CBD-rich cannabis showed significant social communication improvements in children with autism
An open-label study of 82 children and adolescents with autism found significant improvements in social communication after six months of CBD-rich cannabis, measured by both clinical assessment and parent report.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Significant improvements in social communication were observed on the ADOS (clinical assessment), SRS (parent report), and Vineland (adaptive behaviors). Improvements were larger in participants with more severe initial symptoms. Restricted and repetitive behaviors improved only on the parent-reported SRS, not on clinical assessment. Cognitive scores did not change.
Key Numbers
110 recruited, 82 completed 6 months of treatment. Significant improvements on ADOS, SRS, and Vineland social communication scales. Larger improvements in those with more severe baseline symptoms. No significant cognitive changes.
How They Did This
Open-label study of 110 recruited participants (82 completed 6 months). Social communication measured by ADOS (clinician-administered), SRS (parent report), and Vineland. Cognitive abilities assessed with age-appropriate Wechsler tests.
Why This Research Matters
Previous CBD-autism studies relied mainly on parent reports. This study used standardized clinical assessments (ADOS), providing more objective evidence that CBD-rich cannabis may improve social communication in some children with autism.
The Bigger Picture
The fact that improvements were visible on clinician-administered assessments, not just parent reports, strengthens the case for further investigation. However, the lack of a placebo control means expectations and natural development cannot be ruled out.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Open-label design with no placebo control. 28 of 110 participants did not complete the protocol. Placebo effects and natural developmental changes could account for improvements. No long-term follow-up.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would these improvements hold up in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial?
- ?Why did some participants show no improvement while others improved substantially?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 82 children completed 6 months; significant improvements on ADOS clinical assessment
- Evidence Grade:
- Open-label study with standardized clinical outcomes but no placebo control group.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022.
- Original Title:
- Children and adolescents with ASD treated with CBD-rich cannabis exhibit significant improvements particularly in social symptoms: an open label study.
- Published In:
- Translational psychiatry, 12(1), 375 (2022)
- Authors:
- Hacohen, Micha, Stolar, Orit E(2), Berkovitch, Matitiahu(7), Elkana, Odelia, Kohn, Elkana, Hazan, Ariela, Heyman, Eli, Sobol, Yael, Waissengreen, Danel, Gal, Eynat, Dinstein, Ilan
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03897
Evidence Hierarchy
A small preliminary study to test whether a larger study is feasible.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can CBD help children with autism?
In this open-label study, 82 children who completed six months of CBD-rich cannabis showed significant improvements in social communication on both clinician and parent assessments, particularly those with more severe symptoms.
Did CBD improve repetitive behaviors in autism?
Restricted and repetitive behaviors improved only on parent-reported measures (SRS), not on the clinical assessment (ADOS), and cognitive scores did not change.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03897APA
Hacohen, Micha; Stolar, Orit E; Berkovitch, Matitiahu; Elkana, Odelia; Kohn, Elkana; Hazan, Ariela; Heyman, Eli; Sobol, Yael; Waissengreen, Danel; Gal, Eynat; Dinstein, Ilan. (2022). Children and adolescents with ASD treated with CBD-rich cannabis exhibit significant improvements particularly in social symptoms: an open label study.. Translational psychiatry, 12(1), 375. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02104-8
MLA
Hacohen, Micha, et al. "Children and adolescents with ASD treated with CBD-rich cannabis exhibit significant improvements particularly in social symptoms: an open label study.." Translational psychiatry, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02104-8
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Children and adolescents with ASD treated with CBD-rich cann..." RTHC-03897. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/hacohen-2022-children-and-adolescents-with
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.