Some families are desperate to relieve the pain their children are feeling in anyway possible. If that requires making some changes then it is well worth it.
Our Los Angeles marijuana lawyers know that medicinal marijuana can be helpful to patients who suffer from a variety of conditions.
Even though 20 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, the debate over actual use of products containing cannabis is a long way from settled.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still considers marijuana a Schedule I drug, meaning that the agency believes it has no redeemable use at all, and is still a concern when it comes to abuse.
Unfortunately, the debate and continuing lack of federal support has led to many individuals with health conditions not able to use what could be a life-altering treatment option.
Fortunately, there are doctors that are willing to take a chance and use medical marijuana in place of synthetic drugs with high risk of side effects. Remember, marijuana is a naturally occurring substance, whereas most pharmaceuticals are created using chemicals and compounds in a laboratory.
A family recently determined that their 2-year-old son would benefit from a cannabis based treatment to help with seizures. Having had seizures since he was five-months old, the young child was not developing at the “normal” rate of a healthy child his age.
After multiple attempts at treating his seizures with pharmaceutical drugs such as Phenobarbital, Banzel, and Depakote, Andrew’s parents became frustrated and concerned.
When a relative discussed having seen a television program about medical marijuana being used to treat epilepsy, the child’s mother decided to talk to her son’s neurologist about trying the drug.
High in the brain activity leveling ingredient cannabidiol (CBD), the specific drug used in the television program was low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive compound in marijuana.
However, when the mother broached the subject with neurologists, they emphatically stated that they would not provide cannabis drugs. Instead, they recommended surgery, which could have lasting side effects, including blindness.
In response the child’s parents sought the help of former pediatric doctor, who is the director of CannaCenters in California. The doctor took charge of the child’s care, and after only one dose of the oil that neurologists refused to try, his seizures decreased.
Four months following the first dose, the young child had gone from up to six seizures every day, to a seizure once every two weeks.
There are thousands of children missing the opportunity to walk, talk, and play with their families because they do not have access to a natural drug like medical marijuana.
In California where this family lives, medical marijuana is legalized; however, the collectives and dispensaries that provide the drugs are consistently facing litigation, with many being forced to close their doors.
Without the support of the federal government, and careful regulation by the FDA, the collectives and dispensaries that provide the drug legally will continue to be served with complaints, litigation, and lack of support, even though they are operating within legal state limits.
The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.
More Blog Entries:
Obama Admin Pot Policy Dazed, Confusing to Many, February 23, 2014, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog
Lawmakers Debate Tighter Marijuana Laws – In Colorado Too!, February 19, 2014, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog