Would I Recommend Medical Cannabis for Autism?
I promised I would give updates on our journey with medical cannabis for our severely autistic son. Cooper has been using it for almost four months now. And daily, I receive the same three questions from family and followers:
1.) Is the medical cannabis working?
2.) Would I recommend it to other children?
3.) Have I seen any negative side effects?
My answers are pretty long winded and I cover them in the video below. But to summarize, yes, medical cannabis is ‘working’ for my son.
I have seen huge significant improvements to my son’s awareness and anxiety. He is trying new things, leaving the house more, joining our family, and so on. But I want to be clear, medical cannabis isn’t a cure. It’s not a fix all.
The way I would describe it is that it is a wonderful tool to have in your toolbox. For our son, we rely on ABA Therapy, other therapies, supplements, diet and medical cannabis to keep him happy, healthy and improving.
As for negative side effects, I haven’t seen any. Not one. I don’t have anything negative to say about it except for maybe the cost. Right now we are paying over $300 a month out of pocket for the oil. It is not covered under insurance either. That cost is pretty significant to our family. But again, the benefits outweigh the cost in our world. We are not going to quit as long as we can afford it.
And lastly, would I recommend it for other children? Again, a huge yes. If your child struggles with anxiety then medical cannabis is a great option to try. But remember, it isn’t a magic pill. It’s a tactic to try.
Overview
In week one we saw a reduction in anxiety. In week two we saw improved engagement with his surroundings. In week three Cooper began joining our family in the living room, during meals and in the evenings. Jamie and I learned what it was like to sit down. To not constantly worry and chase.
In week four we saw a combination of everything. He started sleeping better, sitting, interacting, noticing kids, ‘singing’ songs, relaxing, etc. I could go on and on. Week five was all about awareness. He was aware of his brother, his toys, forts, kids, who has the ‘better’ iPad, even Pokemon cards. We even visited a store for the first time in years. It was amazing.
In the last month since I updated, we had huge changes at home. We had a baby! And while Cooper is doing better than I had thought he would with the baby, he seems to be spiraling in other areas. Screaming, pacing, hoarding, and an increase in anxiety to name a few.
For more information, here is the initial post I did about cannabis, our decision to start, and how we went about getting our son approved. If you have questions start with these. You can also find out if medical cannabis is legal in your state: Click HERE.
Here is a high level overview of the results we’ve seen over the last week. As always, I encourage you to watch the video. I go into greater detail. Also, to here are links to videos from WEEK ONE, WEEK TWO, WEEK THREE, WEEK FOUR, WEEK FIVE and MONTH TWO.
I share so much more in the video!
https://www.facebook.com/findingcoopersvoice/videos/2340164279549311/
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