CBD as a potential treatment for autism spectrum disorder: promising but unproven
A review of available evidence suggests CBD is a candidate for treating core symptoms and co-morbidities of autism spectrum disorder, but there are currently no convincing preclinical or clinical data showing efficacy and safety.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
ASD has no effective treatment for core symptoms. CBD has been proposed based on its interactions with the endocannabinoid system, but the review found no convincing preclinical or clinical evidence of efficacy and safety in ASD patients at the time of writing.
Key Numbers
No convincing preclinical or clinical data showing efficacy or safety at the time of review.
How They Did This
Narrative review of available preclinical and clinical data on medical cannabis and CBD for ASD patients.
Why This Research Matters
Many parents of children with ASD are turning to CBD products. This review provides a reality check: while the theoretical basis is interesting, the actual evidence supporting CBD for ASD is extremely limited.
The Bigger Picture
The endocannabinoid system plays roles in social behavior, anxiety, and neurodevelopment, all relevant to ASD. But the jump from biological plausibility to proven treatment requires rigorous clinical trials that have not yet been completed.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Narrative review with limited primary data to draw from. The field was in very early stages at time of publication.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will ongoing clinical trials of CBD in ASD show benefit?
- ?Which ASD symptoms are most likely to respond to CBD?
- ?What doses and formulations should be tested?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- No convincing data for CBD efficacy in ASD at time of review
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary: narrative review noting the absence of rigorous evidence.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2019.
- Original Title:
- Cannabidiol as a suggested candidate for treatment of autism spectrum disorder.
- Published In:
- Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry, 89, 90-96 (2019)
- Authors:
- Poleg, Shani(2), Golubchik, Pavel, Offen, Daniel(2), Weizman, Abraham
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02235
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research on a topic.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Should parents give CBD to children with autism?
This review found no convincing evidence of efficacy or safety for CBD in ASD. The theoretical rationale exists, but clinical evidence was lacking at the time of publication.
Why is the endocannabinoid system relevant to autism?
The endocannabinoid system is involved in regulating social behavior, anxiety, sensory processing, and neurodevelopment, all of which are affected in ASD. This makes it a plausible but unproven therapeutic target.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02235APA
Poleg, Shani; Golubchik, Pavel; Offen, Daniel; Weizman, Abraham. (2019). Cannabidiol as a suggested candidate for treatment of autism spectrum disorder.. Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry, 89, 90-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.030
MLA
Poleg, Shani, et al. "Cannabidiol as a suggested candidate for treatment of autism spectrum disorder.." Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.030
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabidiol as a suggested candidate for treatment of autism..." RTHC-02235. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/poleg-2019-cannabidiol-as-a-suggested
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.