Medical cannabis treatments for SPCD

Social pragmatic communication disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition caused as a result of having lifelong verbal and non-verbal language difficulties. Prescribed medical cannabis may help some eligible patients manage certain symptoms of the condition, such as anxiety, stress or social isolation.

What is social pragmatic communication disorder?

Social pragmatic communication disorder (SPCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how you might comprehend social situations and understand the etiquette that comes with that.

People with SPCD tend to find it difficult to use verbal and non-verbal communication when socialising. 

Whether that’s knowing how to greet someone, picking up on conversation cues, reading between the lines, understanding literal or sarcastic language, or picking up on tone or body language, there’s a lot to it.

While the structural parts of language, including vocabulary and grammar, are typically unaffected, it’s the social use of language that people with SPCD tend to struggle with.

What’s the difference between social pragmatic communication disorder and autism? 

Some research shows that SPCD lies on the “borderlands of the autism spectrum”, and that those with autistic traits fall just below the threshold for autism spectrum diagnosis. 

In other words, while SPCD and autism may both involve difficulties with social communication, they’re slightly different conditions. 

Being autistic typically involves having fairly restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests, as well as social communication difficulties. So, it really depends on which symptoms you experience and the way they impact your life.

The symptoms for both conditions will also normally appear during early childhood. 

That said, milder forms may not become obvious until later on in life, when the social demands of adulthood start to outpace someone's ability to keep up and cause symptoms like stress or sensory overload. 

At Releaf, we often hear from patients about their journey with neurodevelopmental conditions. Have a look at our patient stories to discover their insights and the treatments that worked for them. 

What symptoms and challenges does SPCD cause in adults?

SPCD is associated with a variety of social-related issues that can make day-to-day life feel more difficult to manage.

The most common symptom of SPCD is having persistent verbal and non-verbal communication difficulties, which can appear in a number of ways. For instance, you might find in social situations that you: 

• struggle to pick up on social cues, like taking turns in conversation or rephrasing something you’ve said

• give inappropriate greetings or farewells when initiating or ending a conversation

• find it difficult to understand nuance, like sarcasm or implied meaning

• have trouble using or interpreting body language, such as eye contact, facial expressions or hand gestures

• stand too close to people or fail to understand personal space boundaries

Because these social challenges can be easy to miss, many adults will often go undiagnosed for years. 

Can living with SPCD increase your risk of other conditions?

Research has found that SPCD is often linked with a higher likelihood of conditions like anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It may also make it difficult for patients to regulate their emotions, affecting their ability to form or maintain relationships.

The impact of living with SPCD may also lead to several other related symptoms, including:

• Social anxiety

• Social withdrawal

• Low mood and depression

• Sleep disturbances

• Sensory overload 

• Chronic stress

• Tiredness and fatigue

These co-occurring symptoms tend to impact patients' day-to-day lives the most and are where support is typically focused.

What treatments and supports are currently available for SPCD?

While there's no proven treatment available for SPCD itself, there are several options to help manage the condition and co-occurring symptoms it can cause. 

Here’s a quick rundown of the management approaches normally recommended to SPCD patients as part of a wider support plan:

 

 

SPCD can also impact patients in different ways, so care needs to be personalised based on the symptoms or conditions you are experiencing. 

Can medical cannabis treatment help with my SPCD co-occurring symptoms?

Medical cannabis cannot treat SPCD itself or improve the core social communication difficulties it causes. But it may help some eligible patients manage the symptoms that often accompany it.

This is particularly the case with the common co-occurring symptoms of SPCD, like anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. 

But as with any type of prescription medication, responses vary from person to person. So what works for one SPCD patient may not have the same effect on another. 

This is why it’s important to adopt a clinician-led, tailored approach to medical cannabis treatment, taking into account your exact symptoms and current medications to determine whether it’s the right choice for you.

Head to our medical cannabis eligibility checker to get started with the process. It’s free, takes less than 30 seconds and could be your first step towards finding relief.

How does the endocannabinoid system relate to neurodivergent presentations like SPCD?

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex cell-signalling network that helps us to regulate various bodily processes, including everything from our overall mood to how we sleep. 

The system itself is made up of natural cannabinoids that we produce in our bodies, along with the receptors they act on. These are normally found in either our brain and central nervous system (where CB1 receptors are located) or immune cells (where CB2 receptors are found). 

For neurodevelopmental conditions in particular, the ECS is of particular clinical interest. 

