Medical Marijuana Actually Helps

The background and history of medical marijuana

By Joseph Urrutia

April 23, 2014

        Watching anyone suffer from some type of disease or pain is saddening enough but having to watch your own child suffer is unbearable. That was a problem with many parents that have children suffering from epilepsy. Epilepsy is the disorder where one can have chronic seizures and lose consciousness up to several times a day.  Luckily now many studies and test have been done and there had been lots of cases that prove that medical marijuana does help children with epilepsy. It helps the children by reducing their seizures from many a day to very few. There is a lot of controversy with this topic but that seems to be the use with anything dealing with marijuana in today’s world.

Some argue that marijuana is a gateway drug and will just cause the children to want to do more drugs as they grow up, but since the oil does not give them the high feeling there is no way it could be a gateway drug for them, it is clearly just helping their disorder. The ways that marijuana is used are more of the issue. Yeah it seems to be all over with all age groups getting high but the controversy of it being so bad needs to end already. Here it is actually helping children and developing a better life for them but here we still have the issue of it is a drug and is bad. Just because it is used recreationally and happens to get a lot of people in trouble is why people say it is bad but all they need to look at and what society needs to do is show how it actually helps people. Society needs to stop advertising all the bad that marijuana is and start advertising all the good that marijuana actually does.

Marijuana has been around for so long and helping all kinds of different illnesses. Time magazine tells about this issue, “As early as 2737 B.C., the mystical Emperor Shen Neng of China was prescribing marijuana tea for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, malaria and, oddly enough, poor memory.” Irish doctor William O'Shaughnessy was the first to introduce medical marijuana to America. Since then right now there are thirteen states that have a law where medical marijuana is legal. Now with the popularity in medical marijuana going up because of the ways that it is helping epileptic children many states are working on hopefully soon legalizing medical marijuana.

Gladly the state of Utah is looking over all the negative values said about marijuana and are seeing that it does really help people with their diseases. The state is working to pass a law to let parents have the marijuana extract to help with their epileptic children seizures.  “The new law doesn't allow medical marijuana production in Utah but allows families meeting certain restrictions to obtain the extract from other states.” Even though Utah will not be legalizing marijuana in the state, people with the approval of a doctor will be able to enter the state with the medicinal marijuana and use it in the privacy of their homes. Utah parents, with children that have epilepsy, are so happy because they will not have to see their children suffer anymore with their constant seizures.

Another one of the major states that is battling to hopefully help the children that are suffering from epilepsy in their state is the state of Illinois. Elise Dismer wrote an article in the Chicago Sun-Times writing about how the state wants to help the children and since medical marijuana is the best way to help the children then that is what they will have to do. One issue in that state is the recreational use of marijuana and there is too much trouble going around with recreational use so will medical use cause the same problems. Illinois is working on adding minors with epilepsy to the law list of disorders to use medical marijuana. With that they are hoping for the use of recreational marijuana will be the least of the state officers worries because the jails are getting to packed so they need to focus more on the crime not the drug usage in the state. The senate is using people stories about their children with epilepsy and how it can slow down their children’s seizures that can occur up to hundreds to a thousand times a day.  They hope that these stories and other facts they have put together will help them pass the law

Once children with epilepsy grow older and still have the chronic seizures it can make things a lot harder for them like maintaining relationships, driving, and how other people look them upon. So why not try to help cure these seizures when they children are young so that when they grow older they do not suffer from the chronic seizures and are able to live an actual normal life. The children and the scientist will both benefit form this issue with not only the children making progress in whatever they were behind in because of their seizures, and the scientist making progress on finding different ways to help cure epilepsy. Of coarse the progress of personal controls of the children’s body is much more important. Giving the children with epilepsy the cannabis oil does not give them the feeling of being high it just calmly slows the brain down so the brain will not be so constant with the seizures.

A five-year-old named Charlotte became the poster child for the cannabis oil extract and was named Charlotte’s Web after their five year old. The extract treats cancer and seizures for children and adults. The extract does not produce so much THC so when it is given to the patient they do not get the real feeling of being high as if you were to actually smoke marijuana. “A person taking CBD gets the medicinal effects of cannabis without the intoxication, some doctor’s claim. The medication is extracted from the marijuana plant using rotary evaporator, mixed with olive oil, then ingested,” claims Jason Henry.

The Charlottes Web story grew fast and it had parents that had children with epilepsy wanting Charlotte’s web for their children. Once they heard that Charlotte would have up to a hundred seizures a day and by taking the extract it narrowed her seizures down to two or three a month, it had people wanting to move states just so their children could get the chance to love a normal life without any seizures. Especially when the second story about the Charlotte’s Web came out about a mother telling how after using it her son is now learning. He never knew how to ride a bike or his colors and with this he started riding a bike learning how to spell and to speak in complete sentences. Charlotte’s Web has so many people wanting it. There is a record of 2,000 people on a waitlist for Charlotte’s Web.

Hopefully medical marijuana will soon get all the recognition that it deserves for all the good things that it actually does. Maybe soon everyone will stop looking at it as a gateway and recreational drug and will soon look at it as a medicine to cure many different illnesses.

Stack, Patrick. “A Brief History of Medical Marijuana.” New York. Times. October 09, 2009. Web. April 27, 2014.

Dismer, Elise. “Legislation to let kids with epilepsy use pot advances.” Chicago Sun Times, March 25, 2014, Web. 26 March 2014.

Price, Michelle L. “Utah to welcome marijuana for limited medical use.” Colorado. News Banks. March 26. Web.

“Ill. Senate panel passes medical cannabis proposal.” Illinois. News Bank. March 26. Web.  

Young Child Suffers from Seizures Due to Epilepsy 

Medical Marijuana Use on Children

The cons of using marijuana for children with epilepsy

By Jonathan Gonzalez

April 23, 2014

           Medical marijuana for kids with epilepsy has become a huge medical controversy in the last few years. Parents are running out of options, and doctors cannot seem to find another solution to help those kids with epilepsy. Medical Marijuana comes with many negative effects therefore it is not the best solution to help children who suffer from epilepsy. Children and teenagers high on pot is not the solution to cure epilepsy! Putting at risk the life of those who families care is not worth it. Would you as parents choose to use medical marijuana on your children who suffer from epilepsy?

            Families are making the decision of moving to Colorado to help their children

with health problem such as epilepsy, parents and doctors believe that using medical marijuana as the treatment is the best solution. Hundreds of families have become “medical refugees” in the state of Colorado after the state legalized cannabis for recreational use. However what they do not realize is all the negative effects that come with such treatment. Many doctors do not recommend families to move to Colorado due to the lack of testing and the change in altitude in some cases seizures have increased due to those facts The article “Nick Allen, London Daily Telegraph. Parents flock to Colorado for oil that “cures” kids. Informs us that the use of medical marijuana to treat children with epilepsy could be a temporary solution however, in some cases using medical marijuana or moving to a state like Colorado could make things worse. Children will suffer fewer seizures after using medical marijuana for a few weeks or months however it could come back after a few months and turn out worst then before. So should parents and doctors take the risk of using medical marijuana, is taking the risk worth it? Medical marijuana is not the best choice to treat children with epilepsy due to the lack of testing or knowing the reaction the patient will have after using this method.

            Medical marijuana is being used on children of all ages. “The Toronto Star. Could pot stop this baby’s seizures?” gives us the case of a nine month old baby who has been having seizures since she was born. Medical marijuana on children is a high risk and it is not worth taking the risk especially on a new born and not knowing how your children will react to the treatment or not knowing the amount of THC being used. THC is the substance that causes the feeling of being high, too much of it can really hurt a new born and have major side effects in the future. Long term exposure to cannabis does have a risk, anyone who is exposed to marijuana even if its medical marijuana has a higher chance of mental and health problems.

            Legalizing medical marijuana can help children with epilepsy however the use of marijuana has also affected families. Sadly for Colorado resident’s traffic fatalities are on the rise since the day marijuana became legal. “Nick Allen, London Daily Telegraph. Parents flock to Colorado for oil that “cures” kids proves that many of those drivers have tested positive for use of marijuana up to 114 percent. Also in Colorado high school students using medical marijuana have been getting in trouble, drug related expulsions have spiked 45 percent. This proves how medical marijuana is not the best solution to treat children with epilepsy although it helps many patients it can also hurt the whole state. Passing a law that legalizes marijuana isn’t easy although parents are fighting for it they have to understand that by doing so it does not mean their child will heal they have to think about all the consequences like how it could make their seizures worst or how people can misuse medical marijuana how more people can get hurt by some irresponsible person using medical marijuana in the wrong way.

            Heather Jackson and her family have had a very difficult time with Zaki who was 4 months old when he started having seizures. In the article by “Crystal Dilworth. Al Jazeera America News. Using medical marijuana to treat a child’s epilepsy” according to Heather her son had suffered about 500,000 seizures by the time he turned 5 years old. Heather and her family decided to use medical marijuana on Zaki however seizures kept coming back after a few weeks and Heather was forced to increase the dose and work with the reaction of Zaki. Every time the dose got stronger the medication would have a different effect on Zaki and sometimes would actually make the seizures worst. This proves that medical marijuana is not the best solution to treat someone who suffers from epilepsy.

