CNN’s sixth WEED documentary shows the benefits of medicinal cannabis for autism

CNN announced on November 22nd that it would air the sixth installment of its cannabis series WEED 6: Cannabis and Autism, which debuts this weekend exploring the benefits between medicinal cannabis and the symptoms of patients with autism.

With Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, this segment follows the traditional format of the previous WEED series to bring viewers firsthand experiences of the benefits of medical cannabis. “Autism, ASD for Autism Spectrum Disorder, is by definition a wide range of behaviors. Whether light or severe, two key symptoms are social communication problems and restrictive or repetitive behavior, ”says a press release from CNN. “In WEED 6: Cannabis and Autism, viewers will meet researchers, doctors and families, some of whom are performing in public for the first time, and see in real time how life changing the plant can be for them.”

The first WEED documentary, released in 2013, opened a whole new discussion about the stigma of weed. The honest headline on Gupta’s 2013 CNN article “Why I Changed My Mind About Weed” was in direct contrast to his 2009 TIME article “Why I Would Vote No to Pot”.

In his 2013 article, Gupta apologized for the cannabis stigma that prevented him from realizing the plant’s true potential. “Well, I’m here to apologize,” he wrote. “I apologize for not looking carefully enough until now. I haven’t looked far enough. I haven’t checked papers from smaller laboratories in other countries doing remarkable research, and I’ve been too dismissive of the loud chorus of legitimate patients whose symptoms improved from cannabis. ”

In WEED, he put the spotlight on Charlotte Figi, a young Colorado girl with Dravet syndrome who found relief with medical cannabis. She sadly died in 2020, but her example has inspired many other parents to seek medical cannabis for their children.

Eight years have passed since this original documentary was released, and Gupta has produced a total of six documentaries with a unique perspective on cannabis. In WEED 2: Cannabis Madness (2014) he delved into the complexities of politics when it comes to medicinal cannabis. WEED 3: The Marijuana Revolution (2015) continued to examine the benefits of medicinal cannabis. WEED 4: Pot vs. Pills (2018) looked at the devastating effects of the opioid crisis and how medicinal cannabis can help. Finally, WEED 5: The CBD Craze (2019) explored the boom in CBD and the dangers of an unregulated market.

Gupta has been a strong advocate of medical cannabis since 2013, but his commitment isn’t limited to the WEED series. Most recently, he appeared on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience on October 13, 2021, where he talked about his change of attitude towards cannabis and how he publicly stated that he was wrong about medical cannabis.

Gupta also provided some insight into the problem with many medical studies currently being conducted on cannabis. “If you just look at papers – well, that one potential long-term damage, that one potential addiction, that one entry – you know, you’re looking at all of these individual studies, but on a broader level, one step up the path, you realize that the most of the studies that are funded are designed to look for harm, ”Gupta told Rogan. “When I saw this, the first time I thought was, ‘Well, why are the studies that are coming out, why are they all designed to look for harm?” he said. “Then I started looking at other countries and doing some really good research from places like Israel in particular.”

WEED 6: Cannabis and Autism will debut live on CNN on November 28 at 9 p.m. ET and can also be viewed on the channel’s live streaming service, CNNgo.