Medical cannabis has become a subject of national political debate in recent years, and now, concentrated CBD is also growing in popularity as an alternative to conventional treatments for a wide range of health conditions.
However, many people still associate using CBD with smoking marijuana, which is a common misconception.
Although CBD can be extracted from hemp and marijuana, the CBD oil that you’ll find over the counter in health stores and online shops comes from hemp plants, which contain less than 0.3% THC.
Such products are federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.
As more medical research is conducted into the benefits of CBD, people are starting to use it for everything from anxiety to insomnia, chronic pain, and even autism spectrum disorders.
Some people with autism use CBD oil or other forms of CBD to manage the symptoms of the condition. But how exactly does CBD affect autism disorders? How do you choose a high-quality product in the loosely regulated market?
Continue reading to find out.
CBD Oil for Autism: Best Brands & Products in 2022
It’s not easy to find a reliable source of CBD in the sea of mediocre suppliers. As a booming market, the CBD industry has become a ripe place for fly-by-night companies looking for a quick buck from poorly informed customers.
Buying CBD oil online requires you to do thorough research on a company. You should check the source of their hemp, extraction methods, and see if they publish third-party lab reports on their website. Reading those lab reports isn’t easy either.
Not to mention that it’s time-consuming.
That’s why our team at Weed News has compiled the list of the top 5 brands selling CBD oil in 2022. We’ve gone through 30+ companies to select top-shelf providers that combine premium quality with decent transparency and reasonable prices.
1. Royal CBD (Best CBD Oil for Autism)
| Potency | 250 mg – 2500 mg |
| Available Flavors | Natural, Berry, Mint, Vanilla |
| CBD per serving | 8.3 mg – 83.3 mg |
Why Royal CBD is the Best CBD Oil for Autism
Royal CBD is a premium brand with roots in California. Started in 2017 as a small artisan company, Royal CBD has quickly made it to the industry’s top thanks to the quality of its products. This company sells full-spectrum CBD extracts made with organic hemp and extracted with supercritical CO2 for high potency and purity. On top of four potencies of CBD oil, Royal CBD offers softgel capsules, THC-free gummies, and organic topicals. All of the company’s products are third-party tested in an independent laboratory for their CBD content and potential contaminants.
As mentioned, the Royal CBD oil is available in 4 potency options, including 250 mg, 500 mg, 1000 mg, and 2500 mg. The strongest version contains 83.3 mg of CBD in each mL, which is a decent potency for pesky symptoms such as anxiety or restlessness autistic people may experience throughout the day.
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2. Gold Bee
Product Details
| Potency | 300 – 1200 mg |
| Available Flavors | Natural, Honey |
| CBD per serving | 10 mg – 40 mg |
About Gold Bee
Our runner-up, Gold Bee is another California-based company. This brand offers premium CBD products from organic hemp with its signature honey flavor, which is delicious, to be honest. Gold Bee’s mission is to destigmatized hemp, which was unfairly criticized by the media, and provide the health benefits of CBD to different types of users.
Gold Bee has partnered with growers from California and Colorado to create its own blend of high-CBD hemp strains, resulting in clean and potent extracts that resemble the phytochemical structure of the original hemp plant.
The reason why Gold Bee scores the second place on our list of the best CBD oils for autism is the lack of high-potency oils. The strongest CBD oil from Gold Bee’s collection contains 1200 mg of CBD, which is slightly over 30 mg/mL.
Gold Bee also sells 25 mg CBD gummies and softgel capsules with the same potency.
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3. CBDPure
Product Details
| Potency | 100 – 1000 mg |
| Available Flavors | None |
| CBD per serving | 3.3 – 33 mg/mL |
About CBDPure
In my opinion, CBDPure sells the best low-potency CBD oil on the market. Not only that, but this company also exhibits second-to-none transparency, describing every detail of its activity, from sourcing the CBD to testing the end product. Recently, CBDPure has added a 1000 mg CBD oil to their collection.
Similar to Royal CBD and Gold Bee, CBDPure uses organic hemp plants and makes its extracts with CO2 in its supercritical state, ensuring high purity and potency of its products. This CBD oil contains the full-spectrum of cannabinoids — with less than 0.3% THC — so you’re getting the synergistic effects from other hemp compounds. Full-spectrum extracts are believed to maintain efficacy at lower doses, unlike isolates, especially when it comes to symptoms like inflammation, anxiety, and seizures.
