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