This article, reporting on research by Profs Stuart Reece and Gary Hulse, is seen as seminal contribution to the current concerns about the effects of cannabis use on autism. Accordingly, NDPA has written to JF Kennedy Jnr as below:
Date: 20th April 2025
Importance: High
To Robert F. Kennedy Jnr, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Government of the United States
Sir,
I understand that you and President Trump are becoming extremely concerned about the US autism epidemic.
Please see the attached paper above suggesting that Maternal Cannabis use and CUD may be a factor.
This paper attached is independently supportive of the other Australian work by Professors Reese and Hulse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8bDLzEInWA&t=935s
The Reese/Hulse work indicates strong concordance between Cannabis legalization States and an those same States having an increase in ASD.
Yours sincerely,
David Raynes, Senior Advisor, NDPA (UK)
UK NATIONAL DRUG PREVENTION ALLIANCE
+44 7967708568
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<NDPA>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Volume 337,
July 2024, 115971
Exposure to maternal cannabis use disorder and risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring: A data linkage cohort study.
by Abay Woday Tadesse et al. School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
Highlights
- • This study involved over 222,000 mother-offspring pairs.
- • Maternal prenatal CUD is linked to higher ASD risk, with a stronger risk in male offspring.
- • More research is needed to understand these gender-specific effects.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the association between pre-pregnancy, prenatal and perinatal exposures to cannabis use disorder (CUD) and the risk of autism spectrum disoder (ASD) in offspring. Data were drawn from the New South Wales (NSW) Perinatal Data Collection (PDC), population-based, linked administrative health data encompassing all-live birth cohort from January 2003 to December 2005. This study involved 222 534 mother-offspring pairs. . The exposure variable (CUD) and the outcome of interest (ASD) were identified using the 10th international disease classification criteria, Australian Modified (ICD-10-AM). We found a three-fold increased risk of ASD in the offspring of mothers with maternal CUD compared to non-exposed offspring. In our sensitivity analyses, male offspring have a higher risk of ASD associated with maternal CUD than their female counterparts. In conclusion, exposure to maternal CUD is linked to a higher risk of ASD in offspring, with a stronger risk in male offspring. Further research is needed to understand these gender-specific effects and the relationship between maternal CUD and ASD risk in children.