Some studies have shown that children with autism tend to have lower circulating levels of certain endocannabinoids in their blood, such as anandamide. This has led researchers to theorise that this could be a biological marker for neurodevelopmental conditions like autism or SPCD.

What role does medical cannabis play in the ECS of SPCD patients? 

Medical cannabis contains certain levels of cannabinoids that work on the same ECS. 

The main examples of these are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which interact with the same CB1 and CB2 receptors as the body's natural endocannabinoids do.

Because autism and SPCD overlap in terms of the social communication symptoms they can cause, there’s some clinical interest in how medical cannabis may impact the ECS of diagnosed patients. 

But it's very early days, and most of the research up to this point has focused on autism more generally, rather than SPCD on its own.

What does the research say about cannabis and social communication conditions?

Until now, there haven’t been any specific studies that have looked at the relationship between medical cannabis and SPCD. 

Most of the studies in this area have focused on the broader relationship between cannabinoids and autism instead, which shares many of the same social communication difficulties as seen in SPCD. 

There’s also been plenty of research into medical cannabis and some of the symptoms associated with SPCD, including anxiety, sleep disturbances and stress. 

So, with all this in mind, here’s an overview of the research related to SPCD: 

 

 

As these findings prove, there’s a lot to take encouragement from. But they're far from conclusive.

While medical cannabis is continually being studied for its potential in treating a wide variety of conditions, the evidence for SPCD is in its early days and very much still developing. 

What forms of Releaf medical cannabis can be prescribed for SPCD?

If you have been deemed eligible to receive a medical cannabis prescription for SPCD, we offer several different formats and methods of administration. 

Knowing which one is the right choice for you will depend on your symptoms, medical history, overall treatment goals and personal preferences, where appropriate.

The main formats we typically offer to eligible patients include:

• oils

• capsules

• pastilles

• dried flower 

• THC vapes

One key thing to note: dried flower can only be vaporised, not smoked. In fact, it’s actually illegal to smoke medical cannabis in the UK. 

Whatever your needs might be, working closely with your consultant will allow you to find the format that fits into your life most easily.

Take a look at our knowledge hub for detailed guides on the different formats and types of medical cannabis strains available.  

Am I eligible for UK medical cannabis treatment for SPCD?

Medical cannabis prescriptions have been legal in the UK since 2018, when the government updated its law. But it can only be prescribed by a specialist doctor at a CQC-regulated private clinic, such as our team at Releaf.

While our world-class clinical team can prescribe medical cannabis for a wide range of chronic conditions, we always assess eligibility on an individual basis. 

For SPCD specifically, you will need to meet the following eligibility criteria to qualify. You’ll need to: 

• have a confirmed SPCD diagnosis from a doctor or specialist

• be experiencing ongoing symptoms that affect your day-to-day life

• have already tried at least two conventional treatments that haven't provided adequate relief from symptoms

Because SPCD will often come with co-occurring symptoms like anxiety or sleep-related issues, our specialists will look at the whole picture rather than one symptom in isolation.

The best way to get started with the process is to use our medical cannabis eligibility checker. That way, you can see if you’re eligible and book a consultation with us if you are. 

FAQs on medical cannabis for SPCD

If you have more questions about medical cannabis and SPCD, we’ve got you covered. Here are some common questions our consultants are often asked.

Can medical cannabis help me communicate better if I have SPCD?

There is currently no clinical evidence that proves medical cannabis can improve the core social communication difficulties associated with SPCD. As such, it shouldn’t replace any other first-line treatments you have been recommended as part of your treatment plan. 

Where medical cannabis may help some patients is in supporting co-occurring symptoms, like anxiety, stress or sleep disturbances. 

By managing these symptoms, this may have an indirect impact on social situations and communication-related issues. But it’s not a direct treatment for SPCD.

I have SPCD and severe social anxiety. Which should I focus on treating?

This is a question you will need to seek personal medical advice about. 

Severe anxiety will typically have a bigger impact on your day-to-day life so, in most situations, it should be prioritised. Treating it may also help to ease some of the pressure felt when in social situations too. 

But SPCD can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety as well, so you’ll need to speak to a specialist to identify the right approach for your situation.

Can medical cannabis be prescribed alongside the SSRI antidepressants I take for anxiety?

It’s possible, but it varies from patient to patient depending on factors like your symptoms, age, medical history and lifestyle. 

Like other types of prescription medicine, medical cannabis can interact with other medicines, including SSRI antidepressants. 

This is why it’s so important to share as full and detailed a medical history as possible with your consultant. They'll only recommend medical cannabis if it's appropriate to take alongside your existing medications.

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