A Boy with Autism Utters His First Words after Treatment with Cannabis

Kalel Santiago is a Puerto Rican nine-year-old who suffers from autism. Days ago he gave his parents cause for joy: he pronounced his first words. The child began to speak after beginning treatment with cannabis oil. Hence, his parents believe that the marijuana brought about the positive change in their son. Kalel suffered from cancer when he was just a baby, so until age three he did not begin to receive specific treatment for his autism.

Kalel's parents use an oral spray containing hemp oil twice a day, one with low THC levels and rich in cannabidiol, an organic compound that helps to reduce the convulsions suffered by epilepsy patients. Two days after beginning treatment Kalel surprised his school teacher by pronouncing the vowels. "The teacher recorded it on audio and sent it to my wife and me, and we said: 'Well, the only thing we did differently was to use the CBD," explained Abiel, his father.

The parents say that cannabis has changed their son's life, as he has managed to emerge from his isolation. "He looks you in the eye. He's been trying to say different things, and to imitate what we say. He says 'uncle' and 'aunt,' and the names of my two children. It's something incredible that I cannot explain," reports Kalel'sfather, who says that he would be willing to go any place in the world to get the cannabidiol that is helping his child so much.

Just a few months ago Charlotte Figi, a girl from the United States who also suffers from severe autism, saw her health improve thanks to marijuana oil: the treatment helped her to eat and sleep. Charlotte and Kelal could become two symbols for all those parents who do not know how to help their autistic children; thanks to their example, others can learn that the debate on treatments featuring medical cannabis is a much-needed one.