CBD-Rich Cannabis Reduced Anxiety and Repetitive Behaviors in Autistic Children Over 6 Months | Research

The takeaway

Autistic children showed reduced anxiety and repetitive behaviors after 6 months of CBD-rich cannabis treatment, with reduced panic and separation anxiety predicting subsequent decreases in repetitive behaviors.

Parents of autistic children; autism researchers; pediatric psychiatrists

Reduced panic and separation anxiety predicted subsequent decreases in repetitive behaviors

What the researchers found

Significant reductions in overall anxiety and specific subtypes (general, social, panic, separation) after 6 months. Repetitive behaviors also improved, including compulsive, ritualistic, and sameness behaviors. Reduced panic and separation anxiety predicted subsequent decreases in sameness behaviors.

Why it matters

Anxiety is one of the most common co-occurring conditions in autism, and it may drive some repetitive behaviors. This study suggests CBD-rich cannabis could address both, with anxiety reduction leading to behavior improvement.

The numbers in context

65 autistic children ages 5-12. Significant reductions in overall anxiety and 4 of 5 anxiety subtypes. Significant improvement in total repetitive behaviors and 3 subtypes (compulsive, ritualistic, sameness). Reduced panic/separation anxiety predicted reduced sameness behaviors.

How the study worked

Open-label study of 65 autistic children (ages 5-12) receiving CBD-rich cannabis. Parents completed validated anxiety (SCARED) and repetitive behavior (RBS-R) assessments at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.

What this study cannot tell us

Open-label design with no placebo or control group. Only 65 participants. Parent-reported outcomes subject to expectation bias. No information on adverse effects in the abstract.

How to read the evidence

Open-label study without controls; preliminary because placebo response in parent-reported autism outcomes can be substantial.

When this study was published

2025 publication with 6-month treatment data

The bigger picture

The finding that anxiety reduction precedes behavior improvement supports the theoretical link between anxiety and repetitive behaviors in autism. If validated, this suggests treating anxiety could be a key pathway for improving core autism symptoms.

Questions still open

Would a placebo-controlled trial confirm these findings? Is CBD directly reducing repetitive behaviors, or only doing so indirectly through anxiety reduction? What is the optimal dose and duration?

Common questions

How does anxiety relate to repetitive behaviors in autism?

Anxiety and repetitive behaviors often co-occur in autism. Some theories suggest repetitive behaviors serve as a coping mechanism for anxiety. This study found that when CBD-rich cannabis reduced anxiety, repetitive behaviors also decreased.

Is this enough evidence to try CBD for an autistic child?

The authors explicitly recommend double-blind, placebo-controlled studies before drawing clinical conclusions. Open-label studies cannot rule out placebo effects, which can be significant in autism research.

Read the original research

Effects of Medical Cannabis Treatment for Autistic Children on Anxiety and Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors and Interests: An Open-Label Study.

Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 10(4), 537-548

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

David, Ayelet; Stolar, Orit; Berkovitch, Matitiahu; Kohn, Elkana; Hazan, Ariela; Waissengreen, Danel; Gal, Eynat. (2025). Effects of Medical Cannabis Treatment for Autistic Children on Anxiety and Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors and Interests: An Open-Label Study.. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 10(4), 537-548. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2024.0001