1. Running head: CANNABIS OIL…AUTSIM 1
Cannabis Oil/Medical Marijuana as an Alternative Treatment for Children with Autism
Onitra Wilkerson-proffer
ENG122: English Composition II
Professor Bethann Crust
March 21, 2016
2. CANNABIS OIL…AUTSIM 2
Cannabis Oil/Medical Marijuana as an Alternative Treatment for Children with Autism
Autism is a neurological developmental and behavioral disorder. Autism is marked by
symptoms such as poor eye contact, poor socialization skills and peer relations, repetitive
behaviors (e.g., twirling self/objects, hand-flapping, etc.), delayed speech; in many cases, self-
injurious behaviors (e.g., banging head on surfaces, biting/scratching self, eloping, etc.), and in
other cases, seizures. Many autistic children are treated with a combination of therapies and
pharmaceuticals. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Applied Behavior
Analysis (ABA) are highly recommended forms of therapy that may benefit the autistic child,
pharmaceuticals tend to be more detrimental than beneficial to the autistic child’s health, due to
side effects. Some parents are turning to other, more controversial forms of treatment for their
autistic children. There is a more natural alternative means of treatment for children with autism,
with next to no side effects…cannabis oil (extract of marijuana). According to one online
article, “Cannabis is a versatile herb that can produce a variety of medicinal preparations with
distinct pharmacologic properties…” (Russo, Mead, and Sulak, 2015, p. 58). More recently, a
counterpart of cannabis is showing signs of promise as an alternative treatment for children with
autism. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a counterpart of cannabis; it is a painkiller, calmative, anti-emetic,
and anti-seizure component (among others) that lacks the heady effects of cannabis itself (Russo
et al., 2015). Although many states legalized the medical use of cannabis, the list of ailments it
treats does not include autism. According to Collective Evolution (2015), there is an “endless
stream of anecdotal and peer-reviewed evidence that proves that Autistic people function better
using cannabis, it isn’t something we should have to fight for. It’s something we should be
embracing…” (Para. 2). Cannabis oil should be made available as a legal, natural alternative to
pharmaceuticals in the treatment of autistic children, because it aids in speech production of non-
3. CANNABIS OIL…AUTSIM 3
verbal autistic children, creates an appetite in the autistic child who previously had no true
appetite, and it allows the autistic child to remain calm, when he/she was previously known for
outbursts.
Within the past decade, dramatic policy changes have taken place with regard to the
access and use of cannabis/marijuana (e.g., decriminalization in some states, medicinal use in
others, etc.; Hadland, Knight, & Harris, 2015); however, many parents of autistic children are
unable to gain access to the herb, due to their own state’s laws. Although many parents believed
autism prevalence to be leveling out, current research shows that prevalence of the neurological
disorder is still on the rise. In March 2014, startling new data were released by the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), establishing prevalence of autism at 1 in 68 children – 1
in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls (!) (AutismSpeaks.org, 2015, Para. 1); however, this information
does not include those children who have yet to garner official diagnosis or those who are
diagnosed but not receiving treatment. For those children who are not receiving treatment, the
parents may be uninformed and not know what options are available. One form of therapy that is
beneficial to the autistic child is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Several forms of CBT
approaches exist and most of them share the commonalities of a plan-based, goal-oriented, and
time-sensitive method of treatment. Another form of therapy that is deemed successful with
autistic children is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Although ABA has been tested and
proven effective for many children with autism and other developmental disorders (Morris, n.d.,
Para. 1), neither CBT nor ABA is effective for all autistic children. According to Posey, Kem,
Swiezy, Thayne, Wiegand, and McDougle (2004), “No drugs have been shown to consistently
improve the social and communication impairments central to autism” (p. 2115, Para. 1). It is a
current fact that there are no completed studies to support the benefits and efficacy of cannabis
4. CANNABIS OIL…AUTSIM 4
oil/medical marijuana in the autistic child; most information of cannabis use as a treatment for
autism comes from parental self-reports. What some parents are reporting should be enough to
warrant a plethora of studies on the issue; alas, the government seems to be quite reluctant in
complete decriminalization of the all-natural herb (decriminalization would make it easier for
parents of autistic children to obtain cannabis oil/medical marijuana), or even to insist on a single
study. Parental self-reports are turning the heads of other parents with autistic children and the
scientific community, due to the amazing results reported.
