Minnesota's Autism Medical Cannabis Study: What OCM Found, and What the Rest of the Research Says

By Jaycub | MN Cannabis Hub

Educational only, not medical advice. MN Cannabis Hub is a resource directory. We don't sell cannabis, and nothing here tells you to start, stop, or change a treatment for yourself or your child. Talk with your doctor.

On Oct. 1, 2026, Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) published a 39-page report on people enrolled in the state's medical cannabis program under autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The press release made headlines: less anxiety, less depression, "one of the largest studies ever."

I read the whole PDF, then went looking for every clinical trial and review I could find to see how it compares. Here's the short version, then the details.

The plain-English summary

• Who was studied: 1,811 people enrolled for autism between Aug. 1, 2018 and July 31, 2024. Of those, 1,645 actually bought medical cannabis, and they're the people analyzed. Almost half (47.7%) were under 18. The average age was 20.
• What was measured: Patients (or, for kids, usually a parent) rated 8 symptoms from 0 to 10 every time they bought cannabis. OCM counted a 30% or bigger drop as a real improvement.
• The headline numbers:
  • About 1 in 3 people with moderate or severe anxiety improved and kept that improvement for at least 4 more months (34.3%).
  • For depression it was about 4 in 10 (41.3%).
• A small parent survey (46 families) reported less irritability, hyperactivity, and social withdrawal after 10 weeks. But only about 4% of eligible families filled it out.
• Side effects: About 1 in 5 patients (19.5%) reported at least one. Most were mild, and dry mouth was the most common.
• What it can't tell you: There was no comparison group that didn't use cannabis. Nobody tracked patients' other medications or therapies. And for most kids, a parent was the one reporting. So the study shows what patients reported. It can't show that cannabis caused the change.
• What clinical trials say: A handful of placebo-controlled trials in kids have mixed results. The most careful recent review (2025) rated the overall evidence low to very low certainty. No major medical body recommends cannabis for autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics says people under 21 shouldn't use cannabis at all, outside FDA-approved drugs.

What OCM found

Symptom relief. These are all 1,643 patients with symptom data, both kids and adults. "Moderate to severe" means a score of 4 or higher out of 10 at enrollment.

Source: OCM, "Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program," Table 4.1A. In the "kept it" column, the percentage is out of patients who still had data four months later.

A note on depression. The press release and one paragraph of the report say 42.9% improved and kept it. But the report's own table and executive summary say 41.3%, and the math agrees: 406 ÷ 982 = 41.3%. The 42.9% figure is the appetite number, and it looks like it got copied into the wrong line. I'm using 41.3%.

Kids vs. adults were very close:

Who was in the program:

• Sex: 72.3% male.
• Race: 77.6% White.
• Where they lived: 71.9% in the Minneapolis or St. Paul ZIP-code regions.
• Other qualifying conditions: 18.4% had one too, most often PTSD (9.9%), chronic pain (5.0%), and seizures (3.2%).
• Age: ranged from 2 to 75. The program-wide average age is 45.7, so this group is much younger.

What they bought. In their first year, patients made 18,102 purchases totaling 47,071 products.

• Kids: 85.3% of their purchases were swallowed products (enteral, like oils, capsules, and gummies), mostly high-CBD or balanced CBD:THC.
• Adults: 68.0% of their purchases were inhaled. About half of the swallowed products adults bought were high or very high in THC.
• Flower: made up 51.5% of inhaled purchases, and most of it was high-THC.
• Rules: Flower is limited to people 21 and older. A parent or guardian buys for patients under 18.

How long people stayed.

• 7.4% bought only once.
• 68.5% kept buying for more than 8 months. That was 73.8% of adults and 62.6% of kids.
• 56.5% kept buying for more than a year.

The behavior survey (ABC-2). Families of patients under 26 could mail in the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, a standard tool researchers use in autism studies. 46 of 1,170 eligible families (3.93%) completed it both at the start and 10 weeks later. All five areas improved (p ≤ 0.001):

The families who answered were younger (average age 12.65 vs 15.31) and more likely to be White (91.3% vs 75.3%) than everyone who was eligible. OCM itself says these results probably reflect who chose to respond.

