Do you know someone who has autism? I would be surprised if you didn’t, because approximately 1 in 59 children has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I know three just in my family who are considered to be on the spectrum. In honor of Autism Awareness Day, I wanted to read more about how medical marijuana has helped children and adults with autism.

For people who aren’t aware of what autism is, it can be a broad range of conditions where they can have challenges with social skills, behaviors, and communication. Some people with autism are well-functioning and require minimal treatment. While others they can barely speak and be harmful to themselves and others. I have seen both extremes, and until you witness it, you really don’t understand what these families are going through.

Now I’m not a doctor, and I can’t say that cannabis can indeed treat autism, but I can show a video that is a true testimonial on how it helped this kid overcome it.

Watch this video about how cannabis changed this toddler’s life forever.

Not only is Jonathan Jr. adorable, but it is incredible to see how this medication treated him and his family. In the end, his father talked about how it saved their marriage because it was so challenging to deal with his out-of-control aggressive behavior. I thought this was such a sweet story to share and I’m sure there are many other cases out there that supports it.

Unfortunately, until marijuana is declassified as a schedule 1 drug, it is tough to do any research on it. Luckily there was a study released out of Israel (one of the few countries that approve cannabis research) a few months ago that supports it can relieve some of the symptoms suffered by many autistic people, including seizures, restlessness, and rage attacks.

If you are a parent with a child with autism, I highly recommend looking into MAMMA – Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism. They can give you the resources you need around the science, the law, and more importantly real-life scenarios where they have seen a positive impact on cannabis treatment.

Here is another video that MAMMA produced that shows how much their lives have changed with the use of medical marijuana.

Now while this all sounds amazing, there are still some loopholes in the system that need to be figured out. The biggest one is it’s not legal in every state so it can be hard to obtain. The good thing is it is a qualified treatment for medical cannabis in eight states (Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Rhode Island) and people can obtain it in the ten states where recreational marijuana is legal. I’ve read multiple articles where families will move to a state where it is legal to seek treatment for their child.

The other big discrepency is people who have severe autism and have to be institutionalized for their aggressive behavior. Since these facilities are federally instituted and financed, they legally are not allowed to administer cannabis to these patients. I had a conversation with a mom in PA who struggles with this daily. It baffles me that in Pennsylvania, you are legally allowed to treat autism with cannabis, yet if the patient is in a behavioral facility, they are not allowed to have it. So the people who have severe autism and in a sense need it to the most, legally don’t have access to it, unless their parent(s) come and give it to them. I understand the legalities around it, but it’s not fair for these families where it’s hard enough for them to have to put their child in these places and it’s almost like their trapped in their own bodies. I feel for these families, and I hope our government can get this issue addressed sooner than later.

So in honor of Autism Awareness Day, put yourself in these families situation and think about what you would do if you were them.