Medical cannabis proves effective in treating autism in Israeli children

With more than 130,000 medical cannabis patients, Israel boasts the highest per capita rate in the Western world. The Health Ministry sanctions its use for numerous conditions such as cancer, chronic pain, PTSD, and others, according to Ynet.

"My son used to bang his head against the wall and scratch himself until he bled. He had withdrawal symptoms when we weaned him off psychiatric medications, like a drug addict. Then, when he was 12, we started treating him with medical cannabis. At 16, he called me ‘Mom’ for the first time. I even got a hug,” conveyed Dafna Azarzar, whose 20-year-old son Ilay is diagnosed with autism.

The government sanctioned the use of cannabis oil for treating children with autism in 2021. This approval was based on research led by Dr. Adi Aran, head of Shaare Zedek Medical Center’s Pediatric Neurology Unit, showing positive effects on behavioral and biochemical markers in autistic children.