Side effects.

• How many: 321 patients (19.5%) reported 1,276 side effects in their first year.
• How bad: 72.6% were mild, 21.6% moderate, and 5.8% severe. The 74 severe reports came from 51 patients.
• Most common: dry mouth (23.9% of all reports), then increased appetite, drowsiness, and brain fog.
• Most common severe one: anxiety, with 10 reports. Drowsiness, fatigue, nausea, and panic attacks followed.

How it was measured, and why the limits matter

I want to be fair to OCM here. The report is clear about its own limits, and Minnesota is one of the few states that requires its program to collect this kind of data at all. But anyone using these numbers to make a decision should understand what they are.

1. There's no control group. Nobody in the study got a placebo, and there was no group of similar patients who didn't use cannabis. That matters a lot in autism. In the 2025 UC San Diego trial below, families and clinicians saw big improvements on placebo too. This is sometimes called "placebo by proxy": when parents expect a treatment to work, they tend to rate their child as doing better.
2. For most kids, a parent was the reporter. OCM says the symptom ratings are "a mix of third-party reporting and self-reporting."
3. Other treatments weren't tracked. OCM points out its results "assume medical cannabis treatment is the only change over the study period, which may not be the case." Therapy, school changes, other medications, and kids simply getting older all happen over time.
4. The 8 symptoms are general, not autism-specific. The symptom tool asks about anxiety, sleep, pain, and so on. It doesn't measure communication, social skills, repetitive behaviors, or meltdowns. Only the tiny ABC-2 survey touched those.
5. Dropouts. People who weren't helped may have stopped buying, and then they stopped reporting. OCM's main percentages use everyone who started with moderate or severe symptoms as the denominator, which OCM calls a "conservative" approach. Even so, results from people who stayed aren't the same as results from a trial.
6. Side effects were self-reported, so they were likely under-reported.

Bottom line on the study: It's a large, honest real-world snapshot of what Minnesota patients and families reported. It's useful for designing future trials. It's not proof that cannabis treats autism or its symptoms.

How it compares to other research

I sorted these from strongest evidence (placebo-controlled trials and reviews) to weakest (studies with no comparison group). Every one links to the source.

The pattern:

• Studies without a comparison group (including Minnesota's) tend to show big improvements.
• Placebo-controlled trials show smaller, mixed effects. Purified-CBD trials have come up short.
• The best trial result so far, for whole-plant extract on a clinician's overall rating, comes from a single trial that missed its main goal.
• There is no Cochrane review of cannabis for autism. Per the 2025 review, no health regulator (NICE, EMA, CADTH) has evaluated it.
• In 2019 the FDA warned companies about marketing CBD with autism claims.

What medical groups say. The American Academy of Pediatrics says "people under 21 should not use any form of cannabis." It supports FDA-tested cannabis drugs like Epidiolex, which is approved for two rare seizure syndromes, not autism. It also calls for more research specifically in kids.

Other states.

• Pennsylvania lists autism as a "serious medical condition." Minors get access through a registered caregiver.
• Texas's Compassionate Use Program lists autism too. It limits products to "low-THC cannabis" (no more than 10 mg THC per dose), and the prescribing physician must be board-certified in a relevant specialty.
• I didn't find another state that has published an autism-specific outcomes report like Minnesota's.

Minnesota context

How common autism is. CDC's autism tracking network (ADDM) found that in 2022, 1 in 31 eight-year-olds in its U.S. sites (32.2 per 1,000) had been identified with autism. Boys were identified 3.4 times as often as girls.

Minnesota's site, run out of the University of Minnesota, covers parts of Anoka, Hennepin, and Ramsey counties (17,331 eight-year-olds). It found:

• 1 in 28 (35.5 per 1,000), up from 1 in 34 in 2020. The covered area changed between those years, which may affect the comparison.
• 1 in 12 Somali children, the highest of any group tracked.
• A median age at first diagnosis of 4 years, 7 months, later than the national ADDM median.
• 37% of autistic 8-year-olds with IQ data also had an intellectual disability.

