Christopher Lowry, PhD
Associate Professor, Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder

This research project used a rat model of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to examine whether cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, might help reduce symptoms associated with ASD. Over the past 25 years, the prevalence of ASD has risen dramatically, now affecting about 1 in 36 children in the United States. Although the exact causes of ASD remain unclear, scientists believe that factors such as stress-related inflammation in the brain and exposure to environmental chemicals during pregnancy could play a role in its development. CBD has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on immune cells in the brain, so researchers hypothesized that it might offer some protection to developing fetal brains when given during pregnancy.

The main finding of the study was that offspring of mothers who received CBD during pregnancy showed fewer signs of ASD-like behaviors. This suggests that CBD might reduce the risk or severity of ASD by protecting the brain during critical periods of development, possibly through its anti-inflammatory effects. However, the specific biological mechanisms behind these protective effects are still unknown and will require further research to understand how CBD works in this context—especially whether it directly targets inflammation in the brain.

Because ASD is also commonly linked with a higher risk of epilepsy, the study also monitored brain activity in the rats over a period of about seven months to assess how stress might influence the development of seizures, a process known as epileptogenesis. None of the rats in the control group (those not exposed to stress) developed epilepsy. In contrast, 30% of the rats exposed to prenatal stress did. When mothers were given CBD during pregnancy, the rate of epilepsy dropped slightly—23% in stressed rats and 13% in non-stressed rats—but this reduction was not statistically significant.

These findings suggest that while prenatal CBD treatment may offer some protective benefits against both ASD-like symptoms and stress-related epilepsy, its effects are limited and not yet well understood. The study highlights the importance of further research to explore how CBD interacts with the developing brain, and whether it could eventually become part of a therapeutic approach for ASD or related neurological conditions.