            Medical marijuana has affected families. Sadly for Colorado resident’s traffic fatalities are on the rise since the day marijuana became legal. “Nick Allen, London Daily Telegraph. Parents flock to Colorado for oil that “cures” kids proves that many of those drivers have tested positive for use of marijuana up to 114 percent. Also in Colorado high school students using medical marijuana have been getting in trouble, drug related expulsions have spiked 45 percent. This proves how medical marijuana is not the best solution to treat children with epilepsy although it helps many patients it can also hurt the whole state. Passing a law that legalizes marijuana isn’t easy although parents are fighting for it they have to understand that by doing so it does not mean their child will heal they have to think about all the consequences like how it could make their seizures worst or how people can misuse medical marijuana how more people can get hurt by some irresponsible person using medical marijuana in the wrong way. Legalizing medical marijuana could hurt many families around the world not only will the life of patients be at risk but also those around them.

            The side effects could be major; not having a clear understanding of how the patient will react to the method of using medical marijuana is a very high risk not worth taking. Medical marijuana is not the key to those who suffer from seizures therefore should not become legal in all the states and those states who decide to make it legal should only make medical marijuana handy for patients who can prove they have been under care for at least 6 months with some kind of evidence given to them by their doctor. Actions need to be taken; medical marijuana should not be used on children who suffer from epilepsy or anyone with any medical condition. The side effects can cause severe damage to patient for example mental and health problems are more common among those who are exposed to marijuana even if it is considered medical marijuana the side effects are still there and will affect the life of people who use medical marijuana.

            Therefore parents need to think twice before voting in favor or legalizing medical marijuana! The facts are out there open your eyes and stop the use of medical marijuana on children who in some cases are too young to know what they are being treated with and the affects they will face later in life.

Nick Allen, London Daily Telegraph. Parents flock to Colorado for oil that “cures” kids. Los Angeles. January 2014. Newspaper

The Toronto Star. Could not stop this baby’s seizures? July 2013. Newspaper

 Dilworth. Al Jazeera America News. Using medical marijuana to treat a child’s epilepsy. Web. 2014

The Pro’s of Using Marijuana for Epilepsy

A Maine family helps to cure their daughter’s epilepsy by using marijuana

By Marina Osburne 
April 23 2014

      Many arguments have formed over all things medical related. Lawsuits have been filed, money has been wasted, laws have been broke, and people have become angry. A more specific case that has generated a lot of buzz in the medical world is the topic of using marijuana to treat epilepsy. This topic has formed a lot of controversies over time along with other topics medically related. Using marijuana to treat epilepsy is a great idea and can ultimately contribute to curing the disease of epilepsy. 

      Marijuana has been the topic of conversation amongst many authoritative figures and lawmakers for years. Many people are in favor of marijuana either for personal or medical reasons, and some are also against it. For years, people have been using marijuana to help treat certain illnesses. There are a number of diseases marijuana can be known to help treat, and many doctors believe in it. One illness that can be treated with marijuana is epilepsy, especially in young children.  

      Epilepsy is a disorder in the brain that causes one to have multiple seizures over a period of time. Unfortunately, many children suffer from this horrible disease. About 400,000 children suffer from epilepsy in the United States. Luckily, about 70 to 80 percent of children with epilepsy can treat and control the seizures with medication. There are many different types of medication to treat epilepsy such as Dilantin, Phenobarbital, Tegretol, Mysoline, Zarontin, Depakene, Valium, Neurontin, Zonegran, Trileptal, Keppra, Felbatol, Gabitril, and much more. However, there is one medication in particular is known for treating some severe cases of epilepsy in children that has gained much attention from the media. That medication is marijuana.  

      Marijuana can however, do a lot of positive things regarding medical health. Marijuana has proven to help treat children with epilepsy. When severe cases of epilepsy happen to children, their parents tend to typically panic. Parents confide in their children’s doctor to get them the best treatment and medication possible, but sometimes those medications do not work. There have been cases when the parents and doctors have tried everything and every medication possible to treat their children’s epilepsy, but nothing would seem to help. That is when the parents had no choice but to turn to marijuana as a last result, and not surprisingly it has worked. The THC in marijuana stimulates neurons in the brain, allowing one to feel more relaxed and at ease, which ultimately helps to keep seizures under control. This has been a successful attempt with a lot of children with epilepsy, saying that there seizures have gone down significantly.  

