Haven’t you heard? April showers bring May flowers and Autism Awareness Month! Our goal this month is to bring about awareness, promote acceptance and help assure that all those affected by autism have access to what they need for a high quality, successful life that they deserve.
Autism looks different on everyone which is why it can be so hard to diagnose. Many have lived with autism and not been diagnosed until their teenage years or later, if even at all. Autism Awareness Month helps to create attention and understanding for the condition and those dealing with its characteristics day to day.
What is Autism?
Autism is a developmental disorder that has lifelong, complex effects. Typically, autism starts to appear in early childhood but, as previously stated, can be diagnosed much later in life as well. It can influence one’s social and communication skills, relationships, and self-regulation. Autism affects everyone differently because it is a “spectrum condition” meaning that it is defined by a set of specific behaviors that impact people with autism to varying degrees.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its ADDM autism prevalence report in 2018 which concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 59 – twice as much as it was in 2004 when the rate was 1 in 125. This rise could be attributed to a number of factors such as more girls getting diagnosed, ethnic and racial differences narrowing and less stigma around the diagnosis. Whatever the reason, awareness is key to early diagnosis and helps a person with autism receive access to the support and services that they need to live their best life!
How Can Medical Marijuana Help Autism?
There has always been a growing body of anecdotal evidence showing that medical marijuana is an effective treatment for autism as autistic people and their caretakers have increasingly experimented with marijuana and it’s products. Many have seen first hand how marijuana can help alleviate autism related effects. Although a lot of the evidence is anecdotal, there is more and more research supporting these conclusions as well.
Understanding exactly how medical marijuana can help autism can be difficult so here’s what you need to know! Everyone has an endocannabinoid system (ECS) which manages bodily functions. The ECS makes cannabinoids which attach to the CB1 and CB2 cell receptors in the body. When these two receptors receive the cannabinoids, they then send signals to the rest of the system. When one’s ECS is behaving abnormally, health conditions can occur.
This is where medical marijuana comes in! Medical marijauana naturally carries cannabinoids which is why it can be used to treat health conditions. Medical marijuana can also help those dealing with autism by helping alleviate other conditions that often come hand in hand with the disorder. Oftentimes, autistic people have trouble with insomnia, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, chronic pain and more. These are all conditions that medical marijuana can help with!
Is Autism a Qualifying Condition in Ohio?
Unfortunately, autism is not a qualifying condition for medical marijuana treatment in Ohio. But there is still hope! At the end of every year, there is an open enrollment period where additional qualifying conditions can be sent to the Ohio Medical Board to review and potentially be added to the qualifying conditions list. This past February, the Ohio Medical Board received 30 applications and moved forward to consider an additional seven conditions, autism being one of them!
This is great news for the autism community as we know how medical marijuana treatment can help those with this disorder! The next steps for autism making it onto the qualifying conditions list is for the board to seek further insights from experts and review all the information behind why medical marijuana is a treatment solution for autism. Click here to sign up for our email list that will alert you once autism has passed!
How Can I Help Raise Awareness About Autism?
Here are some ways that you can help raise awareness for autism this month and every month:
Take a free class to get educated on what autism is.
Support and spread awareness on sensory friendly films at AMC which offers a safe and accepting environment every month.
Attend events and group meetings through your local affiliate network.
Share The Autism Source™ Resource Database with people you know and on social media to help those with autism get credible resources they need.
You can also donate to:
How Do I Get My Ohio Medical Marijuana Card?
In Ohio, you qualify to use medical marijuana to treat your medical condition with a recommendation from a doctor. Join the thousands of patients who have found relief through the use of therapeutic cannabis!
Ohio Marijuana Card offers medical marijuana evaluations and guidance from trained doctors and staff who are ready to answer your questions right now. Give us a call at (866) 457-5559, or schedule a medical marijuana evaluation appointment online today!
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