CBDPure understands that not everyone wants to commit on the first date, so it has a 90-day return policy, so if you’re not satisfied with the product, you can send it back for a full refund.
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4. Hemp Bombs
Product Details
| Potency | 125 – 4000 mg |
| Available Flavors | Natural, Acai Berry, Orange Creamsicle, Peppermint, Watermelon |
| CBD per serving | 4 – 133 mg/mL |
About Hemp Bombs
If you’re looking for the best CBD oil for autism but without any THC inside, Hemp Bombs will be your best bet. This company specializes in making 99% pure CBD extracts in a wide range of products, from traditional formats like oil, capsules, and gummies, to less conventional products, such as tattoo aftercare and beard oil. Unlike other brands in our list of the best CBD oil for autism, Hemp Bombs uses CBD isolate in its CBD oil, meaning it contains no other cannabinoids and terpenes.
Hemp Bombs is a great brand for those who need very high doses of CBD in their regime. At 4000 mg of CBD per bottle, the strongest version of its CBD oil delivers 133 mg of CBD in each milliliter. Even if you don’t use such high doses on a regular basis, you can get yourself supplied for months to come, saving more money in the long run. However, due to the lack of other cannabinoids and terpenes from hemp, you won’t be getting the synergy from the entourage effect. This means that you may need to take more CBD in the end — feeling fatigued and sleepy.
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5. CBDistillery
| Potency | 250 – 5000 mg |
| Available Flavors | None |
| Potency | 8.3 – 166 mg/mL |
About CBDistillery
CBDistillery closes our ranking of the best CBD oils for autism. This company is one of the first companies to enter the U.S. CBD market, and one of the largest suppliers in North America. It also offers one of the broadest selections of CBD products we’ve ever come across.
The CBDistillery CBD oil is available in two types: full-spectrum or broad-spectrum (labeled as ‘pure oil’). The pure oil version contains CBD and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids and terpenes from hemp. What makes it different from its full-spectrum counterpart is the lack of THC, which has been removed after initial extraction.
CBDistillery covers the entire potency range for CBD extracts, starting at 250 mg up to 5000 mg of CBD per bottle. The only reason why we give them the 5th place is that the guys at CBDistillery don’t use organic hemp. However, that’s completely understandable considering the price of these products — CBDistillery’s extracts are very affordable.
If you’re looking for high-quality CBD products in different forms for a wide range of symptoms — and you don’t mind non-organic hemp — then I definitely recommend CBDistillery.
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What is CBD?
WebMD defines CBD as “a chemical in the cannabis Sativa plant, also known as marijuana or hemp.” It’s one of the two major compounds in the cannabis genus of plants — next to THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid that makes marijuana users feel high.
Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t have mind-altering effects. In fact, it has been shown to have antipsychotic properties. Scientists have found that CBD can offset or inhibit the psychoactive effects of THC. That’s why the World Health Organization has classified cannabidiol as a safe substance with no potential for dependence or abuse.
You can take cannabidiol in many different forms. One of the most common product is CBD oil, which you can take by:
- Adding a few drops under your tongue for up to 60 seconds before swallowing.
- Infusing it into food and drinks
- Applying it topically to the skin to relieve localized problems
Another popular way to take CBD is through edibles. These are available in a variety of flavors, most commonly being sold as gummies.
There are also CBD vape oils (E-liquids) that adults can use to deliver CBD via inhalation.
Is CBD Legal?
There are different laws surrounding the legal status of CBD across the USA. Whether CBD oil is legal in your state depends on its source.
As mentioned, CBD can be extracted from both hemp and marijuana, and while it remains the same compound regardless of the source, the chemical makeup of hemp-derived CBD oil and marijuana-derived CBD oil is different.
CBD oil from marijuana typically has higher levels of THC and can produce psychoactive effects. Marijuana-derived products are legal in states that have legalized recreational or medical (or both) uses of marijuana.
Currently, marijuana is legal for recreational use in 11 states, while 33 states have a medical marijuana program for patients.
On the other hand, hemp-derived CBD oil is legal in all 50 states. In 2018, President Trump signed the 2018 farm bill, removing hemp from the list of controlled substances act. Hemp-derived products must contain less than 0.3% THC to be federally legal.
