Cannabis—Autism
1294. Hon Dr Brian Walker to parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:
I refer the minister to the results of the first major study to be undertaken examining cannabis use in autistic adults, noting that they showed a 73% decrease in short-term overall symptom severity. Although I note that more research will need to be done into longer term reliance:
(1) Is the minister able to provide an accurate estimate of the number of adults with autism in WA, noting that the Australian Bureau of Statistics survey from 2022 showed notable increases over the four preceding years?
(2) Will the minister ensure that this latest United Kingdom-based research is shared with the relevant officers in the Department of Health so that the potential for new and effective treatments may be considered going forward?
Hon Pierre Yang replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the Minister for Health.
(1) There are no Western Australia–specific adult figures published as of 2025.
(2) WA Health and the clinical professionals employed in the public sector continue to review research and its translation and application to clinical circumstances.
