Minnesota’s cannabis authority has analyzed six years of registry data on autism. Among 1,645 patients, just over one-third of those with significant anxiety reported clear and sustained improvement. However, the lack of a control group limits the study’s conclusions.
📑 Inhaltsverzeichnis
Cannabis and Autism: What Minnesota Analyzed
The Office of Cannabis Management’s report is dated October 1, 2026. It covers all individuals who enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program between August 2018 and July 2024 with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Of 1,811 people who registered, 1,645 actually purchased at least one product. Only this group is included in the analysis.
Minnesota has a unique feature. The authority is legally required to learn from participants‘ experiences. During the evaluation period, patients had to complete a questionnaire before each purchase and rate eight standard symptoms on a scale of 0 to 10. State programs that systematically disclose their data are rare. A European example is the Danish cannabis program with its annual report.
The cohort is young and predominantly male. The average age at enrollment was 20 years, with 72.3 percent identifying as male. Nearly half—785 people—were under 18 years old. About one in ten had also reported a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, a topic we explored in our article on PTSD and cannabis.
Anxiety, Sleep, Depression: The Data in Detail
Anxiety was the most common accompanying symptom. Of 1,450 people—88.3 percent—reported moderate to severe anxiety at enrollment. Among them, 57.0 percent reported a reduction of at least 30 percent within four months. The authority considers this threshold clinically significant.
The second step is crucial. The improvement had to persist for another four months. This was achieved by 498 people, which amounts to 34.3 percent of all those affected. Some reports present the 57 and 67 percent figures side by side, as if they were two success rates. In reality, the second figure applies only to those who had previously improved and had follow-up data available.
Other symptoms show similar patterns. A sustained improvement was reported by 37.3 percent for sleep disorders, 34.4 percent for exhaustion, and 41.3 percent for depressive symptoms. The rates hardly differ between minors and adults. The authority calls their calculation conservative because they count all people without follow-up data as not improved.
Purchase behavior clearly diverges by age group. In Minnesota, parents buy products for minors, and flower products are only available from age 21. In this group, 85.3 percent of products were capsules, solutions, and other oral preparations, mostly CBD-dominant or balanced. Adults chose inhalable products with high THC content 68 percent of the time.
Side Effects and Behavioral Scale
Side effects were reported by 321 people—19.5 percent. Of 1,276 individual reports, 72.6 percent were classified as mild and 5.8 percent as severe. Dry mouth was most common. Among severe reports, anxiety ranked first, followed by dizziness and panic attacks. The authority acknowledges that the questionnaire may not have fully captured severe side effects.
There is only limited data on core autism symptoms. Persons under 26 could voluntarily complete a standardized behavioral checklist. Usable forms from baseline and around ten weeks were available for 46 of 1,170 eligible people—just 3.9 percent. In this group, values decreased across all areas, such as irritability and hyperactivity. The report itself warns that primarily those who experienced improvement may have responded.
What Registry Data Can and Cannot Tell Us
The analysis describes what people who already use cannabis report. It does not prove efficacy. A comparison group is lacking, other treatments were not documented, and for children, parents often filled out the forms. Additionally, those satisfied with their treatment tend to remain in the program and continue providing data.
Controlled studies show how much this matters. The report itself cites a double-blind trial with pure CBD in boys with autism that found no advantage over placebo in 2025 and described a strong placebo effect. Other studies with CBD-dominant extracts have yielded mixed results. We recently covered this with the placebo-controlled trial on NTI164. Older research exists on CBDV for epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders.
No recommendation for Germany can be drawn from this data. Autism is not an established indication for cannabis medicines in Germany, and medical caution is particularly pronounced in children and adolescents. Our analysis of a survey on medical cannabis access shows that many people struggle to navigate this topic anyway. The report’s value lies elsewhere. It reveals which complaints affected people actually want to treat: anxiety and sleep. Future controlled trials can focus there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis help with autism?
This is not established. Minnesota’s data shows that some patients report less anxiety and better sleep. Without a control group, however, we cannot determine whether cannabis is responsible. Controlled studies have produced inconsistent results so far.
How many patients reported sustained improvement?
For anxiety, 34.3 percent of people with moderate to severe symptoms did. This means a reduction of at least 30 percent that persisted over another four months. For depressive symptoms, the proportion was 41.3 percent; for sleep disorders, 37.3 percent.
What side effects were reported?
Just under one-fifth of patients reported at least one side effect, most commonly dry mouth, increased appetite, or fatigue. 5.8 percent of reports were classified as severe. The most common severe side effect was anxiety.
Why is this analysis not a clinical trial?
It is a government report based on self-reported data and purchase records. It was not published in a peer-reviewed journal. There was no random assignment or placebo, and other treatments patients received are unknown.
Is autism an approved indication for medical cannabis in Germany?
Germany does not have a fixed list of indications; the decision lies with the treating physician. Autism is not among established uses. Questions about treatment belong in a specialist’s consultation.
Sollte Cannabis bei Autismus regulär verschrieben werden dürfen?
Source: Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management, Division of Medical Cannabis: Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program, Experience of Enrollees During the First Six Years, October 1, 2026.
Branchen-Update
News, Analysen und Reportagen — mehrmals im Monat direkt in dein Postfach.
Folge uns
