CBD Oil Reduced Behavioral Symptoms in a 9-Year-Old with Nonverbal Autism
A 9-year-old boy with nonverbal autism showed reduced violent outbursts, improved sleep, and better social interactions after treatment with high-CBD, low-THC oil.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Treatment with full-spectrum CBD oil (20 mg CBD/<1 mg THC per mL), titrated from 0.1 mL to 0.5 mL twice daily, resulted in reduced violent outbursts, self-injurious behaviors, and sleep disruptions. Social interactions, concentration, and emotional stability improved.
Key Numbers
20 mg CBD/<1 mg THC per mL; starting dose 0.1 mL twice daily; target dose 0.5 mL twice daily; dose increased every 3-4 days
How They Did This
Single case study of a 9-year-old male with nonverbal autism spectrum disorder. CBD oil was started at 0.1 mL twice daily and increased every 3-4 days to 0.5 mL twice daily.
Why This Research Matters
Safe and effective treatment options for autism spectrum disorder remain limited. This case adds to a growing body of preliminary evidence that CBD may help manage some behavioral symptoms.
The Bigger Picture
While a single case cannot establish efficacy, it contributes to the emerging literature on cannabinoids for ASD and provides specific dosing information that may inform future clinical trials.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single case report with no control or blinding. Improvements could reflect natural development, placebo effect, or other factors. Cannot generalize to the broader ASD population.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would these improvements persist long-term?
- ?Could controlled trials replicate these findings across a broader spectrum of ASD presentations?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Dose: 20 mg CBD per mL, titrated to 0.5 mL twice daily
- Evidence Grade:
- Single case report without controls or blinding. Provides anecdotal evidence only.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022
- Original Title:
- Cannabidiol in Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study.
- Published In:
- Cureus, 14(8), e28442 (2022)
- Authors:
- Ma, Lucy, Platnick, Sofia, Platnick, Howard(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-04023
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What dose of CBD was used for autism in this case?
The child received full-spectrum oil containing 20 mg CBD and less than 1 mg THC per mL, starting at 0.1 mL twice daily and increasing every 3-4 days to a target of 0.5 mL twice daily.
What improvements were seen?
The child showed reduced violent outbursts, fewer self-injurious behaviors, better sleep, improved social interactions, better concentration, and greater emotional stability.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04023APA
Ma, Lucy; Platnick, Sofia; Platnick, Howard. (2022). Cannabidiol in Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study.. Cureus, 14(8), e28442. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.28442
MLA
Ma, Lucy, et al. "Cannabidiol in Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study.." Cureus, 2022. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.28442
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabidiol in Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case..." RTHC-04023. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/ma-2022-cannabidiol-in-treatment-of
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.