a decision. So it’s important to regard hemp oil as an experimental medication. On the cautionary side, studies of marijuana users have associated cannabis with brain abnormalities in adolescents. And clearly, it affects thinking abilities. We don’t know, with certainty, whether these effects would likewise be true of hemp oil, which contains different levels of marijuana’s active ingredients.
In my opinion – and that of most medical experts – such unknowns and their associated risks may be acceptable in someone with no other effective choices. But they may not be worth the risk in someone whose epilepsy can be well-managed with proven treatments.
I hope this information proves helpful. Please continue to reach out with your questions. 
Got more questions? Send them to gotquestions@autismspeaks.org”


O’Shaughnessy’s

“It’s strange, I’ve come to think, that the virtues of such a useful and harmless botanical have been so clouded by stigma. Meanwhile, in treating J with pot, we are following the law — and the Hippocratic oath: First, do no harm. The drugs that our insurance would pay for, pose real risks to children. For now, we’re sticking with the weed.”

A letter from a Mother’s personal experience with her Autistic son, the School, and Pharmaceutical drugs compared to Marijuana. This was taken from Lester Grinspon’s article for O’Shaughnessy’s:

A Novel Approach to the Symptomatic Treatment of Autism  
“I don’t consider marijuana a miracle cure for autism. But I do consider it a wonderful, safe botanical that allows J to participate more fully in life without the dangers and sometimes permanent side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, now that we have a good dose and a good strain. Free from pain, J can go to school and learn. And his violent behavior won’t put him in the local children’s psychiatric hospital, a scenario all too common among his peers.” -Marie Myung-Ok Lee, author of Somebody’s Daughter.

In this article, O’Shaughnessy’s, Summer 2010; Lester Grinspoon M.D. writes about his personal experiences as a Doctor working with autistic children and their parents. He was given the opportunity to help a group of parents explore medical marijuana to help with behavioral problems. “The first obstacle in the path of anyone who wishes to explore cannabis as a medicine is to overcome the widely held belief that it is a very dangerous substance.  The misinformation campaigns of the United States government and such organizations as the Partnership for a Drug-Free America notwithstanding, marijuana is an unusually safe drug.  In fact, after federal-court-ordered lengthy hearings before a Drug Enforcement Administration Law Judge involving many witnesses, including both patients and doctors, and thousands of pages of documentation, Judge Francis L. Young in 1988 asserted that “marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutic active substances known to man...”
Lester states a compelling argument about the safety of drugs for children with autism; “Some may regard it as irresponsible to suggest, on the basis of anecdotes, that cannabis may help some people with a variety of symptoms and disorders.  That might be a problem if marijuana were a dangerous drug, but it is becoming increasingly clear that it is remarkably safe.  Even in the unlikely event that only a few autistic children get the kind of relief that “J” gets, it could be argued that cannabis should be available for them because it costs so little to produce, the risks are so small, and the results so impressive.”

Lester goes on to suggest that parents who decide to give their children this herb, do not let them inhale the smoke, instead, try safe oral administration with cannabis oil, cookies, brownies, or tea. It is recommended that patients new to marijuana start dosing with small sizes, such as a ¼ ml of oil, or a half of a small cookie. The effects of consuming cannabis orally help the medicine to last several hours. Each person’s tolerance level is different, so it is suggested to start with low doses and, if necessary, slowly increase dosing a little at a time until the patient has found a desirable effect. It is also helpful to keep with the same strain you of cannabis that is useful for the parents and patients. When you stick with the same strain you can understand your dosing guidelines, whereas when you switch strains, you may need to take a different sized dose.


Dosing Guidelines  

 It is important to talk to a trusted Pediatrician for help with proper dosing of cannabis for a child. Calculating the dose of cannabinoids and terpenes from testing results for each individual patient based on the child's condition, age, and response to other medication.

 Oral is known to work better for autistic children because it minimizes adverse effects and lasts longer than vaping or smoking. It must be dosed under the physician's guidelines!

