Can Marijuana treat Autism?
The family tried every kind of pharmaceutical medication to treat the child's condition but nothing worked.
The meds made him gain over 20 lbs and his violent episodes began escalating even more. A year ago the family started giving him a small amount of hash each morning and now the child is calm and non-violent yet more functional.
California's proposition 215 - the "compassionate use act" - was passed in California a decade ago, allowing seriously ill patients with a doctor's recommendation to use marijuana legally.
But what about for children? We found one family with a truly remarkable tale to tell.
From age two until eight, Sam's disorder made him violent and aggressive. His parents, Steve and Angela, were truly living a nightmare.
"He got to the point where he was hurting other children, when he was in school, or in public places -- we'd be in line at the store, and he'd just bolt and hit another child in the face without any warning at all," says his mother. "One time he pulled down a TV, he knocked over furniture, I had to put him in a hold for a whole hour, his body was just spasming, I lay there crying, holding him."
"He'd be looking for something to break. He had to let out this aggressiveness, so he'd just walk around looking to break/smash something, it was horrible."
Sam's parents worked with expert doctors, who recommended a succession of conventional prescription medications - like Risperdal and a host of others. But Sam gained 20 pounds and became even harder to handle.
"His behavior was getting worse -- and we were scared -- he was getting bigger, stronger, now that he was 20 pounds heavier from Risperdal."
"It was the saddest thing - the child we'd grown to love was gone. When you talked to him, looked at him, he'd just disappeared.
Finally, at their wit's end - and faced with the very real prospect of needing to institutionalize their son --sam's parents decided to try something unconventional and controversial. last year they began treating Sam with medical marijuana.
"If you think about it, it's the perfect drug for that kind of behavior, very calming."
Steve and Angela got a recommendation from a medical cannabis doctor. They told Sam's pediatrician about their plan and Steve grew Sam's new medicine in their backyard.
Steve took out his tomato plants, to grow and then harvest the cannabis.
From the marijuana flowers he could make a concentrated form - what people refer to as 'hash.'
Steve softens the cannabis with heat, then takes what appears to be just a speck of pot - Sam's 'dose' for the day. And from the very start, the cannabis was a godsend for Sam's family.
"The first time we did it, we wanted to see if it would work at all - it was an amazing experience, I'll never forget it, as we watched what happened, it was like He's back!" says Sam's dad. "It was like all this anguish, pent-up rage and aggressiveness went away -- it just calmed him down."
Within roughly 20 minutes, the effects were clear. where earlier sam had been animated and antsy, after eating his speck of hash sam became calm, relaxed, and social.
"As a mother, what do you say to those who'd say, you're getting your son stoned every day? ... At first I was very concerned - but the more I share the story with friends, co-workers, the more comfortable I am. It saved our lives, and I think about what it's done for our son."
Could Sam's story help others? Respected LA-area pediatrician Christopher Tolcher says we don't know enough about cannabis for kids.
"I think for all the parents out there whose children may have autism, I think the message here is that this is intriguing information that needs more research before we can confidently say that marijuana is a safe and effective treatment for autism complications,
But for this Calfornia family, medical marijuana has literally been an answer to their prayers and a homecoming for their son.
"It was a medication with the result we'd been hoping for for so long. (PAN) And he was happy again, smiling, laughing -- the boy we'd lost for so long, who we wondered if we'd ever see again."
"It just feels like I have more control to help my son -- we don't depend on doctors, who may have the best intentions, but they don't know what Sam needs... I wanna do what's best for my son. And I'll do whatever I can for him."
One important note: Sam's parents tell us they've followed the letter of the law regarding his medication. They've grown only the amount of marijuana that prop 215 allows. The medication is for Sam and no one else.
