Medical marijuana and autism!

Keywords: Buy medical marijuana online Online cannabis dispensary Meta Title: Can medical marijuana help manage autism? | Online Cannabis Dispensary Can medical marijuana help manage autism? | Fair Canna Care Meta Description: Autism is one of the fastest growing disorders in the United States. Could medical marijuana hold the key to a better quality of life for autistic individuals?

Medical Marijuana and Autism

What is Autism?

Autism is a fairly wide-ranging disorder that can refer to a multitude of conditions, which are characterised by challenges with social skills affecting speech and nonverbal communication, as well as repetitive behaviour. Due to the range of characteristics that can occur with autism, there are now a recognized spectrum for diagnosing and treating this condition.

In fact, there are three different types of autism disorders: � Autistic Disorder - This is also considered “classic� autism and tends to be what people think of when discussing autism. Symptoms of this particular disorder include challenges communicating, major language delays and unusual behaviors or interests. Often

individuals with this disorder also have an intellectual disability, which can affect how they process information. ● Asperger Syndrome - This is the second most-common autistic disorder and generally displays with somewhat milder symptoms. These individuals typically face challenges communicating and have unusual behaviours or interests, but typically do not have an intellectual disability or problems understanding language. ● Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS) – This is known as ”atypical autism".

Individuals with this disorder meet some criteria for autistic disorder or Asperger's, but not all of them. Therefore, they may be diagnosed with PDD-NOS. These individuals typically present with fewer and milder symptoms than those with the classic autism disorder. These individuals may face social and communication challenges, but not to the same extremes.

It is estimated that autism occurs in approximately 1 out of every 68 children in the United States, according to the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Autism beings in children and most individuals exhibit signs between 2 and 3 years of age, but sometimes as early as 18 months1. Boys are also almost five times more likely to develop autism than girls2.

Typically young children with autism won’t respond to their name, they will not point at objects to show interest (plane flying overhead, food, etc) and they won’t play “pretend” games like other children. These symptoms are typically noticeable between 12 and 18 months of age.

Some additional symptoms of autism include: ● Avoiding eye contact ● Wanting to be alone; inability to connect with others ● Difficulty understanding other people's feelings or discussing their own emotions ● Delayed speech and language skills ● Repetitive behaviour, such as repeating words or phrases ● Providing unrelated answers to questions ● Getting overly upset by minor changes or distributions ● Tend to have obsessive interests ● Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles ● Have unusual reactions to how objects or people may smell, taste, look or feel Unfortunately, it is not fully understood how autism is caused or develops. However, most of the scientific community agrees that genetics are one of the main risk factors that may contribute to a person’s likelihood of developing an autistic disorder in the womb and/or during their very early years.

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https://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/what-is-autism/ https://aphria.ca/blog/cannabis-oil-and-autism/

Current Treatments for Autism There are multiple treatments for autism given the range of characteristics and symptoms.

These treatments include: ● Social-skills training ● Behavioural therapy ● Prescription medication such as risperidone or aripiprazole

How Can Cannabis Help?

Currently there are very minimal studies that review the effects of cannabis and autism.

However, there is are a growing number of anecdotal evidence from doctors and parents to suggest a positive correlation.

Of the few studies that do exist, A study published in June 2017 proposed that the "endocannabinoid system (ES) may have a role in regulating neuroinflammation, which is an important element of [autism]"3. The study went on to say that “the growing number of medical benefits of ES, such as their ability to regulate processes like neuroinflammation, neurogenesis and memory, raise the question of their potential role as a preventive treatment of [autism]”.

An older study from 2013 also found that the CB2 receptor could be a “potential therapeutic target for the pharmacological management of autism care”.4

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5535348/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23585028

Fortunately, anecdotal evidence is mounting, which has pushed the scientific community to consider if there is a therapeutic link between cannabis and autism. In fact, The first clinical trial to study these effects on children with autism is being conducted in Israel as of January 2017.

This study involves 120 individuals ranging from 5 to 29 years old with mild to severe autism and is expected to run through to the end of 20185. Israel is a pioneer in this type of research and was one of the first countries to permit the use of medical marijuana.

Best Strains for Autism Given the nature of autism and the disconnect when it comes to communication and understanding, CBD oil or CBD heavy strains are the best options for individuals looking to try an alternative therapy route.

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid component that comes from the marijuana plant. As such, it does not result in a “high”. However, it does have many health benefits! These benefits include: anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components, regulation of hormones and even management of neuroinflammation, neurogenesis and memory. Click here to learn more about CBD and its many benefits.

CBD-Heavy Strains There is growing popularity for CBD heavy strains with the recent medical research and new data on the benefits of a non-psychoactive treatment in the case of many disorders, including autism. Some of the most popular CBD strains include: ● Harlequin - This strain is Sativadominant and features a 5:2 CBD/THC ratio and mild euphoria. ● Ringo's Gift - Named after Lawrence Ringo, a CBD specialist, is a nearly 100% CBD ●

strain with a 24:1 CBD/THC ratio.

ACDC - This is another popular strain that is heavy CBD with a 20:1 CBD/THC ratio.

CBD Isolates & Oils CBD isolate or CBD oil is the purest form of CBD available on the market.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/04/25/marijuana-pot-treatment-children-autismcannabis-oil/100381156/

These compounds are solvent-free and contain zero THC or synthetic components, making them safe and reliable sources of this powerful cannabinoid.

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Sources: https://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/what-is-autism/ https://www.asws.org/WhatisAutism.aspx https://www.leafly.com/news/health/how-does-cannabis-consumption-affect-autism https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/04/25/marijuana-pot-treatment-children-autismcannabis-oil/100381156/