It is reported several times over that after the first initial dose of cannabis oil, or the less
heady hemp oil, that autistic children who were unable to speak, began to talk (or make his/her
first verbal sound(s)), acquired a new and healthier appetite, and were able to maintain a level of
calmness not previously exhibited or experienced. For instance, one father wrote on Reddit.com
that he gives his 7-year-old son cannabis oil to treat his autism. According to the father (name
withheld), “No amount of ABA or behavioral therapy seemed to work” (n.a., n.d., Para. 1).
However, after therapies and pharmaceuticals lost their initial promise, the family consulted a
specialist in children cannabis therapy of autism and epilepsy (name withheld), who placed the
child on cannabis oil. The father stated that his son fell immediately to sleep after only one dose
of the oil: “The first night we gave it to him, he went right to sleep. He usually spends 30-45
minutes yelling and hitting the wall. He’s gone right to sleep every night since” (n.a., n.d., Para.
3). The father further states his son’s improvements in the following: “My wife dropped him off
at ABA the other day. He grabbed the therapist’s hand, turned to my wife and said, “Bye!”,
turned to the lady and said, “Let’s go.” And off he went. Usually ABA visits devolve into some
sort of fit tantrum” (n.a., n.d., Para. 3).
5. CANNABIS OIL…AUTSIM 5
Mieko Hester-Perez of Orange County, California reported similar improvements in her
autistic son. According to Nick Buglione (n.d.), Hester-Perez’s then 10-year-old son, Joey,
stopped eating due to the appetite-deadening side effects of the behavioral medications he was
taking. At the time of the report, Joey weighed only 46 pounds, stopped walking, bruised easily,
and the bones of his chest, arms, and legs were visible (Buglione, n.d.). Other side effects of
Joey’s medications caused facial-twitches, convulsions, and liver damage; and worst of all was
his lack of appetite that left young Joey “emaciated and weak” (Buglione, n.d., Para. 7). After
learning about some of the effects of marijuana on autism from a family friend, Hester-Perez set
to researching the issue, and located an article by the late Dr. Bernard Rimland, father and
founder of the Autism Research Institute (ARI). Reportedly, upon consulting with her son’s
pediatrician, Hester-Perez began treating her son with cannabis. The mother baked the herb into
brownies for her son, and for seven months, administered one brownie a day (pieces off the
brownie about the size of a half-dollar, throughout the day) and noticed immediate improvement:
“Joey is mellow…he wanted to sit in his room and play with his toys…wasn’t on edge as much”
(Buglione, n.d., Para. 13). At the time of this article/interview, Joey was smiling and attempting
to speak, which, according to his mother, is something he had not ever done before.
Marie Myung-Ok Lee, a Brown University instructor and mother of an autistic son,
chronicled her autistic son’s response to Marinol, a synthetic of cannabis, according to Debra
Borchardt, reporter for Forbes (2015). Ms. Ok Lee reported that her son went from self-injurious
behaviors (e.g., banging his head), to acquisition of the ability to ride a bicycle! Ms. Ok Lee is
convinced of Marinol’s effects, attributing the medication to her son’s improvements. Marinol is
a derivative of the cannabis plant. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
Marinol is a cannabinoid of which dronabinol is its active ingredient. Dronabinol is derived
6. CANNABIS OIL…AUTSIM 6
from delta-9-THC, a single component of THC in cannabis, and may play a role in moderating
the effects of such in the newly discovered cannabinoid receptors, located in the body’s neural
tissues (FDA, 2004).
Even more recent is the story of Kalel Santiago, a 9-year-old autistic child who suffered
so badly from the disorder that he lacked the ability to speak. According to Borchardt (2015),
Kalel began speaking his first words after receiving hemp oil spray by mouth, twice a day.