You can find CBD products from hemp over the counter in local head shops, vape stores, health outlets, and online stores.
CBD oil has many positive effects on health. Recently, researchers have been digging into the potential benefits of using CBD for autism.
Let’s shed more light on this relationship in the next section.
CBD Oil and Autism
Some people turn to CBD as a natural and safer alternative to pharmaceuticals because of their growing availability and lower prices. CBD is known for relieving the following symptoms:
- Addictive behavior
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Autism
- Depression
- Mood disorders
- Psychosis
- Sleep disorders
Research on the use of CBD for children with autism is in the early stage, but current findings are very promising. For example, an anecdotal study from the Neurology Journal reported that administering CBD to autistic patients resulted in the improvement of behavioral outbursts in 61% of the subjects. Anxiety and communication issues were reduced by 39% and 47% respectively, in a study with 120 participants.
Scientists still haven’t figured out what exactly causes the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder such as sensory dysfunction, aggressive and repetitive behavior, and social communication difficulties. However, CBD has shown to alleviate other symptoms linked to autism, including anxiety, ADHD, and sleep disturbances.
While CBD oil may not be able to cure autism — autism doesn’t need to be ‘cured’ directly, anyways — but it may help people with autism manage the pesky symptoms that negatively affect their daily functioning.
Benefits of Using CBD Oil for Autism
Here we highlight the most prominent benefits of CBD oil for autistic patients.
Sleep Pattern Regulation
A study published in 2019 in the Permanente Journal found that CBD can benefit people with sleep disorders. According to the study, 48 out of 72 patients (66.7%) reported improved sleep patterns within the first month of therapy. The results were fluctuating throughout the test, but only three people in the study responded negatively to CBD.
In another study from The Journal of Pediatric Neurosciences, researchers reported that autistic children experiencing insomnia at a higher rate than neurotypical children were able to fall asleep faster and remain longer in the deep sleep stage by using CBD oil.
Reduced Anxiety
The same study from the Permanente Journal showed a significant decrease in anxiety levels in 79.2% of the participants. Interestingly, the results remained consistent throughout the whole study — with minimal side effects. Only a few patients reported slight fatigue and sedation. The study also reported that people were more willing to continue this treatment compared to conventional psychiatric therapy.
Anxiety is a common problem among autistic adults and a particularly troubling one in children and adolescents. Unexpected events, changes in their routine, or even regular social situations can aggravate feelings of anxiousness for those with autism. Using CBD oil to reduce anxiety can lead to improvements in other aspects of autism, such as physical tics and selective mutism.
Improved Focus and Attention
Autism can compromise the way people pay attention to tasks. Autistic patients often find it difficult to cope with distractions, such as background noise, talking, or their own thoughts. It can also work the other way round — they can become super-focused on a task on top of forgetting to do other things.
People diagnosed with autism also tend to show symptoms of ADHD. This, in turn, can further disrupt a person’s ability to focus and ignore distractors. Since CBD allows the brain to use serotonin more efficiently, users may find it curbs their anxiety. Lower anxiety levels equal better focus.
What Are the Side Effects of CBD Oil?
Similar to the WHO, Harvard Medical School defines CBD as a generally safe substance that causes only a few mild side effects, such as dry mouth, irritability, fatigue, and diarrhea. CBD may also increase levels of Coumadin or Warfarin, two popular blood thinners, so it’s not recommended to use any of these meds in conjunction with CBD oil. Besides these effects and several other drug interactions, most adults and children can safely consume CBD. Always consult your doctor if you have any doubts about incorporating CBD into your routine.
Final Notes on Using CBD Oil for Autism
Although research on CBD and autism is inconclusive, current studies support the theory that CBD is beneficial for autistic patients, especially when it comes to the management of side symptoms, such as anxiety, restlessness, and attention deficits.
If you or somebody close to you have autism and want to relieve its symptoms, ask your doctor about including CBD oil in your routine. It’s best to look for a holistic physician who is knowledgeable on the subject because many doctors still hold biases against cannabis and other natural substances.
But most importantly, make sure that you always purchase CBD from a trusted company that sells organic and lab-tested products. You can do your own research or use our recommendations to get yourself started in an easy way.
Do you know someone who’s taking CBD oil for autism? Does CBD help with their symptoms?