Early reports on medicinal cannabis for childhood autism look positive but evidence is very limited
A scoping review found that 61% to 93% of children and adolescents with autism showed symptom improvement with medicinal cannabis, and up to 80% reduced other medications, but the evidence is limited to small observational studies.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Eight completed studies (five ongoing) showed substantial behavior and symptom improvement with medicinal cannabis in pediatric ASD, with 61-93% of subjects showing benefit. Up to 80% of participants in studies tracking medication changes reduced their concurrent psychotropic medication use. Adverse events were reported in up to 27%, including two psychotic events.
Key Numbers
8 completed studies, 5 ongoing. 61-93% showed benefit. Up to 80% reduced concurrent medications. Up to 27% had adverse events. 2 participants experienced psychotic events.
How They Did This
Scoping review searching six databases and grey literature through January 2020 for studies where at least 50% of participants had ASD and at least 50% were under 18. Any study design was eligible.
Why This Research Matters
Parents of children with autism increasingly seek medicinal cannabis guidance from clinicians, but evidence to support these decisions has been limited to small, uncontrolled studies.
The Bigger Picture
The high response rates and medication reduction potential are promising, but the absence of controlled trials means these results could reflect placebo effects, natural symptom fluctuation, or reporting bias.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
All completed studies were retrospective cohort or observational. No randomized controlled trials. High variability in cannabis products used. Potential reporting bias toward positive outcomes.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will ongoing clinical trials confirm the observational findings?
- ?Which cannabis formulations and doses are safest for children with ASD?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 61-93% of pediatric ASD subjects showed improvement; up to 80% reduced other meds
- Evidence Grade:
- Limited to retrospective and observational studies without controls. Promising but very early-stage evidence.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022 with studies searched through January 2020.
- Original Title:
- Medicinal cannabis in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review.
- Published In:
- Child: care, health and development, 48(1), 33-44 (2022)
- Authors:
- Fletcher, Sarah, Pawliuk, Colleen, Ip, Angie, Huh, Linda, Rassekh, S Rod, Oberlander, Tim F, Siden, Harold
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03845
Evidence Hierarchy
Maps out the available research on a broad question.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What symptoms improved with cannabis?
Studies reported improvements in behavioral disturbances and ASD-related symptoms broadly, with 61-93% of participants showing some benefit.
Were there safety concerns?
Adverse events occurred in up to 27% of participants, and two participants experienced psychotic events. However, the majority of side effects were not severe, and many participants were able to reduce their other medications.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03845APA
Fletcher, Sarah; Pawliuk, Colleen; Ip, Angie; Huh, Linda; Rassekh, S Rod; Oberlander, Tim F; Siden, Harold. (2022). Medicinal cannabis in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review.. Child: care, health and development, 48(1), 33-44. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12909
MLA
Fletcher, Sarah, et al. "Medicinal cannabis in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review.." Child: care, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12909
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Medicinal cannabis in children and adolescents with autism s..." RTHC-03845. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/fletcher-2022-medicinal-cannabis-in-children
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.