Autism Spectrum Disorder and Use of Medical Cannabis

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with very diverse clinical presentations, making it difficult to create standardized treatments. As a consequence of the limitations observed in the use of classical psychotropics and their adverse effects, there has been a growing interest in exploring alternatives such as medical cannabis.Material and methods: A mixed approach research with an observational-descriptive design was carried out. A literature review was carried out in scientific databases such as PubMed and Scopus, focusing on publications from the last eight years. In addition, an anonymous survey was administered to ten families of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD who use medical cannabis as part of their treatment.Results: Most of the families reported perceived benefits with the use of cannabis, especially in the reduction of anxiety, improvement of sleep and decrease of irritability. A total of 77.8% indicated that they had started treatment on medical advice. Although 85.8 % continued to use allopathic medication, 20 % were able to reduce it thanks to the use of cannabis.Conclusion: The results suggest that medical cannabis could represent a useful therapeutic tool for the management of some ASD symptoms, although larger, controlled and protocolized studies are required. The experiences of families highlight both the potential of this therapy and the urgent need to improve access, prescription and regulation in Argentina.