These numbers come from the metro area and may not reflect the whole state.

Is autism a qualifying condition? Yes. ASD became a qualifying condition on Aug. 1, 2018. State law (Minn. Stat. 342.01, subd. 63) lists "autism spectrum disorder that meets the requirements of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders."

How enrollment works (short version):

1. Talk with a health care practitioner who can certify you. For a child, this is also the conversation about whether it makes sense at all, and at what dose.
2. Enroll with OCM online. The state patient fee was eliminated in 2023. Our patient enrollment guide and OCM portal guide walk through it, and costs covers the timelines.
3. For patients under 18, a parent or legal guardian handles purchasing. Flower is limited to patients 21 and older.

More on the Hub:

• Autism and the Minnesota medical card
• Medical card overview
• Qualifying conditions
• Finding a certifying provider
• Renewal
• Medical dispensaries directory
• Our breakdown of OCM's cancer study

Local support that isn't about cannabis: OCM consulted the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) and the state's Autism Resource Portal on this study. Both are good starting points for families. OCM also publishes a "Guide to Safer Cannabis Use in Minnesota," available in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong.

If you or someone you love is autistic

• These results describe what Minnesota patients and families reported. They're not a promise for any one person.
• Anxiety, sleep, and depression are where the strongest reported changes were. Those are also areas where other treatments have stronger evidence. Bring the whole picture to your doctor.
• For kids especially: ask about drug interactions, THC vs CBD, dose, and what you'll watch for. In the trials, that meant sleepiness, appetite changes, and anxiety (which got worse for some kids). Ask how you'll decide whether it's working.
• OCM's own advice: talk to a medical professional about dosing before starting.

The people behind the report and the research

From the OCM report:

• OCM, Division of Medical Cannabis. The report doesn't list individual authors. OCM says it was "conducted by researchers at the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management."
• Grace Christensen. Senior research analyst at OCM. OCM's materials refer to her as Dr. Christensen. She's OCM's quoted researcher on this report and on its September 2026 cancer report. On this study: "There are very few clinical trials using cannabis as a therapeutic agent in patients with autism spectrum disorder, so this report provides important data for future studies on medical cannabis and ASD."
• Eric Taubel. Executive director of OCM: interim from January 2025, permanent since August 2025. Before that he was OCM's general counsel. Earlier, he was general counsel at the Minnesota Department of Education (where he set up its Office of General Counsel) and at the Department of Commerce.
• Daren Howard. Interim executive director of the Autism Society of Minnesota since June 15, 2026, after four years as deputy director. He's the first openly autistic person to lead AuSM in its 55-year history. On the report: "The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) is particularly encouraged by findings that medical cannabis patients with autism report reduced anxiety and depression, because these are pervasive concerns within our community."

Lead outside researchers cited above:

• Dr. Adi Aran. Director of the Child Neurology Unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem (since 2016). Associate professor at Hebrew University, chair of the Israeli Child Neurology Association, and a former Stanford sleep-medicine postdoc. He led the 150-person 2021 trial. That trial was funded by BOL Pharma, which also made the study product, and Aran disclosed advisory and stock ties to the company.
• Dr. Doris Trauner. Distinguished professor of neurosciences and pediatrics at UC San Diego (on faculty since 1977) and a pediatric neurologist at Rady Children's. She was chief of pediatric neurology from 1981 to 2015 and has 190+ publications. She led the 2025 Epidiolex crossover trial. The drug was donated by its manufacturer, and funding came from foundations and the NIH.
• Dr. Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider. PhD in epidemiology from Ben-Gurion University, where her mentors included cannabis-research pioneer Raphael Mechoulam. She built one of Israel's largest real-world medical cannabis patient databases and is now medical director at Tikun Olam USA.

FAQ

Does this study prove medical cannabis helps autism? No. It shows what patients and families reported, with no comparison group. OCM says so itself.