Further, the child’s physician, Dr. Giovanni Martinez, a clinical psychologist in Puerto Rico,
states that the child was “a full non-verbal patient” (Borchardt, 2015, Para. 6). Incredibly, just
three weeks after beginning this therapy, Kalel began making his first verbal sounds. Kalel’s
parents took it upon themselves to do the research that led them to hemp oil; and Dr. Martinez’s
pursuit affords him the luxury of sharing the information he garners with Kalel’s parents. Not
only does hemp oil aid this little boy with speech production, according to Dr. Martinez, when
the child could not communicate he acted out badly in his frustrations; however, since the
production of speech in the child, he can now communicate with everyone, therefore creating a
better-behaved and much happier child: “He laughs every time he hears his voice” (Borchardt,
2015, Para. 6).
The evidence provided herein does suggest/exhibit the beneficial effects of cannabis
oil/medical marijuana, with respect to the autistic child, with little to no side effects. However,
the “side effects” of cannabis oil/medical marijuana and its derivatives/components could
include development and production of speech in the non-verbal autistic child, the
establishment/re-establishment of a healthy appetite, and the maintenance of autistic behaviors;
rather than having an outburst/tantrum, the autistic child is able to maintain a level of calmness
on his/her own. Cannabis oil/medical marijuana should be available to autistic children due to
7. CANNABIS OIL…AUTSIM 7
the beneficial side effects of the herb on the autistic child. Cannabis oil/medical marijuana
should be made available as a legal, natural alternative to pharmaceuticals in the treatment of
autistic children, because it aids in speech production of non-verbal autistic children, creates an
appetite in the autistic child who previously had no true appetite, and it allows the autistic child
to remain calm, when he/she was previously known for outbursts.
8. CANNABIS OIL…AUTSIM 8
References
n.a. (n.d.). I give my son, who is 7, cannabis oil to treat his autism [Discussion board].
Retrieved March 14, 2016, from Reddit.com website:
https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/comments/3h9q30/i_give_my_son_who_is_7_cannabis
_oil_to_treat_his/
AutismSpeaks.org. (n.d.). Autism prevalence. Retrieved March 18, 2016, from Autism Speak
website:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/prevalence
Borchardt, D. (2015, 10 June). Desperate parents of autistic children trying cannabis despite
lack of studies. Forbes. Retrieved March 16, 2016, from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2015/06/10/desperate-parents-of-autistic-
children-trying-cannabis-despite-lack-of-studies/#7d5957ee2c94
Buglione, N. (n.d.). Marijuana madness. Retrieved March 06, 2016, from Autism Support
Network website:
http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/autism-treatment-marijuana-madness-
8763721
Collective Evolution. (2015, 17 February). What happens when they treated autistic children
with medical cannabis? Retrieved March 18, 2016, from Collective Evolution (CE)
website:
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/02/17/what-happened-when-they-treated-
autistic-children-with-medical-cannabis/
9. CANNABIS OIL…AUTSIM 9
Food and Drug Administration. (2004, Sep). Marinol (Dronabinol) capsules [PDF]. Retrieved
March 19, 2016, from
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/05n0479/05N-0479-emc0004-04.pdf
Hadland, S. E., Knight, J. R., & Harris, S. K. (2015, Feb/Mar). Medical marijuana: Review of
the science and implications for developmental-behavioral pediatric practice [PDF].
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 36(2), 115-23. Retrieved March
06, 2016, from Researchgate website:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Scott_Hadland/publication/272075119_Medical_ma
rijuana_review_of_the_science_and_implications_for_developmental-
behavioral_pediatric_practice/links/54fe2bd20cf2741b69ef9cd9.pdf
Morris, B. K. (n.d.). Introduction to applied behavior analysis. Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
Synapse website:
http://www.autism-help.org/intervention-applied-behavior-analysis.htm
Posey, D. J., Kem, D. L., Swiezy, N. B., Thayne, L. S., Wiegand, R. E., & McDougle, C. J.
(2004). A pilot study of D-Cycloserine in subjects with autistic disorders [Report].
American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(11), 2115-17. Retrieved March 16, 2016, from
http://ils.unc.edu/bmh/neoref/nrschizophrenia/jsp/review/tmp/108.pdf
Russo, E. B., Mead, A. P., & Sulak, D. (2015, Apr). PEER REVIEWED: Current status and
future of cannabis research. Clinical Researcher. Doi: 10.14524/CR-0004. Retrieved
March 14, 2016, from Researchgate website:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273573870_Current_status_and_future_of_can
nabis_research
