Medical marijuana helps people with autism ease their anxiety and depression, according a new study conducted by state officials in Minnesota.
The research, which involved 1,800 patients enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program, is “one of the largest on record involving autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and medical cannabis patients,” officials said.
Of the 88 percent of patients who reported experiencing moderate to severe anxiety upon entering the program, more than half (57 percent) were able to reduce their anxiety by 30 percent or more within four months of beginning medical cannabis use, and 67 percent of those maintained that reduction for an additional four months, according to their answers on self-report surveys.
