4/26/17
WASHINGTON, DC — The war on drugs is being questioned on yet another front.
A breakthrough study has found that medicinal marijuana may provide positive benefits for children with autism, according to reports.
Subjects in the study were given liquid drops of cannabis oil with low levels of THC, or a placebo.
Although the results are not yet conclusive, Adi Aran, a pediatric neurologist who is leading the study, said that many children have shown significant improvements.
For instance, children who were throwing temper tantrums are calmer and no longer inflicting harm on themselves.
Other children showed marked improvements in their ability to communicate.
The improvements have been so evident that some children who were previously suspended from school for behavioral issues were able to return.
One parent whose child is participating in the study says, “My child is speaking relentlessly…He never spoke before. And he’s 12 years old.”
There is some controversy surrounding the study, because even if positive improvements are observed, some are concerned about the long-term effects of giving marijuana to younger subjects.
Parents who’ve seen the improvements respond to the controversy by pointing out that the current prescription drugs for their autistic children are already harmful, and that marijuana provides hope for many who have no other option.
The State of Israel is providing the study and aims to perform even more over the next year.
It is yet another example of professionals finding that the war on drugs — especially as it pertains to criminalizing marijuana users — is unjustified.
If parents of autistic children find that cannabis oil helps them, they would most likely begin treating their children even if they risk arrest.
As long as the war on drugs is not re-evaluated, it will place many police officers in a moral dilemma, for they will have to punish parents for simply helping their own children in a medically beneficial way.
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