I say let the parents of autistic children give their kids all the marijuana they can afford and do their own trails on the effectiveness of cannabis. We'll be waiting another 20 years until we find out whether "... marijuana is a safe and effective treatment for autism complications" if we wait for the assholes in charge to lift the restrictions on pot research. Safe and effective?? Chris Tolcher, you're a retard; there hasn't been a death from an overdose on marijuana in like, I think, since people started to use mari-j how ever many hundreds/thousands of years ago (I'm not a expert on marijuana, so forgive me if I seem to be talking out my a$$.)

But hey, let's give them antipsychotics/antidepressants/ whatever else pharma says is good for autism instead! Those meds are the safest and most effective drugs known to man for anything that ails the human mind! Plus, there's actually been scientific, non biased research on each of their uses! haha, Christ! Please smote these f*ckers down ASAP.

"Respected LA-area pediatrician Chris Tolcher says we don't know enough about cannabis for kids."

He wants more research...
A double-blind marijuana clinical trial?
lol

Governments receive from legal and illegal drugs. They just forget to inform the public.

I hope that Jane reads this post and tell a little about her experience.
As always the word of patients are not heard and Mr. M.D. don't pay attention to the parents observations and experience.

""It just feels like I have more control to help my son," Steve says. "We don't depend on doctors, who may have the best intentions, but they don't know what Sam needs.. I want do what's best for my son. And I'll do whatever I can for him.""

It comes from a father who has seen his son during Risperdal phase.

I congratulate these parents who are bold enough to find a way out by themselves.
Lorenzo's Oil is a great movie and based on a true story.

It burns me up. As if we really know the long term safety or efficacy of antipsychotics in autism (or anything else for that matter, but the data doesn't look so good).

Off label marketing and drugging of children is Okay by psychiatrists(show me the money!), but consuming a (nearly) free plant is dangerous. What a LIE.

copy and pasted
“Although it is illegal to promote drugs for use in children if the FDA has not approved them for that use, the law is frequently circumvented by disguising marketing as education or research. Eli Lilly recently agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle civil and criminal charges of marketing the anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa for uses not approved by the FDA (known as "off-label" uses). Zyprexa, which has serious side effects, is one of the drugs frequently used off-label to treat children diagnosed with bipolar disorder.”

Risperdal is so widely used in attempt to calm the behaviors of some autistic kids (I've taught them in school, the drug doesn't help it actually made some more aggressive, plus the weight gain)that I can't see why a chemical restraint such as Risperdal with all of the permanent side effects isn't more scrutized.

If pot works, it's a safer alternative than antipsychotics!

I'm completely intrigued with this idea and have thought of it many times as far as people using marijuana as a natural mood stabilizer. At least it's natural. For people trying to avoid psychosis I am told there can be a problem with the amino acids of certain strains of pot but if you can get medical marijuana that has been grown in strains that are genetically controlled, that is awesome. I don't see how in the world it could be worse that pharmaceutical drugs and it could be a whole lot better.

Interesting marijuana article

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2008695399_apswmphelpsmarijuana.html?syndication=rss

Olympic superstar Michael Phelps could face criminal charges as part of the fallout from a photo that surfaced showing the swimmer smoking from a marijuana pipe at a University of South Carolina house party

--By MEG KINNARD

Associated Press Writer

Related

Does embattled Michael Phelps deserve a break?
News Of The World | See the photo
COLUMBIA, S.C. —

Thank you again for addressing this issue, Philip. In my therapy practice, I have seen many kids diagnosed on the austistic spectrum who have been able to treat some of their overwhelming sensitivity issues with marijuana resulting in improved sociability and ability to attend to certain societal expectations.

Does it not seem strange that in this, “land of the free” that the government is still monitoring the minor indisgressions and leisure activities of its citizens. People should be able to use a glass smoking pipe in their homes without the threat of harassment by law enforcement.
Sunflowerpipes.com

the pill form addresses a big part of the psychologiclly addictive aspect: for any addictive drug, the 'hit,' the mood change from normal (or stressed or whatver) to the 'high,' the change, the relief, is a strong part of the addiction process. i believe with the pills, versus smoking, the onset of the effect is slow, greatly reducing the addictive potential. for the anti-anxiety (benzodiazapene) and opiate pain drugs, this is well known, so researchers keep seeking drugs with good effects but slow onset.

I have a Autistic Child who takes 5 different meds, 3 of them are some form of tranquilizer and 1 is usually prescribed for schizophrenia, he takes these 3 times a day. Do you think he's not stoned on these Meds? are these better than Marijuana? After all the kid is not smoking it and it does eliminate over half of his other drugs.