Keywords
Autismo
Benefícios
How to Cite
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Objective: warn about possible benefits that cannabis therapy can have on patients with ASD. Method: A search was carried out in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed) and the Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) to create the bibliographic compilation of this literature review. The descriptors used were ‘‘benefits’’, ‘‘cannabis’’ and ‘‘autism’’. The inclusion criteria were the date of articles between 2017 and 2025 and texts in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Articles that did not have a defined theoretical and thematic basis aligned with the study objectives, duplicate articles or articles that were not related to the objective of the study were excluded. Results: Among the 25 articles selected in this study, 11 concluded that there was some type of benefit in the use of cannabis components in the treatment of patients with autism spectrum disorder and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Eleven (11) concluded that there was a need for more studies on the proposed topic, to assess whether there were benefits, and 3 concluded that the treatment has no benefits or that it poses high risks to patients' health. Final considerations: The analysis of cannabis-based treatment in autistic patients proved to be relevant, bringing benefits, if administered correctly and on an individualized basis.
Keywords: Benefits, Cannabis, Autism.
References
Agarwal R, Burke SL, Maddux M. Current state of evidence of cannabis utilization for treatment of autism spectrum disorders. BMC Psychiatry. 2019 Oct 29;19(1).
Alves P, et al. Cannabis sativa: Much more beyond Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Pharmacological Research. 2020 Jul; 157:104822.
Al-Soleiti M, et al; Brief Report: Suspected Cannabis-Induced Mania and Psychosis in Young Adult Males with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2021 Sep 9;
Babayeva M, et al. Autism and associated disorders: cannabis as a potential therapy. Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite. 2022 Jan 13;14(1):1.
Chayasirisobhon S. Cannabis and Neuropsychiatric Disorders: An Updated Review. Acta Neurologica Taiwanica [Internet]. 2019 Jun 15;28(2):27–39
Cairns EA, et al. Medicinal cannabis for psychiatry-related conditions: an overview of current Australian prescribing. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2023 Jun 6;14.
Duvall SW, et al. Ethical Implications for Providers Regarding Cannabis Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Pediatrics [Internet]. 2019 Feb 1;143(2)
Fernández-Ruiz J, et al. Possible therapeutic applications of cannabis in the neuropsychopharmacology field. European Neuropsychopharmacology. 2020 Jul; 36:217–34.
Fletcher S, et al. Medicinal cannabis in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review. Child: Care, Health, and Development. 2021 Aug 31;48(1):33–44.
Hill MN, et al. The endocannabinoid system as a putative target for the development of novel drugs for the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. Psychological Medicine [Internet]. 2023 Sep 6 [cited 2023 Oct 10];1–19.
Hacohen M, 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 [Internet]. 2022 Sep 9;12(1):375.
Holdman R, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis in Autism Spectrum Disorder Compared with Commonly Used Medications. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. 2021 Aug 24.
Inglet S, et al. Clinical Data for the Use of Cannabis-Based Treatments: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy [Internet]. 2020 Nov 1;54(11):1109–43.
Jugl S, et al. A Mapping Literature Review of Medical Cannabis Clinical Outcomes and Quality of Evidence in Approved Conditions in the USA from 2016 to 2019. Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids. 2021 Feb 25;4(1):21–42.
Mostafavi M, Gaitanis J. Autism Spectrum Disorder and Medical Cannabis: Review & Clinical Experience. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology. 2020 Jul;100833.
Montagner PSS, et al. Individually tailored dosage regimen of full-spectrum Cannabis extracts for autistic core and comorbid symptoms: a real-life report of multi-symptomatic benefits. Frontiers in Psychiatry [Internet]. 2023
Mansell H, et al. Medical cannabis in schools: The experiences of caregivers. Paediatrics & Child Health [Internet]. 2023 May
Oliveira MCR de et al. Pacientes neuropsiquiátricos e os benefícios do tratamento com fitocanabinóides. Arq ciências saúde UNIPAR [Internet]. 2023;4537–59.
Ponton JA, et al. A pediatric patient with autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy using cannabinoid extracts as complementary therapy: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2020 Sep 22;14(1).
Parrella NF, et al. A systematic review of cannabidiol trials in neurodevelopmental disorders. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior [Internet]. 2023 Sep 1 [cited 2023 Sep 10]; 230:173607.
Pretzsch CM, et al. The effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on low-frequency activity and functional connectivity in the brain of adults with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). J Psychopharmacol [Internet].
Siani-Rose M, et al. Cannabis-Responsive Biomarkers: A Pharmacometabolomics-Based Application to Evaluate the Impact of Medical Cannabis Treatment on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. 2021 Dec 6.
Solimini R, et al. Neurological Disorders in Medical Use of Cannabis: An Update. CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets. 2017 Aug 9;16(5).
Staben J, et al. Cannabidiol and cannabis-inspired terpene blends have acute prosocial effects in the BTBR mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Neuroscience [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2023 Oct 10]; 17:118573
Virgilio S, et al. Cannabinoides en pacientes con trastornos del espectro autista. pesquisabvsaludorg [Internet]. 2017
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fernando Fernandes Figueira, Carlos Alberto Bhering
