Brief Report: Cannabidiol-Rich Cannabis in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Severe Behavioral Problems-A Retrospective Feasibility Study.

Doctors looked back at charts of 60 children with autism and severe behavior problems. All kids had taken cannabis oil rich in CBD for at least a month. Staff rated each child’s behavior outbreaks before and after the oil.

Six out of ten children were rated “much” or “very much” better. Parents and doctors noticed fewer meltdowns and calmer days. The team says a real controlled trial is now worth doing.

Burrell et al. (2025) show parent training also cuts disruptive behavior in autism. Their meta-analysis gives the same target—behavior outbreaks—but uses coaching instead of cannabis. Bearss et al. (2013) ran a small parent-training case series like this one and saw a 54 % drop in irritability. The CBD data line up: both approaches calm kids, one with pills, one with skills. No clash exists; the tools simply differ.

You now have two parent-friendly paths for severe behavior. If families want a drug-free route, start parent training—its evidence is stronger. If behavior is dangerous and meds are on the table, CBD oil looks hopeful but still needs trials. Track baseline meltdowns for two weeks before any change so you can spot real gains.