 More info about dosing guidelines in general can be found HERE: http://medicine.lunagardens.co/2017/09/cannabis-dosing-guidelines.html




Find Help, Connect with other Parents of Autistic Children

If you are a struggling parent looking for more information and help about cannabis and autism, you may find it in social media groups, like Facebook:


Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism (MAMMA) https://www.facebook.com/TexasMammas/


Autism – Cannbis as a Treatment Option - https://www.facebook.com/groups/243050565864149/



I am a personal fan of Flowering Hope Foundation 
You can find quality oil for autistic children here:



There are several interesting YouTube videos showing children with Autism before and after medical marijuana.


Kara’s Cannabis Treatment for Autism self agression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcuZ3C9Q3Jg


Sam’s Story on KTLA 5 News Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwi--2aXhnU


MAMMA – Cannabis for Autism: Stories of Hope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISJ0fsCacMA


RAW: 5-year-old with Autism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RisOG1pR_9k


Medical Marijuana Cannabis saved our son with autism and medical issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3ALWEg57to


Cannabis Changed This Autistic Toddler’s Life Forever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaMnNj1sg_U


Medical Marijuana for Autism -KPTV 12 News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRUWWtTjHPE


Meet the 14-year-old Who Helped Legalize Medical Marijuana In NY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UR1UTAVplM






Research Being Conducted on the Effects of Cannabis for Autism

ProjectCBD.org is an excellent resource guide for more information and clinical evidence about the healing potential of CBD. Here are a few well documented research studies from PubMed.


Consequences of cannabinoid and monoaminergic system disruption in a mouse model of autism spectrum disorders.
“Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are heterogenous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairment in social, communication skills and stereotype behaviors. While autism may be uniquely human, there are behavioral characteristics in ASDs that can be mimicked using animal models. We used the BTBR T+tf/J mice that have been shown to exhibit autism-like behavioral phenotypes to 1). Evaluate cannabinoid-induced behavioral changes using forced swim test (FST) and spontaneous wheel running (SWR) activity and 2). Determine the behavioral and neurochemical changes after the administration of MDMA (20 mg/kg), methamphetamine (10 mg/kg) or MPTP (20 mg/kg). We found that the BTBR mice exhibited an enhanced basal spontaneous locomotor behavior in the SWR test and a reduced depressogenic profile. These responses appeared to be enhanced by the prototypic cannabinoid, Δ(9)-THC. MDMA and MPTP at the doses used did not modify SWR behavior in the BTBR mice whereas MPTP reduced SWR activity in the control CB57BL/6J mice. In the hippocampus, striatum and frontal cortex, the levels of DA and 5-HT and their metabolites were differentially altered in the BTBR and C57BL/6J mice. Our data provides a basis for further studies in evaluating the role of the cannabinoid and monoaminergic systems in the etiology of ASDs.”


Targeting the endocannabinoid system in the treatment of fragile X syndrome.
“Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common monogenic cause of inherited intellectual disability and autism, is caused by the silencing of the FMR1 gene, leading to the loss of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), a synaptically expressed RNA-binding protein regulating translation. The Fmr1 knockout model recapitulates the main traits of the disease. Uncontrolled activity of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling seem crucial in the pathology of this disease. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a key modulator of synaptic plasticity, cognitive performance, anxiety, nociception and seizure susceptibility, all of which are affected in FXS. The cannabinoid receptors CB1 (CB1R) and CB2 (CB2R) are activated by phospholipid-derived endocannabinoids, and CB1R-driven long-term regulation of synaptic strength, as a consequence of mGluR5 activation, is altered in several brain areas of Fmr1 knockout mice. We found that CB1R blockade in male Fmr1 knockout (Fmr1(-/y)) mice through pharmacological and genetic approaches normalized cognitive impairment, nociceptive desensitization, susceptibility to audiogenic seizures, overactivated mTOR signaling and altered spine morphology, whereas pharmacological blockade of CB2R normalized anxiolytic-like behavior. Some of these traits were also reversed by pharmacological inhibition of mTOR or mGluR5. Thus, blockade of ECS is a potential therapeutic approach to normalize specific alterations in FXS.”


