The conventional wisdom is that any kind of treatment is likely to be less effective as the child gets older, so parents of autistic children usually believe that they are working against the clock. They will not be satisfied with the ambiguities surrounding ABA, nor will they want to wait for some future research finding that might slightly increase its effectiveness. They want results now. Because there are no scientifically-validated drugs for the core symptoms of autism, they look outside the boundaries of mainstream medicine and FDA approval. Studies have found that anywhere from 28 to 54 percent of autistic children receive “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM), and these numbers probably understate CAM usageThese approaches sometimes include marijuana.
Kieran Nicholson at The Denver Post:
A bill allowing Coloradans with autism to use medical marijuana was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Jared Polis.
The new law — HB19-1028 — adds autism to the list of disabling medical conditions that allow a person to legally use medical marijuana, according to the bill.
The bill, sponsored by state Reps. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder, and Kim Ransom, R-Littleton, passed through the house on Feb. 7 without a single “no” vote; it passed through the Senate on March 20 by a vote of 31-4. Earlier, the bill passed the health committee by a 10-1 vote.
Under the law, “autism spectrum disorder” must be “diagnosed by a primary care physician, physician with experience in autism spectrum disorder or licensed mental health provider.”