      In one case in particular, two parents who have tried everything to help cure their daughter’s epilepsy, and when they finally find a cure, they go through lengths to get it. Meagan and Ken Patrick have a 1 year old daughter named Addelyn who has epilepsy. They have tried pretty much everything to cure it and nothing has worked, until they tried a strain of marijuana known as “Charlotte’s Web”. Scientists have said it can reduce the number of seizures in epilepsy patients. Researchers at the University of Reading in England found evidence that “Cannabidiol, one of many components in the marijuana plant, can radically reduce the number of seizures in epilepsy patients; it reacts with receptors within the body and works as an anticonvulsant” (1). The parents decide to move from Maine to Colorado in order to get the Charlotte’s Web because it is illegal in Maine. This family is not the only family that has relocated for this strain of marijuana either. “About 100 families nationwide have already relocated to Colorado in order to obtain a strain of medical marijuana known as ‘Charlotte’s Web’ that has been shown to be effective in treating children with epilepsy” (1). They go through many obstacles to try and get their daughter better. All their hard work and dedication has definitely paid off though. After successfully getting marijuana for Addelyn, she has become so much stronger and fights off seizures and her epilepsy every day.

      The strain of marijuana used for Addelyn was originally named Charolette’s Web by a young girl named Charlotte who had epilepsy as well. Her full name was Charlotte Figi and she was only five year’s old suffering from epilepsy. She had around 300 seizures a week. She also used a wheelchair, would go into cardiac arrest, and could barely talk. Her mother started calling marijuana shops as a last result. Two years after using the marijuana, she is now almost seizure free and is also able to walk and talk. The strain of marijuana she uses is now nicknamed Charlotte’s Web, after her name. In Riccardi’s article, he states “Two years later, Charlotte is largely seizure-free and able to walk, talk and feed herself after taking oil infused with a special pot strain. Her recovery has inspired both a name for the strain of marijuana she takes that is bred not to make users high--Charlotte's Web--and an influx of families with seizure-stricken children to Colorado from states that ban the drug” (1).

      Marijuana is a good treatment for epilepsy, and it is morally and ethically wrong not to provide epileptic kids with marijuana. It is unfair that the kids suffering with epilepsy do not have a say when it comes to their health. These children’s parents do not have much of a say either when it comes to getting medical marijuana to treat their children’s epilepsy. The law is the law, and doctors or parents cannot do much to go around it. Occasionally, there will be loopholes to go around the law to get medical treatment, but it is hard to do it. There are so many families that have had to relocate in order to treat their kids with medical marijuana, and that should not have to happen anymore. Lawmakers need to start making a change in there laws to allow parents who have sick children with medical marijuana needs to treat them without having to go through much hassle to get the marijuana. After all, marijuana has so many positive factors in health, and it is about time to start showing the positive features of marijuana.

      Even though some states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes, this issue is a national issue, and therefore there needs to be a nationwide legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. This issue has brought much stress to families dealing with epilepsy, on top of the stress they already have. Sometimes epilepsy can however, be cured with legal medications, but not all cases of severe epilepsy can be cured with legal medications. That leaves marijuana as a last resort for not just some, but many families. Parents with children who have epilepsy spend so much of their lives dealing with constant searching for medications that will cure their children, and when they finally are thrilled with finding something that works such as marijuana, the last thing they want to deal with is legal issues. Parents should not have to risk breaking the law to help their child survive.

      Marijuana is not all about the getting high and stoned persona that it is stereotyped to be. It has been known to treat a lot of serious illnesses therefore should be taken more seriously than it has been over the past years. Young children have been and still are very close to death because of the laws in certain states restricting the use of marijuana, even for medical purposes, which is morally wrong. With a medical cannabis card, people should have every right to use marijuana for their diseases and not be judged or viewed differently. There are so many positive aspects to using marijuana, and curing epilepsy with marijuana is one of them. With so many people finding that marijuana can cure their diseases, the government needs to start legalizing marijuana in all states so these people do not have to relocate to maintain their health. Marijuana has been an important contributor to treating epilepsy in many children and will continue to prosper in the medical and health world. 

Pols, Mary. "Maine Parents Fight to Treat Sick Children with Medical Marijuana." Portland Press Herald. 15 Dec. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 23 April 2014. 

Riccardi, Nicholas. "Kids with Seizures Use Pot As Treatment." Denver Post. 18 Feb. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 23 April 2014.

Reilly, Mollie. "Kentucky Lawmakers Advance Marijuana Oil Bill, Moving Mother Of Epileptic Child To Tears" huffingtonpost.com. The Huffington Post. 20 March 2014. Web. 23 April 2014. 

Price, Michelle. "Utah to Welcome Marijuana for Limited Medical Use" abcnews.com. ABC News Network. 25 March 2014. Web. 23 April 2014.  

Knickerbocker, Brad. "Chris Christie Approves Medical Marijuana for Children--With Some..." Christian Science Monitor. 16 Aug. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 23 April 2014. 

Marijuana Helps a Fathers Son with Epilepsy