Treating symptoms with cannabidiol (CBD) has become quite a controversial topic as states begin to legalize medical marijuana. According to Yahoo! News, Kalel Santiago and his family have witnessed a life-changing recovery shortly after they starting treating Kalel’s autism with CBD. 

Kalel is a nine-year-old boy living in Aguada, Puerto Rico who has already spent two years of his life battling cancer. After surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, he beat the neuroblastoma but now battles a severe form of non-verbal autism.

“While he was in the hospital, we noticed he didn’t speak at all and had some behavior that wasn’t right, like hand flapping and walking on his toes,” said Abiel Gomez Santiago, Kalel’s father. “But we waited until he was three and cancer-free to look at his behavior.”

At first, the family tried various schools and treatment programs, including a particularly successful surf therapy, but none were as effective as their discovery of Project CBD. Kalel began taking two doses by mouth daily of CBD. Just two days later, he spoke his first words. 

The family was stunned by his recovery. Abiel said he cannot thank the CBD creators enough for the happiness he and his wife felt hearing their son’s voice for the first time. 

Although there is hope for Kalel’s diagnoses, the family will now battle the legality of his new treatment. Since medical marijuana is only legal in certain states, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes it difficult to access CBD in many places. 

For now, they obtain the Hemp Health oil spray from a dispensary in California for around $40 an ounce, which measures out to about three months of daily doses. Many families battling the same struggle have moved to Colorado, the source of the treatment, to eliminate difficulty of access.

“If we had to go somewhere else to get it, we would,” Abiel said. “I’d go anywhere.”

To read more about Kalel’s miracle, see the full story.

Collegian Green Report Blogger Capelli D’Angelo can be reached online at blogs@collegian.com.