Cannabinoid receptor type 2, but not type 1, is up-regulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of children affected by autistic disorders.
“Autistic disorders (ADs) are heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders arised by the interaction of genes and environmental factors. Dysfunctions in social interaction and communication skills, repetitive and stereotypic verbal and non-verbal behaviours are common features of ADs. There are no defined mechanisms of pathogenesis, rendering curative therapy very difficult. Indeed, the treatments for autism presently available can be divided into behavioural, nutritional and medical approaches, although no defined standard approach exists. Autistic children display immune system dysregulation and show an altered immune response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In this study, we investigated the involvement of cannabinoid system in PBMCs from autistic children compared to age-matched normal healthy developing controls (age ranging 3-9 years; mean age: 6.06 ± 1.52 vs. 6.14 ± 1.39 in autistic children and healthy subjects, respectively). The mRNA level for cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) was significantly increased in AD-PBMCs as compared to healthy subjects (mean ± SE of arbitrary units: 0.34 ± 0.03 vs. 0.23 ± 0.02 in autistic children and healthy subjects, respectively), whereas CB1 and fatty acid amide hydrolase mRNA levels were unchanged. mRNA levels of N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-hydrolyzing phospholipase D gene were slightly decreased. Protein levels of CB-2 were also significantly increased in autistic children (mean ± SE of arbitrary units: 33.5 ± 1.32 vs. 6.70 ± 1.25 in autistic children and healthy subjects, respectively). Our data indicate CB2 receptor as potential therapeutic target for the pharmacological management of the autism care.”

Mutations Found in Individuals with Autism Interfere with Endocannabinoid Signaling in the Brain
“Mutations found in individuals with autism block the action of molecules made by the brain that act on the same receptors that marijuana's active chemical acts on, according to new research reported online April 11 in the Cell Press journal Neuron. The findings implicate specific molecules, called endocannabinoids, in the development of some autism cases and point to potential treatment strategies.
"Endocannabinoids are molecules that are critical regulators of normal neuronal activity and are important for many brain functions," says first author Dr. Csaba Földy, of Stanford University Medical School. "By conducting studies in mice, we found that neuroligin-3, a protein that is mutated in some individuals with autism, is important for relaying endocannabinoid signals that tone down communication between neurons."
When the researchers introduced different autism-associated mutations in neuroligin-3 into mice, this signaling was blocked and the overall excitability of the brain was changed.
"These findings point out an unexpected link between a protein implicated in autism and a signaling system that previously had not been considered to be particularly important for autism," says senior author Dr. Thomas Südhof, also of Stanford. "Thus, the findings open up a new area of research and may suggest novel strategies for understanding the underlying causes of complex brain disorders."
The results also indicate that targeting components of the endocannabinoid signaling system may help reverse autism symptoms.
The study's findings resulted from a research collaboration between the Stanford laboratories of Dr. Südhof and Dr. Robert Malenka, who is also an author on the paper.”





While medical marijuana may not be the cure for Autism, nor is it for everyone, it comes with few unwanted side effects when taken in large doses. There isn’t enough clinical research, yet, to help autistic children with proper dosing. But, that’s all soon to change with new laws, and parents advocating for their child’s rights.
Some case by case studies have parents saying the medical cannabis they give their children is working for them, their kids are happier, relaxed, calm, and sleep longer. If you watched the videos, at the end of one (Cannabis Changed this Autistic Toddler’s Life Forever), the news reporter who talked to the parents of an autistic boy stated that the parents found that they had medicated their son with cannabis for about 2 years now, and he doesn’t need the doses as much as he used to, he is now taking them only as needed.

This is helpful information when trying to find a medication to help these people. If you are considering treating an autistic child with CBD oil or Cannabis (CBD and THC) oil, please do your research, use caution, and find a trusted Doctor to talk to.
This is not medical advice, it is only research being shared. Cannabis is not for everyone, but if you fear that your child has no other options left, it may be for them. Please use caution and do your research. I personally wish you the best of luck in your search for help with Autism!





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