What improved the most? Among common symptoms, depression (41.3% improved and kept it) and sleep (37.3%). Anxiety was the most common complaint (88.3%), and about a third (34.3%) improved and kept it.

Were the results different for kids? Barely. Anxiety, depression, and fatigue were within 2 percentage points between kids and adults. Adults did a bit better on sleep.

What did kids actually use? Mostly swallowed, high-CBD or balanced products. Adults mostly used inhaled products, often high-THC flower.

How common were side effects? 19.5% of patients reported at least one in their first year, mostly mild. Dry mouth was the most common. Anxiety was the most common severe one.

Is CBD approved for autism? No. The FDA-approved CBD drug, Epidiolex, is approved for specific seizure syndromes. In the 2025 UC San Diego trial, it didn't beat placebo for autism symptoms.

How many people were in the study? I've seen 1,811. 1,811 enrolled. 1,645 bought cannabis and were analyzed, and 1,643 had symptom data.

Is autism a qualifying condition in Minnesota? Yes, since Aug. 1, 2018. It must meet DSM-5 criteria.

Sources

• OCM, Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program: Experience of Enrollees During the First Six Years (PDF, cover dated Oct. 1, 2026): https://mn.gov/ocm/assets/OCM_Autism_Spectrum_Disorder_Report_20260707_tcm1202-770050.pdf
• OCM press release, Oct. 1, 2026: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNOCM/bulletins/42d1a48
• OCM press release on the cancer study, Sept. 11, 2026 (Christensen title; fees eliminated 2023): https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNOCM/bulletins/4295194
• Minn. Stat. 342.01 (qualifying medical condition definition): https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/342.01
• Riera et al., 2025, Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (systematic review): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12555098/
• Aran et al., 2021, Molecular Autism: https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-021-00420-2
• Trauner et al., 2025, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-025-06884-y
• Silva et al., Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (PMID 35617670): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35617670/
• Branco et al., European Psychiatry (meta-analysis abstract): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12438805/
• Köck et al., 2024, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health (PMID 39696457): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39696457/
• Chhabra et al., 2024, JAMA Pediatrics (PMID 39283619): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39283619/
• Bar-Lev Schleider et al., 2019, Scientific Reports: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37570-y
• Barchel et al., 2019, Frontiers in Pharmacology: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.01521/full
• Aran et al., 2019, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (PMID 30382443): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30382443/
• Erridge et al., 2022, UK Medical Cannabis Registry (PMID 36159065): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36159065/
• Aggarwal et al., 2026, UK Medical Cannabis Registry (PMID 42387975): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42387975/
• CDC, Shaw et al., MMWR Surveillance Summaries 74(2), Apr. 17, 2025: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/ss/ss7402a1.htm
• MN-ADDM (University of Minnesota), 8-year-old findings, 2022 data: https://addm.umn.edu/detailed-findings/eight-year
• American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, "Is Cannabis Harmful for Children & Teens? AAP Policy Explained" (updated Feb. 7, 2023): https://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/teen/substance-abuse/pages/legalizing-marijuana.aspx
• Pennsylvania Department of Health, Medical Marijuana Patients and Caregivers: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health/programs/medical-marijuana/medical-marijuana-patients
• Texas Occupations Code ch. 169 (Compassionate Use Program): https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docviewer/?docName=OC.169.htm
• Bios:
  • Fox 9 on Taubel's appointment: https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-office-cannabis-management-permanent-director-aug-2025
  • AuSM on Daren Howard: https://ausm.org/news/daren-howard-named-interim-executive-director/
  • Shaare Zedek, Adi Aran: https://www.szmc.org.il/en/doctorsen/aran-adi/ and Hebrew University: https://cannabinoids.huji.ac.il/people/adi-aran
  • Rady Children's, Doris Trauner: https://www.rchsd.org/doctors/doris-trauner-md/
  • CannMed, Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider: https://cannmedevents.com/lihi-bar-lev-schleider/

Credit to OCM's Division of Medical Cannabis for publishing the full report and data tables, and to every researcher above. If you spot an error, email info@mncannabishub.com and I'll fix it.